TRENTON, NJ – Alongside Charles and Anna Booker, Plainfield School district leaders, students, state and local officials, the New Jersey Schools Development Authority (SDA) celebrated the ribbon cutting of the new Charles and Anna Booker Elementary School that will open to students this September.

“As part of the Murphy Administration’s ongoing commitment to the construction, modernization, and renovation of schools in some of the most underserved school districts, this new school will provide spaces and resources that will enhance educational opportunities for generations of students,” said Manuel Da Silva, SDA CEO. “Today’s ribbon cutting ceremony affords us the opportunity to celebrate its namesakes, the Bookers, and envision the lasting impacts this facility will have on the lives of Plainfield’s young scholars. It is a testament to the productive collaboration SDA shared with the school district, state and local officials, and our contracting partners, who were integral in bringing this project to fruition.”

The new, $59.4 million, three-story facility of approximately 120,000 square-feet is designed to educate approximately 840 kindergarten to fifth grade students. The new school includes 41 classrooms, an art room, a vocal/music room, an instrumental lesson room, a technology lab, a science demo room, a computer lab, a gymnasium, a cafeteria, a media center, a playground, and a basketball court.

“We had a wonderful turnout at the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony.” said Plainfield Superintendent of Schools, Rashon K. Hasan, Ed. “We were happy to honor the great Charles and Anna Booker for all of their accomplishments to the Plainfield Public School District and education as a whole. We are looking to sharing this beautiful school, the Charles and Anna Booker Elementary School with the community”.

As a result of SDA’s commitment to building energy-efficient buildings that consider the surrounding environment, this school was built to be LEED (United States Green Building Council – Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified.

The Charles and Anna Booker School was named by the Plainfield BOE in honor of the longtime civil rights activists. In 1965, they won a legal case, Booker v. Board of Education of City of Plainfield, to end segregation in Plainfield schools. Mr. and Mrs. Booker were born and raised in the City of Plainfield. They have been involved in community organizing and advocating in the City of Plainfield their entire lives. Mrs. Booker was a teacher in Plainfield when the Plainfield Public School District began hiring African American teachers. Mrs. Booker retired after serving 20 years in the Plainfield School District.

The SDA has invested more than $136 million in completed projects in Plainfield, including $59.4 million for the new Charles and Anna Booker Elementary School. EPIC Management was the design-build contractor working in partnership with DMR Architects on the design. Cambridge Construction Management managed the project.

About the New Jersey Schools Development Authority

The SDA is the State agency responsible for fully funding and managing the new construction, modernization and renovation of school facilities projects in 31 SDA Districts. Its current portfolio of active projects is valued at approximately $1 billion – including the Capital Project portfolio, emergent projects and Regular Operating District grants. Since the program’s inception, the SDA has provided funding for and management oversight of more than 880 completed school facilities projects in SDA Districts and has executed more than 5,400 grants for Regular Operating Districts throughout the State of New Jersey. For more information about the SDA, please visit our website at: www.njsda.gov or follow us on social media at: Facebook; Instagram; LinkedIn; or Twitter.