Thanks Jerseymom! In any event, at the new location Explore 2000 will probably have more students than the current total of 48.

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I've learned that the program that will move into the 180 9th Street location is the Explore 2000 middle school already existing at the Hudson County School of Technology on Montgomery Street.

They were currently housed together with County Prep on Montgomery Street. County Prep High School is undergoing renovations for expansion (see letter below).

The Explore 2000 new location at 180 9th Street will open this September.

As this letter indicates, High Tech High School is moving to Secaucus after the new school is built - and County Prep is expanding in Jersey City.

An excerpt from the admissions brochure explains that admission to the middle school program is open to ALL Hudson County residents - not just residents of Jersey City:

"Explore 2000 invites Hudson County residents completing the 5th Grade to apply for admission to the First Year of the program (6th Grade).

The middle school is designed to provide students with a broad range of stimulating curricula centered around technology, health, active citizenship, character education and the environment.

Students successfully completing the Explore 2000 Middle School program will be eligible for acceptance into one of The Hudson County Schools of Technology?s full time high school programs. Transportation is provided."

For more information:

Explore 2000 Middle School
Phone: 201-631-6396
Fax: 201-369-5562
email: explore@hcstonline.org

Related: Field Station Dinosaurs will Close this Season - Future Site of High Tech High School

We can thank former Governor McGreevey for wasting the 10 year bond money for new schools. The bond for new schools were passed under the previous governor but the money was spent under him. There was no oversight, his friends received the contracts and costs escalated. After he left office, the acting governor did an investigation on this and I was disappointed no one went to jail. People received contracts who worked for the school system, a violation of ethics.

As far as alleviating pressure on other JC middle schools, I'm curious to know whether this new STEM school is just an expansion of the existing Explore 2000 program at Hudson County School of Technology - or something different. Explore 2000 has a highly competitive admissions process and I believe the students are from all over Hudson County?

Thank you Robin for the correction about MS4.

Most of the new development is in the PS16 / Paulus Hook School Zone. There are no Middle Schools in this zone. PS16 used to go up to 8th grade, but now it only goes up to 5th grade and it is already over capacity in the lower grades and at capacity in the higher grades. After that the kids have no neighborhood public school options for 6-8th grade. I understand that it?s tough to get the government to pay for new schools, but I am just wondering why the developers are not required to pay into a New School Fund to accommodate all of the new children moving into these new apartments. Also, PS37, PS5, and MS4 are all zoned schools that are all quickly reaching or at capacity. I really appreciate everyone's feedback.

It is incorrect to say there are no middle schools downtown.

PS37 and PS5 are both combined elementary/middle schools that go to grade 8. Even if you restrict the definition to separated middle schools which are not joined to an elementary school, there is MS4.

Robin.

Phenomenal addition. And yes, the downtown/newport/exchange place area is bereft of an elementary school. 3, 5 and 37 are good schools, but they're getting jammed and could use a relief from all the extra students flowing into their halls yearly.

That this school will exist will help alleviate some of the crowding, as they will be able to remove (i'm assuming grades 5-8?) some of the kids from those ages to this new one. That said, a grade school near... say 1st or Bay st. would be a huge addition. Not sure why more of the condo owners and what aren't pushing more for this, to be honest. Last I checked, having a decent school nearby raises property values.

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Because that costs money. Our state gov't and federal congress think spending money on anything other than tax cuts and defense is awful. NJ as a whole, from the BoE up through to the governor, would rather eat, drink and otherwise steal off every bit and piece they can get their grubby hands on rather than let it go to the people that live here in the manner it's intended to be used in.

There are currently NO Middle Schools anywhere Downtown, so this would be a welcome addition. With the thousands of new apartments coming to the Downtown Jersey City Area, a Middle School seems like a necessity. Not to mention that most of the downtown schools are at or over capacity for Elementary Grades. I am wondering if anyone has any insight on why new schools or rezoning are not more of an urgency in the Downtown Area. Also curious, why the developers of these new buildings are not required to build new schools, or pay into a fund to build new schools, to accommodate all the new children these buildings will bring? I would be super grateful, if anyone on this board had any information about this.

Excerpt From Mayor Fulop's Weekly Email:

New JC STEM Middle School

Our administration, together with the Jersey City Redevelopment Agency (JCRA), has entered into an agreement with the Hudson County Schools of Technology to develop the Community Education and Recreation Center (CERC) located at 180 Ninth Street as an innovative, STEM-focused middle school, helping build a stronger pipeline for Jersey City students to pursue the advanced education in the science and technology fields necessary to succeed in STEM careers.

Every educational study and report highlights our nation?s need to close the gap with other countries in how we prepare students in math and science so they can succeed in today?s global economy. By providing middle school students with a rigorous curriculum based in the STEM fields of science, math, engineering and technology, we are growing their interest in these subjects and giving them the tools necessary to succeed in high school, college and beyond.