TTA History | Titusville Academy

The past is a source of knowledge, and the future is a source of hope. Love of the past implies faith in the future.
Stephen Ambrose

We’re Celebrating 50 Years of Educational Excellence

Founded by Stephen P. Hritz, Ph.D. in 1971 as the Princeton School for Exceptional Children (PSEC), the school started in the educational wing of the Unitarian Church of Princeton. It opened with just three teachers and a single student, but quickly grew to over 50 students. In 1988, the school moved to a newly renovated building—the historic 1905 Titusville School—overlooking the Delaware River in Titusville, NJ (Hopewell Township, Mercer County). It was then renamed The Titusville Academy.

Dr. Stephen Hritz, founder of PSEC, and PSEC Director, Jim Rigel

Dr. Stephen Hritz, (at right), founder of PSEC, and PSEC Director, Jim Rigel.

Prior to founding the school, Dr. Hritz worked as Director of Education for the Drake School at the New Jersey Neuro-Psychiatric Institute in Skillman (which later became North Princeton Developmental Center) and as Associate Professor and Chair of the Special Education Department at Trenton State College (now The College of New Jersey). He was driven by a deep commitment to quality, evidence-based special education.

“His influence on The Titusville Academy and the lives of thousands of students who have benefited from our program over the last 50 years cannot be overstated,“ said Manker P. Mills, Board President.

Today, The Titusville Academy provides a noncompetitive, individualized educational experience for children in grades 1 through 12. The academic program prepares students for college, technical training, military service, and direct entry into the workplace.

“The mission was then, and is now, to provide a comprehensive academic, behavioral, and social program so students develop the skills they need to return to their local school districts within two or three years,” said Deborah R. Zerbib, Executive Director. “We are proud of the positive working partnerships we have with districts who place students with us,” she concluded.