Long-awaited changes are coming to the Elizabeth Public School System.

The New Jersey Schools Development Authority and district officials were on hand for the demolition of the former Joseph Battin School No. 4. It's been closed since 2022 when inspectors found the roof of the building was in the beginning stages of structural failure. Students were relocated to other schools within the district for the past two school years.

But now a new school is coming.

"New infrastructure for schools means it's adding additional seats within the school district to address the overcrowding that Elizabeth is currently experiencing. Elizabeth has the hugest overcrowding issue across the state of New Jersey, so we're just chipping away at it by building this new facility for them,” says Manuel Da Silva, chief executive officer of the NJSDA.

When the new school opens, it will add 1,060 new seats to the Elizabeth School District -- which includes 250 new seats for students.