Roxbury High School Opens Aviation Program to Other Morris County Students

ROXBURY, NJ – A new partnership between the Roxbury High School Aviation Academy and the Morris County School of Technology will soon give students throughout Morris County a chance to study aviation.

The “Host Site Academy Partnership Agreement” was approved by the Roxbury School Board on July 22.

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“We will begin recruiting this fall with Morris County School of Technology for students to enroll in our program Fall 2025,” said Roxbury High School Aviation Instructor Mike Gottfried. “We plan to offer a new cohort each year with 24 seats for students across Morris County to apply and enroll.”

Gottfried noted there are many Roxbury High School students interested in the district’s aviation program, and stressed their opportunities will not be diminished by the inclusion of other Morris County students.

“Since there is a significant demand for aviation within RHS, and to prevent Roxbury students from being excluded, we will run a concurrent Intro to Aviation section for any RHS students who did not get accepted into the academy,” Gottfried explained.

Matthew Mawn, the Roxbury district’s supervisor of science, engineering, design and technology, said the partnership “will enable both out-of-district and Roxbury students to enroll in Roxbury's Aviation Academy and pursue their interest in aviation.”

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That pursuit might have been difficult, if not impossible, for students in other districts that – unlike Roxbury – do not have an aviation program or who have a program that is “lacking the depth” of Roxbury’s.

“As the aviation industry expands, the demand for aviation personnel continues to grow, yet the supply of qualified individuals is not keeping pace,” Mawn said. “We aim to do our part to address this issue.”

He noted that the program doesn’t focus only on becoming an airplane pilot. For example, it includes “certification for students with their Part 107, which is required to be a commercial drone pilot,” adding that drones “represent an emerging field in aviation, and (Roxbury’s) program prepares students to enter this field upon completing the academy.”

Mawn said aviation academy students “will be able to apply their skills within the community, such as in film/photography and by showcasing drones at community events.”

The Roxbury Aviation Academy might soon become home to a donated airplane that will not be used for flying – since it’s not airworthy – but will nevertheless “significantly enhance (aviation) instruction at Roxbury, providing students with hands-on experience and a learn-by-doing approach,” Mawn said.

Gottfried said Roxbury is happy about being able to give students from other Morris County districts a chance to explore aviation as a career or hobby.

“We’re excited to continue our goal of promoting aviation, by opening our doors to other communities,” he said. “I’m proud of what we built in Roxbury so far and know this will only further strengthen the success of our program. “

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