Eastside High School in Camden to get new building thanks to $105 million investment
CAMDEN, N.J. (CBS) -- Federal, state and local leaders announced a $105 million investment to construct a new building for Eastside High School in Camden.
The announcement, which led to loud cheers from current students and alumni, occurred Monday morning inside Eastside High School's nearly 100-year-old building.
"If you can feel this room, you know it's very warm, and you can probably see the sweat glistening on my face," Camden City Schools Superintendent Katrina McCombs said. "But it's very difficult for students who are in our classrooms that don't have adequate HVAC."
The new Eastside High School will include upgraded HVAC and state-of-the-art classrooms, including new chemistry and cosmetology labs.
A buzz in the air at Eastside High School in Camden as state and local leaders announce a $105 million investment into a new high school. What features the new school will have starting at 4:30 pm @CBSPhiladelphia. pic.twitter.com/5z2G9iS6FU
— Brandon Goldner (@GoldnerTV) September 18, 2023
The school district originally planned to spend about $50 million to renovate the school until Rep. Donald Norcross (D-01) said he took a tour of the building last November.
"Literally, as we left, I got on the phone, and I called the governor and said, 'This is unacceptable,'" Rep. Norcross recalled. "I can count on one hand the times I've ever done that."
He said the state was ultimately able to double the funding for a brand-new school.
While it's too late for senior Jahaan Green to enjoy the new building, his young cousins will be able to experience all its state-of-the-art features.
"It's just exciting for me," Green said. "I'm happy for the upcoming graduates to come."
Preliminary plans call for crews to demolish the existing building and build a new school in its place, which means students will have to move to a temporary location.
This whole process, from start to finish, is expected to take three-to-five years.