The former Cramer School will house Eastside High students during 4-year construction of their new high school

Camden City School District announced Tuesday that the former Alfred Cramer College Preparatory School will serve as the “swing space” for Eastside High students for almost five years during the demolition and construction of a new high school.

Camden’s nearly century-old Eastside High will be demolished and replaced in the same location under a $105 million project, Superintendent Katrina McCombs announced in September. One of two comprehensive public high schools in the district, Eastside currently occupies a 229,000-square-foot building serving students in grades 9 through 12.

Starting in September, Eastside High staff and students will relocate to the now-closed Cramer School at 2800 Mickle St. in East Camden. Demolition and construction would begin in spring 2025; the new school is expected to open in fall 2029 and have room for 750 students.

Efforts are underway to prepare the site to meet the needs of Eastside students, according to a news release from the district.

The project will be funded by New Jersey’s School Development Authority, which oversees the state’s plan to improve schools in Camden and other needy districts. The authority funds projects to address serious facility deficiencies.

Camden currently has 10 traditional, charter, and Renaissance high schools that enroll about 5,000 students. The district replaced its iconic Camden High several years ago and opened a new complex in 2021 that includes Camden High and three magnet schools. McCombs has said the district still needs Eastside High because it offers courses not available at Camden High School, such as automotive training.