Hudson Reporter Archive

City looks into buying land for new school Mayor negotiates with state to use funds for land acquisition

Mayor David Roberts met with representatives of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority Tuesday to discuss the redistribution of the city’s $55 million in Abbott funds to help subsidize the mayor’s innovative public/private partnership with Steven Institute of Technology to improve the way that technology is taught in the classroom.

The mayor met with, among other EDA representatives, EDA Executive Director Caren Franzini and EDA head of land acquisitions Paul Hamilton. The EDA has tentatively agreed to use some of Abbott funds – reserved for urban "special needs" districts – for possible acquisition of land in Hoboken for a magnet school that will be run by the city with consultation from Stevens.

The city already has two public, parent-founded "charter schools" to complement the six regular public schools in the district.

On July 18, 2000, then Governor Christine Whitman signed into law the New Jersey Education Facilities Construction and Financing Act. It will result in the investment of $8.6 billion in public school construction and reconstruction in New Jersey over the next decade, including the full funding by the state of all school renovation and construction projects in the 30 special needs school districts known as the Abbott districts.

The EDA is the state agency that is in charge of doling out those funds. The original plan for Hoboken’s $55 million was to renovate the current buildings, but if the negations are successful and the EDA allows for the city to buy land with that money, then that would open the door for a new campus in town. The mayor has not yet announced publicly where they are looking into purchasing land.

"We can’t be happier that the EDA is on board with our plans to partner up with Stevens and make Hoboken the best possible school system," said Mayor Roberts from his office Wednesday. "With the help of the EDA, this concept will surely move into a reality."

In a meeting held on Sept. 6, Stevens’ President Hal Ravache met with the mayor, Superintendent of Schools Patrick Gagliardi, and several members of the Board of Education to lay out a blueprint of what the partnership seeks to accomplish.

One goal of the partnership is to update the technology in the classrooms. Stevens and its staff will serve as consultants on how to best use technology in an adaptive learning environment.

One of the focal points of this plan is how the city would be able to use this money from the EDA. The mayor is pleased that the EDA is receptive to using the money to buy land so that there is a possibility of creating a technology magnet school.

Another aim of the partnership is to convert Hoboken into a college preparatory district. In early talks it was decided that this would be accomplished by Stevens putting up an undecided number of scholarships for graduating Hoboken seniors that meet the institution’s requirements. Stevens already gives up to four scholarships per year to Hoboken graduating seniors.

The Stevens teachers and staff will also assist Hoboken administrators in building a curriculum that gives students the opportunity to excel in a post-secondary setting.

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