Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the School Realignment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
North Bergen Board votes to retire Polk Street School and approve new junior high opening in September 2025
Summary
The North Bergen Board of Education voted Feb. 19 to retire Polk Street School effective July 1, 2025, relocate students to other district schools, and proceed with opening a new North Bergen Junior High School in September 2025 as part of a district realignment plan.
The North Bergen Board of Education voted on Feb. 19 to retire Polk Street School as an educational facility effective July 1, 2025 and to open a new North Bergen Junior High School in September 2025 as part of a district realignment plan.
At the meeting Board Secretary Hugo D. Cabrera recorded that the resolution to retire Polk Street School (Resolution No. 48) was approved unanimously. The board directed district staff to take steps to facilitate the closure and to relocate Polk Street students to other district schools, including Horace Mann and Robert Fulton.
In a separate but related action (Resolution No. 49), the board approved opening a dedicated Junior High School in September 2025 that will initially house seventh- and eighth-grade students; ninth grade will be transitioned from North Bergen High School into the new junior high in a subsequent year to balance enrollment and restore specialized classrooms for art, music and physical education. The board authorized the administration to coordinate construction, facilities, staffing and regular progress updates to the board.
Superintendent Dr. George J. Solter Jr. told the board the district is seeking a county district school code needed to establish state accounts for the new school and that the junior high will offer career and technical programs. He said transportation planning is underway and that tours of the new facility will be scheduled for students, staff and parents.
The resolution directs administration to “take all necessary actions to ensure the timely opening” and to provide regular updates to the board. No public-comment objections or alternate plans were recorded in the minutes. The motions on both the Polk Street retirement and the junior high opening passed on unanimous ayes by the board members present.
Next steps listed in the board actions include completing required administrative setup with the state, finalizing busing and staffing plans, and continuing coordination with construction and facilities teams to meet the district’s timeline for the 2025–2026 school year.
