New High Tech High School in Secaucus nearly 50 percent done, officials say

The construction of the new High Tech High School in Secaucus, a part of the Hudson County Schools of Technology, is almost halfway complete, officials said.

By John Heinis/Hudson County View

“This is a great opportunity for our board to see the amazing progress of the new High Tech High School for themselves,” Hudson County Schools of Technology Board President Craig Guy said in a statement.

“We look forward to the continued progress of the building of the school and to have it completed for our students to use for the 2018 to 2019 school year.”

The HCST Board of Education held its regular meeting followed by a walkthrough of the new High Tech High School site near Laurel Hill Park in Secaucus on Thursday afternoon.

Hudson County Executive Thomas DeGise, as well as the Hudson County Board of Freeholders, were also in attendance.

The new school is nearly 50 percent complete, with $67 million of work in place. It is currently in the Building Enclosure Phase, with expected completion of this phase in September.

“We’re pleased that the Board was able to come out to the construction site today,” HCST Superintendent of Schools Frank Gargiulo added in the same statement.

“The Board Members are consistently updated on the progress of the school and the features it will offer to our students, but it’s truly an inspiring experience when you see what has been built so far in such a short amount of time.”

It is on track to open for the 2018 – 2019 school year and will encompass 350,000 square feet upon completion, sitting on a 22-acre site on county property in Laurel Hill Park in Secaucus.

As Hudson County View first reported, the freeholders got their first look at the new High Tech High School back in November 2014, initially valued at $120 million, before a ground breaking commenced in May 2016 – with the final project costs estimated to be $160 million.

At a press conference in October, North Bergen officials revealed that the current High Tech High School will be the new township high school, beginning in the 2018-2019 school year.

It will be a state-of-the-art facility that is environmentally friendly, featuring a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating of Gold, with the possibility to reach the ranked of Platinum.

It will also feature three self-containing wings and allow for academic concentrations in performing arts, culinary arts, environmental science, digital Fabrication Laboratory (dFAB), mechatronics, and more.

The new school will serve 1,200 students, which is almost 30 percent more than the current High Tech enrollment of 935.