The district was formed in 1848 after the passage of a voter petition to unify the schools in Newark under one system.
A "Negro school" operated from 1859 until 1888 to provide segregated education to African American children in the Newark district.
At the request of the U.S. government in 1940, the district initiated industrial training programs that were intended to assist in national defense.
The district's Board of Education consists of five citizens elected to staggered four-year terms, with one president, one vice-president, and three members.
S/he administers the district's educational programs and has final responsibility for curriculum, staffing, and evaluation.
In cooperation with the superintendent, the treasurer manages the district's financial, legal and contractual affairs.
Building Administration Guidance & Counseling Department of Fine Arts A Call to College is a non-profit organization founded in 1988 by Jane Cook McConnell and Lou Mitchell to work with Newark City Schools to help promote college access for students in Newark, Ohio.