Plumber Matt Benevides walks past the two plumber cartoon figures, resembling Nintendo characters Mario and Luigi, painted on the back of his truck. © PETER PEREIRA/The Standard-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
(Newark, NJ) – More than 40,000 Newark school children are headed back to class this week — with New York City public schools getting started on Thursday. New York’s schools are dealing with a big change — cell phone use is strictly banned for K-through-12 students. That’s per a law that applies statewide.
Governor Kathy Hochul says the cell phone ban is aimed at keeping kids more focused. But across the Hudson River — in Newark — the hope is to keep children engaged, by teaching them practical skills for the job world.
A new trade school is beginning this school year for Newark high school students. Around 200 freshman have enrolled. Dubbed the Newark School of Architecture and Interior Design, students can learn about architecture, plumbing, electrical services, and real estate.
It’s part of a focus on so-called blue collar jobs, and trades, which too often have experienced worker shortages in recent years. And for parents looking ahead to college, there’s more good news — a savings program has been set up. Newark’s new college savings program will provide parents with “seed money” for these savings accounts. Three thousand public kindergarten students will each get 25 dollars — part of a grant from the Prudential Foundation — so they can open a college 529 savings account.
