Mercer County Technical Schools

School district in Mercer County, New Jersey, US

Mercer County Technical Schools
Arthur R. Sypek Center in Pennington
Address
1085 Old Trenton Road
, Mercer County, New Jersey, 08690
Coordinates  Blue
  Green
  Yellow
Other information
Websitewww.mcts.edu

Mercer County Technical Schools (MCTS), also known as the Area Vocational Technical Schools of Mercer County, is a public technical school district serving Mercer County, New Jersey. Its two campuses are located in West Windsor and Pennington. The district offers standard shared time technical programs for grades 11 and 12 and full-time academies for grades 9 through 12, as well as adult education programs.[5][6][7]

Schools

The district's academies and programs are split between two campuses, both located within Mercer County.

Assunpink Center

The Assunpink Center is located at 1085 Old Trenton Road in West Windsor, New Jersey.[8]

Health Science Academy

The Assunpink campus has one full-time Academy, the Health Science Academy, which has a curriculum focused on health.

Shared time programs

As of 2024, there are seven shared-time programs at the Assunpink campus:

Arthur R. Sypek Center

The Arthur R. Sypek Center is located at 129 Bull Run Road in Pennington, New Jersey.[9]

Full-time academies

The Sypek campus has two full-time academies, the STEM Academy and the Culinary Arts Academy. The STEM Academy provides students with an education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, while the Culinary Arts Academy focuses on culinary education.

In 2024, NJ.com ranked the STEM Academy as the top high school in Mercer County based on data released by the New Jersey Department of Education. The school ranked 42nd in the state according to the same data.[10]

Shared time programs

As of 2024, there are seven shared-time programs at the Sypek campus:[9]

Enrollment

Student body composition as of 2023[11][12]
Race and ethnicity Total
Hispanic 41.7% 41.7
 
White 26.6% 26.6
 
Black 21.9% 21.9
 
Asian 7.8% 7.8
 
Two or more Races 1.6% 1.6
 
American Indian/Alaska Native 0.3% 0.3
 
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander 0.1% 0.1
 
Sex Total
Male 53% 53
 
Female 47% 47
 
Income Total
Low-income[a] 35.7% 35.7
 

Admissions

The admissions process for the district is somewhat selective and competitive. The selection process aims to identify applicants who will benefit most from the educational opportunities provided. Admission criteria used include academic transcripts, attendance records, standardized test scores, and disciplinary records, in addition to an admissions test administered by the district.[13]

Only eighth grade students can apply to one of the three full-time academies, and, if accepted, begin during their ninth grade year at the school. Transfer into the full-time academy programs after this period is not permitted as the academies have full curriculums from grades 9-12.

Rising eleventh grade students can apply for shared-time programs at the school, as they serve students in grades 11-12.

Sending school districts

The following public school districts within Mercer County serve as sending districts:

Administration

Core members of the district's administration are (as of 2024):[14][15]

  • Matthew C. Carey, superintendent
  • Deborah Donnelly, school business administrator
  • Lisa Flynn, assistant school business administrator / board secretary
  • Alan Munford, principal, Assunpink Center
  • Jared Warren, principal, Sypek Center
  • Ryan Haimer, principal, adult evening programs

Board of education

The district's board of education sets policy and oversee the fiscal and educational operation of the district through its administration. The board is composed of seven members: the county superintendent of schools, who serves on an ex officio basis, and six members who are appointed by the Mercer County Executive. Members appointed by the executive serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis with the approval of the Mercer County Board of County Commissioners. The board appoints a superintendent to oversee the district's day-to-day operations and a business administrator to supervise the business functions of the district.[16][17]

Notes

  1. ^ The percentage of students who are eligible to participate in the Free Lunch and Reduced-Price Lunch Programs under the National School Lunch Act.

References

  1. ^ a b District information for Mercer County Vocational School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed September 27, 2018.
  2. ^ "Search for Public School Districts – District Detail for Area Vocational Technical School District of Mercer County". National Center for Education Statistics. Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved July 29, 2024.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference MSA-CESS was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference NJDOE was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ "About MCTS - Mercer County Technical Schools". www.mcts.edu. Retrieved July 29, 2024.
  6. ^ "Mercer County Technical Schools". Career Tech NJ. Retrieved July 29, 2024.
  7. ^ Spadea, Bill (May 23, 2023). "Technical school is a better alternative for many Jersey students (Opinion)". New Jersey 101.5. Retrieved July 29, 2024.
  8. ^ "Assunpink About Us - Mercer County Technical Schools". www.mcts.edu. Retrieved July 29, 2024.
  9. ^ a b "Sypek About Us - Mercer County Technical Schools". www.mcts.edu. Retrieved July 29, 2024.
  10. ^ Kausch, Katie (May 1, 2024). "Mercer County's top rated schools. See latest full list". NJ.com. Retrieved July 29, 2024.
  11. ^ "Performance Reports". New Jersey Department of Education. Retrieved July 28, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  12. ^ "Search for Public School Districts - District Detail for Area Vocational Technical School District of Mercer County". nces.ed.gov. Retrieved July 29, 2024.
  13. ^ "Admission Procedures - Mercer County Technical Schools". www.mcts.edu. Retrieved July 29, 2024.
  14. ^ District Leadership, Mercer County Technical Schools. Accessed September 27, 2018.
  15. ^ New Jersey School Directory for Mercer County, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 1, 2024.
  16. ^ Mercer County Special Services School District Board, Mercer County, New jersey. Accessed April 19, 2024."The Board of Education of the Mercer County Special Services School District is composed of seven members, six of whom are appointed by the County Executive and approved by the Board of Chosen Freeholders. The County Superintendent of Schools serves as the seventh member of the Board of Education."
  17. ^ Annual Comprehensive Financial Report for the Mercer County Special Services School District, New Jersey Department of Education, for year ending June 30, 2023. Accessed April 19, 2024. "The District is an instrumentality of the State of New Jersey, established to function as an educational institution. The Board consists of appointed officials and is responsible for the fiscal control of the District. The Board is comprised of six members appointed to three-year terms as well as the Executive County Superintendent of Schools. The purpose of the School District is to provide programs adapted to each student’s unique needs and abilities, in grades pre-K through 12." See "Roster of Officials" on page 13.
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