New High School In Newark Will Train Budding Architects, Designers

NEWARK, NJ — Newark’s newest public school is expected to give a big boost to students who want to pursue careers in architecture, engineering and interior design, officials say.

The Newark Board of Education, in partnership with 155 Jefferson LLC, recently celebrated the groundbreaking of the Newark High School of Architecture and Interior Design.

According to a statement from the board:

“Students enrolled in the Newark High School of Architecture & Interior Design will choose from Architecture, Engineering, Interior Design, Electronics, Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning, Plumbing, and Real Estate. While the core content courses will prepare students for post-secondary education, the curriculum will also integrate architecture and the trades taught by certified teachers, into class activities reinforcing the learning in their majors.”

In addition:

“The school will also be equipped with state-of-the-art labs dedicated to hands-on learning and technical skill development. Space will be allocated for project-based activities, and there will be a two-story construction lab where students can construct building sections, based on plans developed by the architecture students, learning how all trades must be coordinated when planning and constructing a building.”

As part of the redesign strategy that aims to “transform schools in Newark,” the new high school will start with the 9th grade and add one grade each year until the school reaches the 12th grade in 2026.

• See related article: Newark Schools Look To Next Decade After State Oversight Ends

The May 25 groundbreaking marks the ninth new school opened in the district since Superintendent Roger León was appointed.

“Graduates from the Newark High School of Architecture & Interior Design will leave the school with the skills that will make them immediately employable while also being prepared for further personal and professional advancement,” León said.

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, a former educator, said that as the city grows, it will need good schools.

“We have to make school engaging, and interesting, and relevant, and purposeful for our children so that they become attached to it,” Baraka said.

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