The ribbon-cutting ceremony, attended by students, parents, residents and city and state officials, was followed by a tour of the school at Lincoln Avenue and Menantico Road.

The Petway School and the Thomas W. Wallace Jr. Middle School are the first new schools to be built in this Cumberland County community since 1976. Elementary and middle grade students will report Monday, Sept. 11 for the start of the new school year. Scott Weiner, Transitional CEO of SCC, stated, "These new schools are examples of what consistent communication and effective collaboration among the SCC, the Vineland School District and Department of Education can accomplish to benefit students and the community."

The 74,000-square-foot Petway School has a capacity for 556 students. The school includes four kindergarten classrooms, 20 general education classrooms and three for special education. There also are classrooms for speech, science, enrichment, music, art and computers. The school has an occupational and physical therapy area, a cafeteria, a media center/library and a gymnasium. The school was designed by Manders/Merighi Associates and built by Fred M. Schiavone Construction Company, Inc. Gilbane Building Company managed the project for the SCC.