Foundation Academies has started construction on a new high school campus at 350 Grand Street, the site of a former factory in Trenton.
Foundation Academies (FA) CEO Sheria McRae grew up in Trenton, graduated from Howard University, and returned to her hometown as an educator with her family. Foundation Academies’ expansion, she says, makes a clear statement to Trenton’s youth: We see you. We invest in you. And we believe in your future.
“We are creating a campus where talent is discovered, nurtured, and shared — because Trenton is not a place to leave, but a place to lead,” McRae said in a press statement following the groundbreaking.
This historic site, once home to the Horsman Doll Factory, was a cornerstone of Trenton’s manufacturing legacy. At its peak, the factory employed more than 1,000 workers and symbolized the city’s spirit of creativity and innovation. Though the building has been vacant since the 1960s, next August it will reopen with new life — welcoming nearly 500 high school students who will both honor the city’s past and build its future.
The project has won support from community leaders who see FA’s transformation of the site as a symbol of Trenton’s resilience. Councilwoman Jenna Figueroa Kettenburg, who represents the neighborhood including the FA Collegiate campus, calls the project “a powerful turning point.”
“As both a councilwoman and a neighbor, I chose to support this project because I see the bigger picture,” she said. “This is about transforming a long-neglected property into something that uplifts the entire area. It’s about creating a place that reflects the promise of our young people. And it’s about proving, once again, that investment and innovation belong right here in our neighborhoods.”
The new campus features more than twice the educational space as the current high school at 22 Grand Street.
Opening a third campus also creates opportunities for scholars from kindergarten through grade 12, with the middle school moving into 22 Grand Street and elementary school expanding to all three floors at 363 West State Streeet.
FA’s new high school campus will feature a modern, fully equipped library and makerspace, a diverse set of STEM labs, some traditional and some experimental, a College & Career Center featuring virtual reality workforce training, a fitness facility, a stage and lighting booth for performances, a sound-proofed music room with instrument storage, and a dance and movement studio. Many of these spaces will be available for use by the community, as well.
Through the College & Career Center, FA will be the first school to partner with the state of New Jersey to provide Pre-Employment Transition Services to students with special needs. Daniela Rivera, FA’s senior director of workforce & public funding, says Pre-Employment Transition Services go beyond typical career guidance by giving students direct, hands-on experiences, such as exploring different careers, building workplace skills, and learning in real-world settings.
“This is about unlocking doors and building brighter futures for every scholar we serve,” Rivera said. “Integrating pre-employment training services into the academic journey ensures that our scholars don’t just earn a diploma, they graduate ready for college, career, and life.”
Campus construction is financed through a public bond held by Friends of Foundation Academies (FOFA), a separate 501(c)3 nonprofit that fundraises in support of the school and scholars. FOFA also recently launched the Building Futures Fund capital campaign to equip those spaces and ensure teachers and scholars have the resources they need. They have currently raised 65 percent of the $3 million capital campaign goal.
Foundation Academies is a public charter school providing free quality education to more than 1,200 students kindergarten through Grade 12. It opened in 2007 with 86 scholars in a borrowed building and has grown into Mercer County’s largest charter network.
“By creating safe, beautiful spaces for our children to learn and grow, we’re not just renovating an industrial site,” McRae notes. “We’re building futures.”
Learn more at www.foundationacademies.org.