Take a look inside the sparkling-new schools in five New Jersey communities.
ELIZABETH -- It's not as though students at Frank J. Cicarell Academy didn't have music, gym and lunch before.
Prior to this school year, however, music classes, gym classes and lunch at the high school for advanced students in Elizabeth Public Schools all took place at the same time -- and in the same space, principal Michael Cummings lamented.
"We were cramped, to say the least," said Cummings, whose student body was sent to two vacated elementary schools because of overcrowding in the district.
This fall, the academy's students and teachers reported to a spacious, state-of-the-art facility, one of several sparkling-new schools that opened across the state. NJ Advance Media toured five of New Jersey's newest school buildings -- with a combined cost of about $360 million -- to get an inside look at what students and teachers see each day.
Browse the gallery above to see inside the state's newest schools and read more about the schools below.
Phillipsburg High School (Philipsburg School District)
Cost: The project cost $127.5 million and was paid for by the New Jersey Schools Development Authority, which provides facilities for 31 urban and low-income districts.
Size: 330,000 square feet
Capacity: 2,172 students
Highlights: Plans to replace the old Phillipsburg High School, a regional school for several towns in Warren County, date to the 1990s. Because of overcrowding, the district needed more than 30 trailers for classrooms.
The new school, built on a hilltop in Lopatcong Township, has 50 general classrooms, 12 science labs, 4 computer labs, spaces for art and music and a cavernous gymnasium.
"I feel like I'm on the set of 'High School Musical,'" student Michelle Rajan said in September.
Maya Angelou Elementary School (Jersey City Public Schools)
Cost: The project cost $49.3 million and was paid for by the New Jersey Schools Development Authority, which provides facilities for 31 urban and low-income districts.
Size: 108,800 square feet
Capacity: 698 students
Highlights: The previous school was nearly 120 years old and space became increasingly tight for students and teachers.
"We had to share spaces even for the basic necessities during the day," Principal Maritza Dortrait said.
The new school has dedicated rooms for art and music, a separate gym and cafeteria and a large multi-purpose space with a stage.
Joseph C. Caruso Elementary School (Keansburg School District)
Cost: The project cost $50.9 million and was paid for by the New Jersey Schools Development Authority, which provides facilities for 31 urban and low-income districts.
Size: 122,000 square feet
Capacity: 842 students
Highlights: Students spent the last five years split at two different locations, including classrooms in trailers. The old school had a parking lot for a playground.
The new school brings all students together under one roof in a spacious, high-tech facility.
"Everybody is happier. There's lots of smiles, there's a lot more pride, which is nice to see on the kids faces," said Elyse McMahon, a vice principal. "Everybody is proud to live here, which sometimes wasn't always the case."
Frank J. Cicarell Academy (Elizabeth Public Schools)
Cost: $64.1 million
Size: 183,000 square feet
Capacity: 1,284 students
Highlights: Previously, students were split into two former elementary schools, musical performances were in stairwells and there was no library.
The new school has a large auditorium, a library, new science labs and a darkroom.
"It's beyond what we could have hoped for," Cummings said. "We are all overjoyed."
Cumberland County Technical Education Center
Cost: The project cost $68.6 million, and about 60 percent was paid for by the state Department of Education, which awards money to school districts to pay off construction debt.
Size: 200,000 square feet
Capacity: 1,200 students
Highlights: Prior to this school year, Cumberland was the only one of the state's 21 counties that did not offer a full-day vocational school program. The new school will allow the county offer full-time vocational and technical courses.
The school features 78 instructional spaces, including dedicated labs for dentistry, cosmetology, health science, construction trades, culinary arts and chemistry.
NJ Advance Media Reporters Steve Novak and Don E. Woods contributed to this report.
Adam Clark may be reached at adam_clark@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on twitter at @realAdamClark. Find NJ.com on Facebook.