Orange, NJ –The New Jersey Schools Development Authority (SDA) joined Orange School District leaders and students as well as state and local officials at a ribbon cutting ceremony for the new addition to Orange High School today, one of two new additions and two new facilities delivered by the SDA this Fall.

“This Fall, I have had the privilege of celebrating the opening of several new and renovated schools that were built by the SDA and the Murphy Administration,” said SDA CEO, Manuel Da Silva. “It makes a difference when students have access to innovative and inviting educational spaces that enhance their interests, creativity and talents. This addition will provide Orange’s young scholars and dedicated educators with a learning environment that will foster excellence, so that students can become college and career ready.”

The 50,000 square-foot addition, that opened to students this September, includes a media center filled with natural light, an Auxiliary gym, technology labs, a robotics lab, art studios, a drama classroom and 15 general classrooms. This addition provides 576 new student seats at the High School and will allow the School District to discontinue use of its temporary classroom trailers located at the facility.

“I am exceptionally proud of this moment to acknowledge the opening of the wing/extension of Orange High School,” said Orange Public Schools Superintendent, Gerald Fitzhugh, II, Ph.D. “In September of 1973, students entered an annex to the high school building adjacent to its current location and called it home for 48 years until they entered the newly constructed extension in September of 2021. The new media center, auxiliary gymnasium, and classrooms provided by the Schools Development Authority have provided our students with the opportunity to engage in the 21st century integrated approach to teaching and learning.

As a result, our children will embrace the technology and be on a more level playing field with students in some of our neighboring communities. We are proud to be here today, December 17, 2021, to celebrate the opening and serve the needs of our students. On this auspicious day, we learned that one of our seniors had been accepted to Harvard, a testament to the caliber of students and the capabilities that we can nurture here in Orange. With the right learning environment that Orange High School offers, we know that the future is bright. The Orange Public School District