From Welding To Dentistry, New Bergen County High School Will Focus On Careers

BERGEN COUNTY, NJ — Bergen County officials held a ribbon cutting recently to celebrate the inaugural class at the county's newest vocational high school.

Bergen County Career Innovation High School, a free countywide public school, opened its doors in Paramus last fall.

The school is part of the Bergen County Technical Schools, a group of public schools that accept students from throughout Bergen County. The district includes Bergen County Academies in Hackensack, Applied Technology High School, and several more.

The new school can accommodate up to 240 students.

It's is located on the Bergen County Technical Schools Paramus campus and was created to expand access to Career and Technical Education, known as CTE, in Bergen County, officials said.

The new high school includes specialized programs in fabrication and design, logistics, and dental science.

County officials said those programs are intended to help students build technical and employabile skills that can lead directly to the workforce, apprenticeship programs or post-secondary education.

“This new school represents an investment in the future of Bergen County and in the next generation of students who will help drive our economy forward,” said County Executive Jim Tedesco. “Career and Technical Education gives students real-world skills and opportunities while helping address workforce shortages in critical industries.”

Dr. Howard Lerner, superintendent of the Bergen County Technical School District, said the opening marks “an exciting new chapter” for the district. “These new programs were designed to meet growing student demand for Career and Technical Education while aligning with the evolving needs of employers and industries throughout our region."

The project was funded largely through the 2021 New Jersey Department of Education Securing Our Children’s Future Grant Program. The grant program provided about $25.9 million toward construction costs, according to the announcement, and Bergen County contributed about $8.6 million.

LD-38 Assemblywoman Lisa Swain said state funding helped make the school possible. “By securing state funding for this project, we were able to help create new opportunities for students to gain hands-on experience in growing industries while strengthening New Jersey’s future workforce. This school will serve students and Bergen County families for generations to come.”

County officials said the school will support about 260 students at one time.

Find out more about Bergen County's free public schools here.