I guess that's why tuition is at almost 16K a year now. But the facility does sound great.

Newly opened school in luxury Aquablu of Newport offers readin', writin' and river views

Monday, January 18, 2010
By AMY SARA CLARK
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

Jersey City's Stevens Cooperative School has moved to new digs that give students a Hudson River view - and the chance to stay at the school through eighth grade. The 111-student school moved from its former Newport location at 80 Town Square a few blocks down to 100 River Drive in late December. Students started classes in the 20,000 square foot space in the new residential building Jan. 4.

The new space allows the school to expand from a kindergarten through Grade 5 facility to a kindergarten through Grade 8 school by the 2012-2013 school year, said Head of School Zoe Hauser. "It's such a wonderful space to be in and it's given us the opportunity to grow up to eighth grade," said Hauser at a ribbon cutting ceremony Wednesday.

The new campus, located on the ground floor of The AquaBlu, Newport's recently opened luxury high-rise, features Hudson River views from all the classrooms as well as the auditorium/gymnasium and outdoor play area. The school also features specially equipped rooms for science, media studies, art and music.

The LeFrak Organization, the developer of Newport, built the space for the school "at a fraction of what it would have cost" on the open market, said Hauser. LeFrak recruited the Hoboken-based school to open a branch in Newport in 2005. "We try to build a community with everything people need, including a good primary school," said Marsilia A. Boyle, a senior vice president at the LeFrak Organization.

Jersey City Deputy Mayor Rosemary McFadden said after the ribbon-cutting that the growth of the school mirrors the change in demographics in the waterfront area from singles to young families.