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.
