Former Newark educators rehired to consult on career and technical education programs, facilities

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The Newark Board of Education rehired two consultants to review its buildings and help implement new career and technical education programs as district officials work to address their aging facilities.

Former Newark educators, Mary Bennett and Raymond Lindgren, were hired to help audit district buildings, consult on new career and technical education programs, and support ongoing school construction projects. The school board approved the $192,000 contract during its June meeting. The contract also tasks the consultants with providing support to finish construction at the Newark School of Architecture and Interior Design.

Bennett, who was first hired in 2019 and is also a State Board of Education member, said the work to update New Jersey’s oldest school buildings is needed to support student learning and expand career and technical education programs.

“We have some of the oldest, still functioning buildings in place, and so trying to keep those in the best possible condition for children and teachers is an ongoing challenge,” she said.

For years, district leaders have sounded the alarm about Newark’s declining buildings. Many lack central air conditioning and heating systems, while others need complete upgrades. In 2016, the state’s Schools Development Authority promised to fix more than 100 buildings but the SDA only approved 11 for repairs. And since 2006, only eight new schools have been built while one other property was given to the district by the state and then used for a school.

Superintendent Roger León, who was appointed to the role in 2018, has been clear about his plans to expand the district and update buildings, but the state’s SDA is responsible for funding construction projects in Newark and 30 other high-poverty districts in the state. Last year, León estimated that it would take more than $2 billion to fully repair and update all schools.

Bennett and Lindgren were hired to consult for the district four days a week for the 2024-25 school year at a cost of $96,000 each, according to the contract. Bennett said she’s visited Newark schools and many need new paint, upgraded water infiltration systems, and asbestos removal, among other needs. Lindgren, a former Newark educator and vice chairperson of the Newark Public Schools historical preservation committee, did not respond to calls from Chalkbeat.

While the SDA pays for construction projects, it doesn’t have the necessary funds to cover all of Newark’s construction needs. The legislature provides funding to the SDA on a “pay-as-you-go basis” with no long-term funding to support their work.

“No matter what we do, we can’t get it all done as expeditiously as people would like it to be done,” Bennett said.

Last school year, Newark students experienced a heatwave that left school buildings without central air conditioning feeling hot and muggy. Installing window units in classrooms can provide temporary relief in some school buildings, but others require new wiring to power those air conditioners, Bennett said.

Part of her work as a facilities consultant is to take stock of the district’s building needs and help find solutions. Over the past 18 months, Bennett said she helped schools purchase new furniture by using COVID relief dollars. In total, the Newark district received more than $287 million from three relief packages approved by Congress in 2020.

“Many schools that could never have afforded the furniture upgrades out of their regular operating budget are looking at lots of new furniture,” she said.

Similarly, her work in implementing new career and technical education programs also requires Bennett to think about the amenities students may need for a specific program.

Bennett, a former Newark principal, program director, and educational consultant for Seton Hall University, has also supported the district’s project to open the new Newark School of Architecture and Interior Design in the East Ward. Construction for that school has been delayed for the last three years, but Bennett said its opening is important so students can learn about trade jobs such as plumbing and electricity. Lindgren leads the School of Architecture and Interior Design project.

“Young people need to realize that the fields of electricity and masonry and carpentry and plumbing, along with engineering and architectural design, they’re not going away,” Bennett added.

The project was delayed last year because of a state stop-work order after workers filed state complaints over unfair wages. Bennett said the district is working to overcome the labor challenges with the developer to open the school by September 2025.

The SDA also promised to replace 13 of Newark’s oldest school buildings, but the deal leaves out 20 others needing repairs, said León during last month’s board meeting. The agency is also planning to rebuild University High School and demolish Hawthorne Avenue Elementary School, built in 1895.

“When you look at the scope of projects, of building facilities, that are going to house more than 1,000 students, you need to make sure that everybody is on board and we’re all pulling in the same direction,” Bennett said.

Jessie Gomez is a reporter for Chalkbeat Newark, covering public education in the city. Contact Jessie at jgomez@chalkbeat.org .