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Superintendent: Newburgh CTE center "on track and under budget," opening planned for 2026
Summary
Superintendent Jackie Manning Campbell told the board the Career & Technical Education center funded by a 2019 bond is on schedule and under budget, will house new trade programs and is slated to open at the start of school in 2026; students toured the site and raised questions about capacity and program access.
Superintendent Jackie Manning Campbell told the Newburgh City School District Board that work on the district's new Career & Technical Education center is "on track and under budget" and is "slated to open for the first day of school just next year 2026." She said the project, approved by voters in a 2019 capital bond, endured COVID-related delays and leadership turnover but has since been revived by the current team.
Campbell said design changes were made to satisfy New York State requirements but the facility's purpose remains the same: to expand career-aligned programs. "This building will still house career and technical education programs," she said, adding the district is adding programs including HVAC, plumbing, grooming and veterinary sciences so students can earn industry certificates and smaller class sizes can be offered on the main campus.
Manny Campbell, who described coordinated student site visits, said students had a chance to meet construction managers and even used drones to capture aerial images of the project. "They even launched drones, to capture updated aerial visions of the construction project," he said, underscoring efforts to involve students in the build and planning process.
Student board member Tina Wang, who toured the site with peers, reported student questions and asked the administration to publish an FAQ. Wang relayed student concerns about whether the building's 1,000-student capacity will be large enough if interest rises after the center opens and asked for clarity about how programs will be distributed. "Fact check me on that. Don't wanna spread any misinformation," she said during her student report, asking staff to post accurate details.
Campbell said the district will publish project updates on its website and use the preview video shown to the board to address misinformation circulating in the community. Next steps include posting student FAQs and continued outreach about program details, timelines and construction milestones.
