Governor Breaks Ground on Central NY’s First Regional Tech High School – $74 Million Project
Governor Kathy Hochul broke ground on a $74 million science, technology, arts and math high school in Syracuse, New York on Dec. 7, 2023, and her office made the announcement that day.
Hochul also announced that New York State and Micron will invest $4 million in the New York Advanced Technology Framework to help school districts in New York build their own curriculum in semi-conductors and high-tech manufacturing.
According to the city, the Syracuse Science, Technology, Arts and Math High School (SSTAMHS), which the city says is Central New York’s first regional technical high school, is scheduled to open in 2025. It is expected to be located in the newly rehabilitated Central Tech school building in Downtown Syracuse.
“Groundbreaking for the STEAM High School is more evidence of progress on the Syracuse Surge, our strategy for inclusive growth in the New Economy. Transforming the long vacant Central Tech High School into a state-of-the-art regional learning center will help break down long standing educational barriers between urban and suburban school districts and ensure our young people are better prepared to capitalize on the career opportunities of the future right here in their own hometown” said Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh.
Project leaders say the school will offer a rigorous STEAM-focused curriculum paired with a range of industry and higher education partnerships providing opportunities for internships, mentoring, job shadowing, and college-level coursework. The high school will help prepare students in Central New York for jobs in the region’s growing high-tech manufacturing industry.
“Through the investments we’re making in Central New York, we’re expanding educational opportunities for students while ensuring the region is ready to welcome the jobs and opportunity coming through Micron’s transformative project,” Hochul said. “By investing in high-tech education and advanced manufacturing, we can ensure the next generation of New Yorkers is prepared to fill the jobs of the future. We’re committed to building a global chip-making hub right here in New York.”
According to the city, the state has committed over $71 million to this project, along with Micron’s $10 million commitment to the school and other STEM-related K-12 programs as a part of the company’s Community Investment Framework with Empire State Development (ESD) and Amazon’s $1.75 million commitment.
“Micron is proud to invest $10 million over 10 years in the Syracuse STEAM school and in other STEM-related K-12 programs in the Central New York region, and to partner with the State of New York on a $4 million investment to create a tech-talent pipeline powered by the New York Advanced Technology Framework,” Micron’s Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer, and the President of the Micron Foundation, April Arnzen said.
This pilot program allows school districts to offer cutting edge career based learning with curriculum they develop with the collaboration of the other New York educators, city officials say.
"From day one my administration has recognized and prioritized investments that will help prepare our kids for the jobs of both today and tomorrow. In partnership with Mayor Walsh & New York State, we immediately got to work to create the first countywide STEAM school in New York State at Central Tech. Today marks the culmination of those efforts and I am excited for what the future holds," said Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon. He added, "This unprecedented commitment has also caught the attention of our friends in the private sector and I want to thank Amazon and Micron for their commitment to this important project and I look forward to seeing the classrooms of Central Tech produce the workforce talent of tomorrow!"
Syracuse City School District Superintendent Anthony Q. Davis called the groundbreaking event “a massive step forward for our community, revitalizing the old Central Tech building and preparing our students to fill the high-tech jobs coming to our region.” He went on to state, “the future of Central New York starts with our young people.”
