CAMDEN, N.J. — The 13,700-student Camden school district became the fourth school system Monday to come under state control.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, faced with a school district that has the second lowest graduation rate in the state, a declining enrollment and high poverty said Camden’s system is broken and that the state is taking over Camden City Public Schools immediately.

“Just because we can’t guarantee a positive result or we have had mixed results in the past, is not an excuse for inaction,” Christie said in his announcement with Christopher Cerf, commissioner of the state Department of Education, at Woodrow Wilson High School here.

While the state’s three largest school systems have been under state control for decades, this is the first time that Christie has removed control from local education officials.

Camden Mayor Dana Redd expressed optimism about the takeover.

“We recognize as leaders that we have an obligation to give children a real chance to succeed,” she said.

In a statement, Senate President Stephen M. Sweeney, a Democrat from Gloucester, N.J., said the time had come for a state takeover.

“We recognize this is a dramatic change,” he said.

The school system for this city of about 77,000 across the Delaware River from Philadelphia long has been plagued with low test scores, falling graduation rates and declining enrollment. During the 2011-12 school year, graduation rates plummeted by 7 percentage points to 49.3%, down from 56.9% the year before. The graduation rate statewide is 86%, according to the New Jersey Department of Education.

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