Karol Brancato, the principal at High Tech High School in North Bergen, calls her school “the best kept secret in Hudson County.”
However, if High Tech continues to receive awards like the one it received last week from Gov. Jim McGreevey, then it won’t be so anonymous anymore.
Brancato recently received word that High Tech was declared one of the top schools in the state as part of McGreevey’s Educational Reform Program honoring the Governor’s Schools of Excellence.
High Tech was one of 25 schools statewide to receive the honor, which includes a $25,000 grant that the school can use for any program the administration feels necessary.
The public technical school admits students from all towns in Hudson County.
Brancato, Hudson County Schools of Technology Superintendent Frank Gargiulo and Board of Education President Charles “Chips” D’Amico were scheduled to receive the award from McGreevey Friday at a special presentation at the governor’s mansion.
“I am very excited and very thrilled for the members of our staff,” Brancato said. “They come in every day and do their best. It’s really good when they get recognized for their hard work and dedication. I couldn’t be happier. Sometimes, awards don’t reflect the quality of a school, but I’m just happy to be able to get outside validation for a job well done. It’s a real boost for everyone in the school.”
Had to apply
Brancato said the award was given to the school after a stringent application process in which High Tech had to demonstrate continuous improvement in a host of areas.
“That was a good challenge for us, because we already have a good strong school with 95 percent of our students going on to good colleges,” Brancato said.
There was a host of criteria in the application process that the school had to adhere to, like academic advancement, parental involvement, partnerships in the community, using technology for learning and the professional development of the staff.
The High Tech application also included the exploits of their fine performing arts program, which has been highlighted by their annual stage productions. One of those plays, “Oz,” was named the best high school play in the state two years ago and enjoyed a stint off-Broadway last summer.
Brancato said that she sent in the application for the award last April and didn’t hear anything about it until the letter was received last week.
“We sent it in and just waited and waited,” Brancato said. “I got a phone call from Frank Gargiulo and he said, ‘Congratulations.’ That’s when I knew we got it. Of course, I thought we deserved it.”
Gargiulo, who also serves on the North Bergen Board of Commissioners, was pleased with the award.
“It’s a wonderful award,” Gargiulo said. “It’s nice for the school, for the staff, for the kids. What makes the school different than any other is the culture. It’s so warm and nurturing. It’s a different place than any place else. I’m really glad that they were recognized by the state.”
Brancato said that Judith Weiss, the assistant commissioner of education for the state, wrote in the letter of recognition that she plans to visit the school in the future and see first-hand the excellent education offered at High Tech.
“We started in 1991 with 30 students, and now, we have 480 full-time students and 120 part-time,” Brancato said. “We’ve been recognized as a Star School (among the state’s best) twice, but this is a real boost, because it comes with the monetary award. But while the monetary value is great, the perspective is important, because they want you to continue to improve all around instead of just baseline test scores.”
While Brancato didn’t determine where the grant money would be spent, she said that it would more than likely to go upgrade some seats in the theater, with some also going to athletics and sciences.
“Everyone will get me a little piece,” Brancato said.