Smooth start for HoVal schools

By: John Tredrea
   The Hopewell Valley Regional School District’s 2001-2002 academic year got off to "an unusually smooth start" on opening day, Sept. 5, Assistant Superintendent of Schools Carol Roche said Monday night.
   Dr. Roche told the Hopewell Valley Regional Board of Education at its agenda meeting Monday that the district had "fewer busing problems than in the past" on opening day this year. She believes the switch of the elementary schools to a full-day on the first day of school — the elementary schools had a half-day on the first day of school until this year — was a key factor in the drop in busing problems on opening day this year.
   The district’s enrollment on opening day 2001 was 3,780, up 136 students from last year’s count of 3,644, on Oct. 13 — the date of the year that a school district’s enrollment becomes official, under state law.
   Hopewell Valley’s opening day elementary enrollment is up 58 students from last Oct. 13, from 1,794 to 1,852. Thirty-eight of the net gain of 58 students are at Hopewell Elementary, 15 at Toll Gate Grammar, and five at Bear Tavern Elementary. Central High School’s enrollment is up 44 students, from 993 to 1,037. Timberlane Middle School is up 34 students, from 857 to 891.
   Five hundred and ninety students are receiving special education services in the district this year. Three hundred and seventy-four of those students are receiving those services in the district itself while 69 are receiving it at other locations. One hundred and twenty-nine of those students are from Central High, 106 from Timberlane, 58 from Bear Tavern, 59 from Hopewell Elementary and 22 from Toll Gate.
   The Hopewell Valley district’s elementary Spanish program has expanded to the fourth grade for the first time this year. This means all students in grades two through four will have Spanish instruction twice a week.