New school for early elementary grades is completed in Harrison, N.J.

Officials stage a ribbon-cutting for Kennedy Elementary, but Covid-19 is keeping students away until at least mid-November.

Construction has been completed on a new elementary school for students in pre-K through first grade in Harrison, N.J.,

The Jersey Journal reports that because of the Covid-19 pandemic, students are not yet allowed in the new Kennedy School, although town and district officials have held a ribbon cutting for the facility.

The three-story school cost $36 million to build, New Jersey School Development Authority spokeswoman Edye Maier says. The 65,500-square-foot school, named for former President John F. Kennedy, can accommodate up to 390 students and will alleviate the crowding in the Harrison district’s lower grade levels.

High-tech features at the school include touch screen tables, smart boards and chrome-books for students in all classrooms, printers and Wi-Fi for teachers, and lift-controlled overhead projectors and audio equipment in the gym and cafetorium.

The building also features electronic door access cards for staff, a bulletproof lobby entrance and a hallway camera system.

Nine classrooms are reserved for kindergarten, another nine for grade 1, two for pre-K and two for special education. Also provided are a cafetorium, gym, outdoor play space, support space and one-to-one technology for students.

The district is still waiting for the contractor to install a turf safety surface and fencing for a pre-K playground area. Construction began in March 2018 and included demolition of three residential buildings on Fifth Street to provide sufficient space for outdoor recreation.

In-person classes at the school are scheduled to resume Nov. 16, along with the rest of the district.

A surveys of families in the town of 17,000 show that about 30% prefer to continue with virtual classes and roughly 60% want in-person classes, Among Kennedy School parents, as many as 67% want in-person learning, the district says.

About the Author

Mike Kennedy

Senior Editor

Mike Kennedy has been writing about education for American School & University since 1999. He also has reported on schools and other topics for The Chicago Tribune, The Kansas City Star, The Kansas City Times and City News Bureau of Chicago. He is a graduate of Michigan State University.

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