On July 19, 2006, officials gathered to break ground at the Sunset Avenue facility to mark the beginning of construction of a new $2.4 million additional classroom space.

The project includes 8,900-square-feet of new space that will house the education center including four classrooms, a library, multipurpose room and other amenities.

The youths will go directly into the new education center from the juvenile detention center, they will not have to leave the building to get to the trailers that formerly housed the classrooms.

The new education center is expected to be completed by July 2007, which will mark the beginning of a new school year.

Schooling at the detention center runs year-round and is supported by the Ocean County Vocational-Technical School system.

The new center will provide space for additional programs that are required by the state and others that will help in the rehabilitation of the youths attending class here.


The project is being funded by the Ocean County Board of Chosen Freeholders. The contractor for the project is Patterson Mechanical Contracting, Ocean Township. The construction manager is the McCloud Group, Hoboken and the architect is Yezzi Associates of Toms River.