When the final bell rings in June, signaling the end of the school year, students and teachers head off for a well-earned summer break.
But for the Atlantic City Public Schools, summer is anything but quiet. It’s a crucial time for preparing buildings, launching projects, and making key improvements before students return in September.
One of the most significant projects underway this summer is the demolition of the former New Jersey Avenue School, which has been closed for more than a decade. The building originally shut its doors in 2012 when Pennsylvania Avenue School opened. Later that same year, the vacant structure was severely damaged by flooding during Hurricane Sandy, leaving it unusable.
Now, the site is getting a new lease on life, Superintendent of Schools Dr. La’Quetta S. Small said. The school district is preparing to demolish the building, erected in 1925, to make way for a brand-new administration building.
“We have committed to building an administration building,” said Atlantic City Board of Education President Shay Steele. “This board, in conjunction with the leadership of Dr. Small has made building an administration building a priority. We are excited to fulfill the wishes of the community and also provide the district with a building of its own. This has been part of our mission and upon completion we will have a state-of-the-art administration building.”
The new facility will centralize key district operations and improve access for families, staff, and the community.
“This is part of our ongoing commitment to modernize facilities and strengthen our infrastructure,” said Dr. Small, who began her teaching career in the district at New Jersey Avenue School in 2003. “We want to ensure that both our students and our staff have the resources and support they need to succeed.”
The demolition is just one of several summer projects focused on preparing for a successful school year. As the summer unfolds, more updates will be shared with the Atlantic City Public Schools community — because even when classrooms are empty, the work of building a brighter future never stops.
