- Passaic County Technical Institute
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Passaic County Technical Institute Location 45 Reinhardt Road
Wayne, NJ 07470Information Type Vocational Public high school School district Passaic County Vocational School District Principal Joseph DiGise Faculty 282 (on FTE basis)[1] Grades 9 - 12 Enrollment 3,137 (as of 2009-10)[1] Student to teacher ratio 11.12[1] Color(s) royal blue, white, khaki Athletics conference Northern Hills Conference, Skyline Division Nickname Bulldogs Website School website Passaic County Technical Institute is a regional vocational public high school in Wayne (it offers some vocational classes, although the school now has many college credit courses), in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States, near the city of Paterson, admitting students from all of Passaic County. It is often referred to as "PCTI", Passaic County Tech or Tech.
As of the 2009-10 school year, the school had an enrollment of 3,137 students and 282 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.12.[1]
Contents
History
In 1917, a small group of businessmen in Paterson helped form Paterson Vocational School so that the city would have a school to train young men to enter the textile industry, accepting boys who were at least 14 years of age or in the sixth grade, and trained them for two years or until they were ready to assume a job in a factory or trade, whichever came first. From 1917 to the early 1940s, Paterson Vocational School continued to operate as a two-year school, gradually expanding its curriculum to include a wider variety of trades. During World War II, the school remained open around the clock providing men and women with the training to become machinists and draftsmen to design and construct the engines used in bombers, fighters and transport aircraft flown in the Pacific and European theaters. For its service, the school was honored by the War Department.
Aware of the part technology would play in the booming postwar economy, Paterson Vocational School applied for and received approval from the New Jersey Department of Education to become a full-fledged high school in 1946. Academic subjects were added, as were new trades like Refrigeration, Industrial Electric and Electronics. The school was renamed Paterson Technical and Vocational High School and quickly gained the name Paterson Tech. Agriculture was offered to shared-time students attending Central High School (now Kennedy High School), with Paterson Tech renting a farm close to PCTI's present Wayne site where students learned to raise farm animals and grow crops.
By the 1960s, the importance of vocational and technical education was becoming obvious, and in 1964, Paterson Mayor Frank X. Graves, Jr. turned over Paterson Tech to the Passaic County Board of Chosen Freeholders, thereby providing all youngsters in Passaic County access to Passaic County Technical and Vocational High School. With students flooding in from all over the county, Passaic County Tech, now reaching a student population of 500 young men and one girl, was bursting at the seams. The school's two buildings — one dating from the Civil War located at the corner of Summer and Ellison, the other a refurbished factory on Market Street — could not meet the demands. By 1965 plans were well underway to build a new school that would accommodate students for generations to come.
Armed with a Federal Grant of $3,925,000 — the largest ever awarded to that date — and research from a Citizens' Study Committee, the county chose a 59-acre (240,000 m2) tract of land which it owned in Wayne, previously the site of Camp Hope.
Ground breaking ceremonies were held in November 1966 and construction began 15 months later. On September 8, 1970, Passaic County Technical and Vocational High School — at the time, the largest technical/vocational high school in the state and third largest in the nation — opened its doors to close to 1,500 young men and women. In the 25 years since, PCTI has added two wings and an additional Special Needs building, a variety of academic courses and special programs and has kept abreast of technological advances and economic trends by constantly updating vocational, occupational and technical courses. Passaic County Tech has since been renamed Passaic County Technical Institute.
Expansion
With construction completed, a brand new library (F-Wing Library) a separate gymnasium (Athletic Center) (consisting of an indoor pool, a basketball court, indoor track, and a weight room) extending the school's F-Wing (now the FX Wing) was added to PCTI. And remodeling part of the H-Wing to comply with the new H-Wing bridge that connects to the lower end of the FX-Wing. Also adding a new BlackBox Theater, and while not yet complete; several trailer type classrooms are being installed behind the F and FX wing.
