BRIDGEWATER – State and local dignitaries were on hand to mark the official opening of two new buildings at Somerset County Vocational & Technical Schools (SCVTS) during a ribbon-cutting ceremony held on October 3. The event celebrated the completion of a new Career and Technical Education (CTE) building and a new gymnasium, both of which were funded through grants from the State of New Jersey and Somerset County. Though the ceremony was just held, the new facilities, which were completed in 18 months and on budget, were ready to greet students on the first day of school this year.
SCVTS Superintendent Robert Presuto greeted the guests, thanking government officials and the people of New Jersey for funding the project through the Securing Our Children’s Future Bond Act, which was set up to provide financial resources to increase the ability of schools to offer CTE programs. “Somerset County Vo Tech’s expanded facility and mission to prepare our students for high demand, high wage, highly skilled careers, while earning their high school diploma, remains healthy and strong. These new buildings will allow Somerset County Vo Tech to both grow in enrollment and expand course and career offerings.”
The new CTE building houses 8 programs, including Business, Entrepreneurship, & Management (BE&M), expanded Health Occupations, Computer Science, and Mechatronics, Engineering and Advanced Manufacturing (MEAM) programs, and new HVAC-R, Finance, Biomedical, and Global Business Operations programs. The expansion of facilities and programs will allow SCVTS student enrollment to increase to over 1000 high school students from Somerset County and other nearby communities.
The new gymnasium will hold approximately 150 spectators and will provide students in both physical education classes and sports programs with an additional court to play and practice on.
State Assemblyman Roy Freiman was impressed by the new facilities, stating that “when I had a chance to actually walk through it, I didn't expect to be stunned” adding that the buildings were “college level.” He also spoke about the importance of CTE programs. “This type of education is not just fulfilling what is needed in the marketplace. It also taps into the passions of our children.”
In her remarks at the ribbon cutting, Somerset County Commissioner Director Shanel Y. Robinson stated that the new facilities are a “testament to the continued investment in our students’ future” and that the Somerset County Commissioners are committed to “making sure that our residents have a pathway forward for careers that are on the leading edge, and the opportunities to be competitive in those sectors.”
SCVTS Board of Education President Gregory Lalevee echoed Commissioner Director Robinson, praising the “commitment by all those people” involved in the project “to do what's best for the children of this county and provide them a good education.” He also thanked the team at USA Architects who designed the gymnasium and CTE building, as well as the management and workers of Epic Management who built them.
The public will have an opportunity to tour the new CTE Building and gymnasium, as well as the rest of the SCVTS campus, classrooms, and shop classes, during the annual Open House being held on Saturday October 18 from 9am until noon. Information on this event, as well as the programs offered at SCVTS, are available on the school website – www.scvths.org
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