Asbury Park, NJ (April 14, 2005) - Students, teachers and community supporters joined representatives of the Asbury Park School District, the City of Asbury Park, and New Jersey Schools Construction Corporation (SCC) for a groundbreaking ceremony for the new 13,278-square-foot addition to the Thurgood Marshall Elementary School.

This new $8.5 million, 3-story addition will increase the school's size to nearly 90,000 square feet. When finished, this new educational facility will provide state-of-the-art educational opportunities for over 800 young Asbury Park students, and include 50 general classrooms, a gymnasium, a resource center, a stage area, a music room, conference rooms, and a new kitchen and cafeteria, among other features. It will also include the conversion of two existing classrooms into a discovery/technology lab. The addition to the Elementary School was designed by Gilbert Architects, and will be built by Brockwell and Carrington Construction. Gilbane Building Company is the project management firm.

School Superintendent Dr. Antonio Lewis stated, "A project like this requires vision, commitment, and belief, in this case, that the education of our children is important and that our children are important for the future of our country, our society, and our community. The ground breaking for this new addition to the Thurgood Marshall Elementary School is another major step forward in shaping the future of Asbury Park."

John F. Spencer, SCC Chief Executive Officer, remarked, "With the start of construction, we are proud to share in this great day for the entire City of Asbury Park.This project will benefit students, teachers and the community at large. The SCC is providing high-performance schools that will help transform the future for our young people. Our schools are designed to give students cutting-edge technology and academic environments that promote learning and achievement."

As it begins its third year of operations, the SCC has committed support to more than 2,700 school construction projects, completed $660 million in health and safety projects at more than 350 schools, and is making tremendous progress in the building of much-needed quality schools statewide. The SCC is also building early childhood education centers, launching school-based community revitalization efforts, and strengthening the economy through the creation of employment and business opportunities.