in some FRHSD
buildings seen
as reason for action
High school board votes
to shift some students
Crowded conditions
in some FRHSD
buildings seen
as reason for action
By dave benjamin
Staff Writer
A redistricting plan which calls for the movement of some students across municipal boundaries has been approved by the Freehold Regional High School District Board of Education.
After months of discussion and debate, board members voted on Sept. 9 to implement new student attendance areas beginning in September 2003.
Under the board’s nine-point voting system, a redistricting plan proposed by Superinten-dent of Schools James Wasser was approved 6.7 points in favor to 2.3 points opposed.
Voting in favor of the plan were board members Diana Cappiello of Englishtown, Patricia Horvath of Manalapan, Marlene Caruso of Freehold Township, Bernice Hammer of Freehold Borough, Terry Kraft of Howell, Ronald G. Lawson of Howell and Colin Miller of Farmingdale.
Voting against the redistricting plan were board members Bonnie Rosenwald of Marlboro and Christopher Placitella of Colts Neck.
Under the plan approved by the board during a meeting held at Freehold Township High School:
• Approximately 130 students who live in Manalapan and Englishtown will be assigned to Freehold Township High School beginning in September 2003 when they are freshmen. Previously, those students would have been assigned to Manalapan High School.
• Approximately 115 students who live in Marlboro will be assigned to Colts Neck High School beginning in September 2003 when they are freshmen. Previously, those students would have been assigned to Marlboro High School.
• Approximately 85 additional students who live in Howell will be assigned to Freehold Township High School beginning in September 2003 when they are freshmen. Previously, those students would have been assigned to Howell High School. Under the FRHSD’s current student attendance area guidelines, a portion of Howell is already assigned to Freehold Township High School. Other areas of Howell are assigned to Howell and Colts Neck high schools.
• Approximately 25 students who live in Farmingdale will be assigned to Colts Neck High School beginning in September 2003 when they are freshmen. Previously, those students would have been assigned to Howell High School.
No student who currently attends a high school in the FRHSD will be moved to a new school.
"Tonight the board is faced with a very difficult and challenging decision," Wasser said. "During this past year, the board has received and reviewed extensive information regarding the modification of the district’s student attendance areas. The issue of modifying student attendance areas, or redistricting, is always an unpleasant task. However, it is the responsibility of the board and only the board to make the final determination which plan will address the needs of the regional district and its students."
Briefly reviewing the plan, Wasser said that last year the board convened a committee of citizens and board members to address the issue of balancing student enrollments at the district’s six high schools. The committee examined enrollments, demographics and building capacities.
"In January 2002 a plan was proposed" by that committee, Wasser said. "Unfortunately, due to a strong emotional outcry, the board postponed a decision and directed the superintendent to further study the issue."
A timeline was presented to the board and public that stressed the need for public and regional municipal government input. During that period a review of the demographics and verification of the building capacities was made.
Twenty-five public meetings were held, according to the superintendent.
"At this time it is now up to the board to vote for a student attendance plan which best addresses the balancing of student enrollments," Wasser said. "Again, to do nothing would severely jeopardize the quality of education of our outstanding school district and the safety of our students. As long as we continue to experience the explosion of growth in our region, the problem of redistricting will always be a reality."
During the public portion of the meeting, Marlboro Mayor Matthew Scannapieco presented a petition with 2,413 names to the board. He said those who signed the petition are opposed to the involuntary redistricting of any Marlboro students while there is firm capacity in Marlboro High School.
Scannapieco told the board he supports a change in the tax assessment formula which he said places an unfair burden on Marlboro residents. He also said he would also like to see a change in the board’s voting apportionment to reflect the most recent census. He asked for a delay in the redistricting of Marlboro students.
"There is no need to redistrict Marlboro at this time," Scannapieco said.
Officials from Manalapan also commented during the public portion of the meeting.
"Strongly consider the will of the people of Manalapan as you deliberate on this very difficult issue," said Manalapan Deputy Mayor Bill Scherer. "Do not dismiss the voluntary movement of students."
Scherer said he believed split sessions could work.
"Poor planning in the past, when the extensions were done, has led a section of Manalapan (generally south of Route 33) to be singled out financially and socially to be moved" to a new high school, he said. "I don’t think that’s fair to that section of Manalapan. I welcome the opportunity to meet with our brethren in Marlboro to pursue any legal remedies."
Manalapan Mayor Rebecca Aaronson offered her support for voluntary redistricting. She noted it has been said that children will adjust.
"But I think you will agree with me that they will adjust much more easily if they were to move to a school on their own volition," the mayor said. "Not mandatory (movement)."
Board members had their own comments on the issue of redistricting.
Kraft said that four years ago a student attendance area plan was put in place that he considered to be discriminatory against two municipalities, Howell and Freehold Township.
"Three schools (Howell, Freehold Township and Colts Neck) housed Howell students and two schools (Freehold Township and Freehold Borough) housed Freehold Township," Kraft said. "The folks in Howell didn’t suffer. The students went on to greater things."
Kraft said the real issue is balancing class size.
"My job is to balance that as best as we can," he said.
Hammer said she attended the public meetings at which redistricting was discussed, visited all of the schools and chaired the citizens committee that studied student attendance areas.
"My decision was made when I visited Marlboro High School," she said. "I am very concerned about the safety of the students. I know the conditions in that school are not what they should be. I’m forced to vote for the plan."
Placitella said that since June there has been some long-range planning. He said he would support the present proposal with one exception and noted there has been a disagreement over some demographic information.
"(Therefore), the redistricting as it relates to Marlboro (should) be postponed until 2004," he said. "We’re looking at functional capacities. The numbers, whether real or projected, (show that) Marlboro doesn’t need to be redistricted in terms of functional capacity until 2004."
Placitella said he appreciated all the work of the staff and superintendent and said he believed Wasser had been unfairly maligned as he tried to handle a difficult situation.
In her comments to the board, Rosenwald said there is no long-term attendance plan in place; there will be sufficient room at Marlboro until the 2004-05 school year; the board chose not to respond to letters from Marlboro concerning the tax assessment and voting apportionment issues; and parents and students do not want the involuntary redistricting.
"This is again a Band-Aid solution (and) not a long term plan with vision," Rosenwald said. "My mind is made up."
Horvath said she had a difficult time making a decision.
"I wasn’t convinced of a plan until Friday," the board president said. "Unfortunately, there is overcrowding in the schools."
Horvath said she visited the Manalapan cafeteria on Sept. 6 and found 630 students in one lunch period. At Marlboro there were 650 students in the cafeteria during one lunch period, she said.
"That’s the size of some of our elementary schools," Horvath said. "I will not compromise the education or safety of our students."
The board then voted to put the revised attendance areas in place beginning in September 2003.