This demonstration project is a new 400,000-square-foot high school that provides 21st century educational opportunities for 2,000 students. It is designed to offer students and community residents a comprehensive approach to health and spaces that foster community service and school-community interaction, while also serving as an anchor and support for proposed housing and commercial redevelopment activities.

The school facility project is a new two and three story high school constructed on a 26-acre site in New Brunswick. The new high school accommodates students in four 3-story educational pods connected to a central core structure housing indoor athletic facilities, gymnasium, auditorium and other common and administrative spaces.

Community design features of the high school are intended to advance four general goals and include facilities and programs to:

1. Encourage a healthy student body;
2. Facilitate school-parent-community engagement;
3. Foster social service support;
4. Enable school-community partnerships

In order to advance its healthy schools goal, the school district planned a student health services center that provides a comprehensive range of preventative medical services and dental care. Indoor and outdoor athletic facilities for joint student/community use round out the district’s healthy schools plan.

Facilities designed to engage the community includes parent/community rooms that provide space for parents and families of students to meet, plan and organize with school staff and administration. The school’s broadcast center provides access to radio and television outlets to publicize community programs and activities.

The district-operated PIC-C program provides counseling, education, medical, social, and childcare services to newborn and young children of district students. This program has been in operation for five years and has been very successful in reducing the pregnancy rate among the district’s students.

Community Partnership facilities include spaces for a student career center, performing and visual arts programs and a labor training program that is coordinated with the local workforce investment board and area employers.

This demonstration school project is an anchor and support for proposed housing and commercial and economic development activities along the Somerset Street/Route 27 corridor. The City is working with local community development corporations to expand successful downtown development to the community to be served by the new high school.

The project was managed by the New Brunswick Housing and Redevelopment Authority as the redevelopment entity and the New Brunswick Development Corp (DEVCO) as the Redeveloper. Professional services were provided by Vitetta as the architect, civil engineering and environmental consulting by RBA Group and PMK Group, respectively. Joseph Jingoli & Son, Inc. provided construction management and general contracting services. The high school opened January 2010.

via the New Jersey Schools Development Authority website