U.S. Senator Andy Kim tours Cape Tech and Cape May County Special Services

U.S. Senator Andy Kim tours Cape May County Technical School District and Cape May County Special Services School District, getting a firsthand look at growth and community impact.

Students and staff spent the morning with Sen. Kim discussing the importance of career focused programming and specialized services that are tailored to meet each student’s unique needs, as well as showcase campus features.

Cape May Court House, N.J. – A visit to Cape May County Technical School District (Cape Tech) and Cape May County Special Services School District (CMCSSSD) was at the top of Sen. Andy Kim’s to-do list during his first week back in New Jersey since being sworn into his new role as senator. Cape Tech and CMCSSSD were fitting stops amid national discourse about education policy, funding and oversight. Students, administrators and faculty at each district aimed to highlight the value of their educational offerings, which have expanded in recent years.

Both schools offer highly specialized education targeted to meet a wide range of needs of county students and best set them up for long-term success.

“We appreciate Senator Andy Kim taking the time to visit Cape May Tech as well as

Cape May County Special Services. We are also so grateful to the county commissioners, our board of education and our parents and families who have been long time supporters and advocates for our specialized districts" said Cape Tech and CMCSSD Superintendent Jamie Moscony. “Our students need and deserve our specialized programs and services, and we cannot provide them unless we receive adequate funding.  We are so appreciative that our local representatives are sharing our concerns and making our voices heard at the federal level and it’s encouraging to know Senator Kim is advocating for our districts in Washington. We know that our representatives truly understand the value that our districts bring not only to the students who we serve, but to the communities as a whole.”

“I know there's a lot of chaos down there [in DC], a lot of challenges, especially when it comes to what comes next in terms of funding, education, other things,” said Sen. Kim. “So, this really helps me just get to understand the needs of the community, and what we need to be prioritizing and focusing on and fighting for down in D.C. during these times. Thank you for what you do for the community.”

Cape Tech

During the visit, Sen. Kim toured Cape Tech’s customized classrooms to support hands-on learning opportunities in carpentry, HVAC, culinary arts and others. He also saw the district’s new Perch Cafe, conference center and district offices. These spaces, among multiple others still in progress, were made possible by the Securing Our Children’s Future Bond Act. The bond was passed by New Jersey voters in 2018, setting aside grant funding to support the expansion of career-focused education throughout the state. Cape Tech received nearly $4.3 million in the first round of grant funding and more than $14.45 million in the second round to fund projects important to the school and surrounding communities.

Schools applied for Bond Act funding to specifically expand programming and opportunities for students that not only add seats for new students but also train students for in-demand and evolving careers. The expansion projects have added to the strength of career and technical education (CTE) in New Jersey.

“New Jersey has a model for delivering career and technical education that is both inclusive and effective,” said New Jersey Council of County Vocational-Technical Schools Executive Director Jackie Burke. “We appreciate Senator Kim taking the time to visit Cape May Tech to learn more about the state’s county-based approach to career education, which gives all students the choice to apply to a vocational-technical high school at no cost to families. By pooling resources, including grants from federal Perkins funding, the schools have been able to invest in state-of-the-art technology and tools so students gain the experiences and skills sought by employers in a range of fields from construction to healthcare to information technology and much more. The impact of such learning is significant: students are engaged in their coursework to get a head start toward their future career goals, and employers build a pipeline of skilled talent, which benefits our local and state economies.”

Cape Tech seniors and student ambassadors Alec Dooley and Holly Fesler were excited for the opportunity to “show-off” their blossoming school. 

“We don’t get to show-off often,” said Fesler, an environmental science student. “I am really proud of what we’ve built. There have been so many changes in the past few years, and it's really starting to blossom here.”

“He [Senator Kim] has the ability to fight for our school, fight for our community, fight for all different schools around the county and the state, South Jersey especially,” said Dooley, a carpentry and property management student. “It's really important to show him around the school, show what's going on, why CTE schools are so important and share personal experiences and what the community is like. All of this provides important background about how grants and other funding sources help our students expand and build on their education.”

In addition to these two current students, a Cape Tech alumnus (shared time), Kyle Timpson, just earned the top spot in season 23 of Gordon Ramsey’s Hell’s Kitchen: Head Chefs Only competition. Timpson was selected as the winner out of 18 competitors in this culinary contest.

Cape Tech students and faculty have high hopes for Sen. Kim’s return to tour their newly renovated boat house and dock, which they aim to open to students in spring 2026. This renovation will further expand program offerings to include marine maintenance – an area with great opportunity in Cape May County. The improvements will benefit numerous other programs, too, such as environmental science and sustainability, welding, carpentry and more.

Cape May County Special Services

With regard to the eight county special services school districts, loss of federal funding would directly impact the districts that send us their students, as well as the students’ ability to access the highly specialized programming and staff members that CMCSSSD, and other special services districts around the state, provide. Reductions in state and federal aid will limit funding for specialized programs and intensive related services (e.g., speech therapy, occupational therapy, behavioral interventions), which are critically needed to help students with special needs reach their full potential.

One recent CMCSSSD graduate, who is hearing impaired, gained employment at a local resort with the assistance of specialized training he received from the district. He was set up with a job coach, who helped him adjust to the world of work. The job coach was phased out as he gained more experience and he was able to maintain his paid employment after graduating from CMCSSSD. His employment was a direct result of the community-based instruction and work-based learning programs he was able to participate in through CMCSSSD. These programs not only give students the opportunities to learn and work, but also to make valuable connections in the community. He made such an impact on his coworkers at Congress Hall that they were in attendance to see him graduate. This is a testament to the importance of the connections made through the specialized programs at CMCSSSD.

Learn More

For more information on Cape Tech, go to capemaytech.com and to learn about the programs at Cape May Special Services School District, please visit www.cmcspecialservices.org