Engineering firm Clark Patterson Lee (CPL) and the construction management firm the Palombo Group appeared before the Newburgh Board of Education and the greater Newburgh public and presented an updated conceptual design to the Newburgh Free Academy’s Career and Technical Education [CTE] campus located to the rear of Newburgh Free Academy. The presentation was made during the board’s regular meeting on January 24.

John Etri, Director of Career and Technical Education and High School Visual Arts, began the presentation by discussing with the board members several current programs that will continue on in the CTE Building once completed. These programs included engineering and architecture, fashion design, graphic design, health sciences, photography, video production, welding, barbering, nutrition and alternative medicine, cosmetology, construction, electrical, computer science and coding, criminal justice, emergency management, auto body, auto technology and culinary arts. Career ideas and goals that students have mentioned include full time employment, larger incomes and union based careers. Animal care, heating and plumbing, solar energy, nursing, business management, computer gaming, child care, professional race car driving, bartending, social media specialization, truck driving, tour guiding and corporation executive work have also been discussed. However, several hurdles were identified that can hopefully be addressed within the district to assist students and families such as transportation, clothing, shyness, car costs, insurance costs, childcare costs, low incomes and access to technology. Additional occupation trends were also discussed during the course of the presentation.

CPL Engineer Lauren Tarsio led the board and public in the presentation of the floor plan. The first of the three floors includes a gymnasium, industrial arts spaces, administration offices, health offices, security offices, health science labs and human services spaces. The second floor features culinary arts classrooms, more industrial, health sciences and human services spaces along with fine arts and technology rooms. A faculty lounge was also included. The third floor features mostly fine arts and technology spaces with a faculty lounge. Each of the floor plans is subject to change, and the presentation of the CTE building is available on the district website for public viewing. Changes requested by the district will see the exterior of the facade change to brick, addition of gender-neutral bathrooms, addition of a cafeteria space, cafe space relocated to the first floor, reconfiguration of the nurses office and additional classrooms.

Previous reports had indicated that the new CTE campus was anticipated to be open to the students and the public by September of 2026. The new CTE Facility project was approved during the May 2019 district election season. In November 2021, the district was reported to have announced that work had started on the CTE facility. The wooded area behind the high school was cleared out but has remained undeveloped in preparation for construction and development.