The New Jersey Schools Development Authority (SDA) officials visited the site of a new middle school with West New York officials to mark progress.
By Daniel Ulloa/Hudson County View
At the vacant lot at 6400 Broadway will eventually be an approximately 162,000-square-foot facility, designed to educate a maximum of 867 students in the 6th to 8th grades.
Currently, a crew is demolishing and removing the remaining foundations and associated site conditions.
“Students deserve to learn in schools that spark critical thinking, creativity, and a love of learning. The SDA remains focused on pushing forward school const projects to alleviate overcrowding,” SDA CEO Manuel Da Silva said during the press conference.
He added that said it will transform the education of thousands of students in the years ahead, further stating that a construction contract was awarded last week – with work expected to begin in the summer of 2026.
Approximately $121.8 million will be invested into the school after $221 million has already been spent by the State in West New York, Da Silva noted. Gov. Phil Murphy (D) and the legislature have already approved the funding.
“Upgrading our state’s schools is vital,” Da Silva added, continuing that the new school will be “state of the art.”
“We look forward to our continued partnership … and breaking ground on the new facility in the next year.”
West New York Mayor Albio Sires noted he went to public schools in town and wanted to continue to see them thrive: “This is very important to us,” he declared.
Sires noted there are 53,000 people living in their one square mile town and more than 90 percent are Hispanic.
“The current middle school was built for 850 students, but closer to 1,100 students now attend it. As you can see, this is very much needed,” the former congressman and state Assembly speaker added.
Sires said once the facility is built, half of the middle schoolers will still go to the current middle school. That will include 6th graders who aren’t in the middle school currently due to crowding issues.
“Quite frankly, I wish we could start earlier … This site hasn’t been easy,” he joked, noting that the site used to house the old Kaywoodie pipe factory.
“I am very grateful for this opportunity and during my tenure to actually see this dream come true. This has been a site we’ve had several projects come and go,” West New York Superintendent of Schools Clara Brito Herrera stated.
Herrera noted the school will have a significant performing arts component and echoed Sires’ sentiment about the overcrowding.
“I don’t think this project would have been possible without the mayor’s vision,” she added.
Board of Education President Jonathan Castañeda, also the special projects manager in town, thanked Sires and other town officials for their help in advancing the project.
“This has been a priority of our board of education for a number of years. This will provide the tools necessary to make sure that our kids have the best opportunities available for success in the 21st century,” Castañeda asserted.
“Congratulations to the administration and the board of education for working so hard for our kids,” Assemblyman Gabriel Rodriguez (D-33) said during his remarks.
“It’s about providing more seats that are more comfortable in a beautiful new school that our children deserve.”
The project is tentatively expected to reach completion by September 2028.