Shops/Majors
PCTI consists of 13 Schools (as shown on the school's student application):
- Academy of Finance
- Academy of Information Technology
- Computer Repair
- Computer Science
- Academy of Medical Arts
- Medical Arts
- Allied Health
- School of Business
- School of Applied Technology
- Drafting (CAD)
- Electronics
- Manufacturing Technology
- School of Automotive Technology
- School of Communication Arts
- Advertising Art & Design
- Graphic Arts
- Audio Visual Production
- School of Construction Technology
- School of Cosmetology
- School of Culinary Arts
- School of Education/Human Services/Child Development
- School of Engineering
- School of Performing Arts
- Dance
- Theater
- Instrumental
- School of Service Careers
- Criminal Justice/Public Safety
- Landscape Design
Extracurricular activities
The Passaic County Technical Institute Bulldogs now compete in the Big North Conference, following a reorganization of sports leagues in Northern New Jersey by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA).[2] Prior to the realignment that took place in 2010, the school participated in the Skyline Division of the Northern Hills Conference. PCTI is classified by the NJSIAA as North I, Group IV.
On March 5, 2007, the boys' basketball team won the North I, Group IV state championship, edging North Bergen High School by 86-85 in overtime, in a game played at Wayne Valley High School.[3][4]
The football team won the 1998 North I Section IV title game, defeating Union Hill High School 48-6 in the tournament final at Giants Stadium.[5]
Notable alumni
- Mike Adams (born 1981), free Safety for the Cleveland Browns of the NFL.[6]
- Gerald Hayes (born 1980), linebacker for the Arizona Cardinals of the NFL.[7]
- Marcel Shipp (born 1978), running back for the Las Vegas Locomotives of the United Football League.[8]
PCTI Alma mater
There is a high school on the hill,
up above the city,
Where we have been given tools for life,
Passaic County, we thank you today
‘Cause now we can make our way through this life,
PCT, we thank you today.
There is a heartbeat in the school,
up above the city,
It is the teachers giving us tools for life,
It is the staff helping us to grow,
Administrators helping us to know how to live,
PCT you taught us to give.
We’ve had our share of joy and laughter;
We’ve had our share of hard work and tears,
But PCT, we’ll never forget you,
Throughout all our years.
There is a vision in our hearts for
further achievement,
It is a vision for success in our lives,
Passaic County, we thank you today,
‘Cause now we can make our way in this life,
PCT we thank you today.References
- ^ a b c d Passaic County Technical Institute, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed September 8, 2011.
- ^ League Memberships – 2011-2012, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed September 8, 2011.
- ^ Passaic Tech wins sectional title in overtime, Herald News, by Adam Zagoria, March 7, 2007.
- ^ 2007 Boys Basketball - North I, Group IV, NJSIAA, accessed March 7, 2007.
- ^ Glickson, Grant. "HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL; Second Straight Title for Morristown", The New York Times, December 6, 1998. Accessed June 25, 2008.
- ^ Idec, Keith. "PCT grad Hayes sets sights on starting job following a lost year", Herald News, July 28, 2006. Accessed May 22, 2007. "'This is a huge season for him and he knows that,' said San Francisco safety Mike Adams, one of Hayes' closest friends and a former Passaic Tech teammate."
- ^ Stapleton, Art. "Falcons’ Beauharnais on a whole other level", Herald News, September 29, 2006. "Paterson Catholic coach Benjie Wimberly compares him to former Passaic Tech star Gerald Hayes, an All-State linebacker and now a starter for the Arizona Cardinals in the NFL."
- ^ DiTrani, Vinny. "Shipp sailing smoothly but may face rough seas", The Record (Bergen County), November 9, 2003. Accessed May 22, 2007. "To Shipp's credit, he's been taking the high road - or the high seas - in this potential melodrama. The former Passaic Tech star became Division 1-AA's sixth-leading all-time rusher at UMass, accumulating 5,383 yards (4,922 m)."
External links
- Official Web Site
- Passaic County Technical Institute's 2009–10 School Report Card from the New Jersey Department of Education
- Data for the Passaic County Technical Institute, National Center for Education Statistics
Northern Hills Conference (NJSIAA) Skyline Division Mount Saint Dominic · Orange · Passaic County Tech · Passaic Valley Regional · Wayne Valley · West Milford · West Orange · West Side
Suburban Division Academy of Saint Elizabeth · Butler · Delbarton · De Paul Catholic · James Caldwell · Lakeland Regional · Madison · Millburn · Montville Township · Pequannock Township · Villa Walsh Academy
Categories:- High schools in Passaic County, New Jersey
- Wayne, New Jersey
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