Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. outlined his proposal to develop a centralized, state-of-the-art campus for the Essex County Vocational Technical School District on the former site of United Hospital in Newark on Monday, February 1st. DiVincenzo plans to consolidate Bloomfield Tech, North 13th Street School in Newark and the West Caldwell Campus into a new facility and continue operating Essex County Newark Tech as a second vocational technical school.

The initiative to build a new school campus gained momentum in early January after former Governor Jon Corzine signed legislation increasing the State reimbursement for vocational technical school construction projects to 90 percent. The County Executive noted that the bill signing was the culminating event of a 15-year-long lobbying effort to increase State funding for the county vocational technical school that he began in 1995 with the late State Senator Wynona Lipman.

"A new modern school has been needed to replace the aging facilities in our vocational district for generations. The state-of-the-art campus will provide the appropriate resources to match our cutting edge curriculum," DiVincenzo said. "It has been 15 years since we joined with Senator Lipman to get our fair share of State funding for county vocational technical school districts. Although it has taken some time, we never stopped lobbying for what our students needed," he said, noting that the new school construction funding legislation will increase State reimbursement for school construction costs from 48 percent to 90 percent for Essex County.

The County Executive thanked the sponsors of the legislation – State Senators Richard Codey, Ronald Rice and John Girgenti, and Assembly representatives Albert Coutinho, Grace Spencer and Thomas Giblin – for helping to change the funding formula and former Governor Corzine for signing the legislation.

"Joe has come up with a plan that will have far reaching implications for our students," Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver said. "When we look at the potential of our students, we can no longer shortchange our vocational districts. We need to equip our students with skills needed to compete in the changing workforce, and the vocational school districts are the places to do that," she added.

Newark West Ward Councilman Ronald Rice, Jr. talked about redevelopment plans the city was formulating for the West Market Street corridor and how the idea of a new school fit with the plans. "This can be the project that moves the redevelopment efforts forward and gets it started. This will bring back the vitality this area has been fighting for since the hospital closed," Rice noted.

During the press conference at Essex County North 13th Street School, DiVincenzo outlined his proposal for the new campus.The proposal is to transform the 7.8-acre, former United Hospital site in Newark into a state-of-the-art education campus. Currently an eyesore in the community and unused since the hospital closed in the late 1990s, the property is conveniently located off Interstate Route 280 and is accessible by several bus routes. DiVincenzo met with community and elected leaders to inform them of the project and recently met with New Jersey Chief of Staff Richard Bagger and State Education Commissioner Bret Schundler to discuss obtaining the necessary funds to purchase the property, demolish the buildings and design the campus from the New Jersey School Construction Fund.

"We are always happy when the County Executive brings projects that will benefit students to the Freeholder Board," Freeholder President Blonnie Watson said. "This is a vision our County Executive has had for a number of years and we are happy to support this effort," she added.

"I feel strongly about the education of our children and the opportunities they should receive. Other vocational school districts have modern facilities and our students deserve to have the same resources," Assemblyman and Freeholder Vice President Ralph Caputo said.

The campus would replace Essex County North 13th Street School in Newark and Essex County Bloomfield Tech that were constructed in 1929 and the West Caldwell School that opened circa 1970. These facilities were designed to meet the educational needs of an earlier time, require significant maintenance and are more difficult to adapt to the modern curriculum, such as Green Energy, Television Broadcasting, Law and Criminal Justice, and Computers Technology, being introduced into the district. Newark Tech, which was built in 1970 and received a new auditorium/gymnasium addition in 2007, would remain open as the second Essex County vocational-technical school.

"We are grateful for this tremendous opportunity to have facilities that match our neighboring counties," Essex County Vocational Technical School Board President Father Ed Leahy said. "I am excited about the possibilities this will give our students to learn and grow. I want to thank Joe DiVincenzo for his efforts on behalf of our students," he added.

"I have never met an elected official who is so committed to the young people of Essex County. Joe’s vision will make an incredible difference in the lives our students," Essex County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Lawrence Feinsod said.

Despite the obstacles presented by the facilities, students are excelling, as evidenced by Bloomfield Tech receiving the National Blue Ribbon Award for academic excellence, Newark Tech Principal Baruti Kafele being presented with the national Milken Educator Award and the district being recognized the last two years for outstanding achievement in U.S. News & World Report’s list of America’s 1,000 Best High Schools.

"The 2,200 students of our Essex County Vocational Technical School District are high achievers who have received national recognition for their academic accomplishments, despite attending classes in antiquated facilities. With modern school buildings that provide the appropriate learning environment and resources, I believe our students can reach even greater heights," DiVincenzo noted. "We have upgraded our curriculum to prepare our students for a different, more competitive and more demanding job market. Providing them with modern facilities to match the programs is the next logical step. There is no limit to what our students can achieve and we want to help them up the ladder of success," he added.

The legislation – S2941/A4137 – provides 90 percent State reimbursement for school construction costs to county vocational technical school districts that have at least 90 percent of their student body residing in SDA districts (former Abbott districts). "In light of the fact that SDA school districts have a State support ratio of 100 percent for school facilities projects, it is appropriate that those county vocational technical school districts which educate such a significant percentage of students who resident in SDA districts will also receive an increased level of support for their projects," the Senate legislation states. Approximately 93 percent of the Essex County Vocational Technical School District student population resides in the former Abbott Districts of Newark, East Orange, Irvington and Orange. There are about 1,414 students, or 66 percent of the total student population, from Newark; 282 students, or 13 percent of the total student population, from East Orange; 184 students, or 8.5 percent of the total student population, from Irvington; and 121 students, or 5.5 percent of the total student population, from Orange.

"This new school will provide students in Essex County with the type of learning environments that a rapidly changing economic environment requires," Essex County Vocational Technical School District Superintendent Michael Pennella, PhD. "Students will have the opportunity to learn in more flexible academic learning settings and gain hands-on experience in career and technical labs that will afford them even greater opportunities to succeed. The long struggle to bring such a facility to the county will pay great dividends in the years to come," he added.

"The passage of the school construction funding bill has significant impact on our children. I can’t express enough gratitude to Joe DiVincenzo for getting something like this passed," Hudson County Vocational Technical School Superintendent Frank Gargiulo said.

DiVincenzo began lobbying for fair funding for vocational technical school districts while he was a member of the Board of Chosen Freeholders. In 1995, while serving as Freeholder President, he joined with Senator Lipman to seek equity in the State funding formula for county vocational technical school districts that have a large enrollment of students from Abbott Districts. He continued his campaign after being elected County Executive in 2003, spearheading a letter writing drive and introducing a variety of proposals to enhance vocational technical school funding.

The Essex County Vocational Technical School District is New Jersey’s first and one of its largest Vocational Technical School Systems. Created in 1914, the school system provides both occupational and academic instruction for high school and adult students in the Essex County region. The district has four high schools: Bloomfield Tech, Newark Tech, North 13th Street Tech and the West Caldwell Campus. In addition, the system provides adult programs in the evening at Newark Tech, and during the day at its Adult Training Center at 50 South Clinton Street in East Orange. The district has an enrollment of 2,148 students and provides high level state-of-the-art career skill development and academic opportunities in over 25 occupational areas. For more information on Essex County’s Vocational Technical Schools, call 973-412-2069 or visit www.essextech.org