$30M Expansion At County Tech School In West Caldwell Kicks Off

WEST CALDWELL, NJ — A $30 million expansion of the Essex County West Caldwell School of Technology will commence this summer and is slated to finish by January 2021, officials say.

The major facelift – which will be done with the hands of unionized workers – will include building a two-story addition onto the front of the school, renovating existing space to accommodate current and new curriculum and creating an outdoor courtyard.

A groundbreaking ceremony took place on June 11.

According to Essex County officials, improvements at the school will include:

• A new Career & Technical Education Construction Lab
• A new Greenhouse and renovated space for the Agricultural Science CTE Lab
• An outdoor courtyard that will be used by the Agricultural Science program
• A new Media Center, which will be the first facility of its kind at the West Caldwell Campus
• Three Life Skills classrooms, two Community Living rooms and one Retail Classroom for special services students
• A renovated cosmetology facility with an adjoining classroom for academic instruction
• A renovated cafeteria seating for 135 students and new kitchen facilities
• Renovations to the culinary and baking CTE Labs
• Updated accommodations for school administrative offices
• Eight new classrooms in the new addition for math and four language arts classes
• A new weight room for physical education class and athletics
• A new aerobics/dance room for physical education and the performing arts program
• An enhanced Music Production facility
• Enhanced security measures to monitor the interior and exterior of the facility

County officials stated:

“DiCara, Rubino Architects from Wayne received a $1,790,000 contract to design the improvements to the West Caldwell campus. Dobco, Inc. from Wayne was awarded a publicly bid contract for $29,855,000 to perform the construction work. Joseph Jingoli & Son, Inc. from Lawrenceville was awarded a $840,855 contract to provide construction management services to answer questions and ensure delays are avoided. Promatech from Moorestown, N.J., was awarded an $81,300 contract to perform contract monitoring and compliance. The construction is being funded through the Essex County Vocational Technical Schools' Capital Budget with 90 percent of the costs being reimbursed by the State of New Jersey.”

“The West Caldwell campus has served its students well for half a century, but it's time we improved the classrooms so they can accommodate the study tracks for emerging professions,” Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. said.

“We began the process by constructing the Donald Payne School and will touch all of our school buildings by renovating Newark Tech after the West Caldwell campus is reopened,” DiVincenzo said. “Our students deserve the best.”

West Caldwell Tech Principal Ayisha Ingram-Robinson said the expansion will provide students with an opportunity to learn in a state-of-the-art facility.

West Caldwell Mayor Joseph Tempesta concurred, praising the multi-million dollar investment in the campus.

“To the students, when you come back, it will feel great being able to attend classes in a brand new setting,” Tempesta said.

“If the school looks half as good as the renderings, the building will be remarkable,” Essex County Freeholder Rufus Johnson said.

The Essex County Vocational Technical School District provides both occupational and academic instruction for high school and adult students in Essex County. The district has four high schools: Bloomfield Tech, Newark Tech, North 13th Street Tech and West Caldwell Tech. In addition, the system provides adult programs in the evening at its Adult Training Center at Newark Tech.

The district has an enrollment of approximately 2,200 students, according to county officials.

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