My family has lived in Marlboro the past 14 years. We are one of the families affected by the redistricting proposed by the Freehold Regional High School District. We are now districted to attend Colts Neck High School.
I have no problem with the quality of education offered at the school or the distance from my home.
I do, however, object to the method used to select the individual area that will be redistricted. To select one individual group and segregate them from the children they have grown up with is unfair.
The numbers the school board has put forward for next year shows 114 selected students to enter Colts Neck High School, that were previously districted for Marlboro (High School).
Does this number take into account the numbers who are exempt by the sibling law, or have decided to attend private school? I do not think so.
We have heard of many people who will be happy to attend Colts Neck. I think this is a wonderful thing, and maybe if it was put on a voluntary basis, you would receive more candidates than are needed to reduce the overcrowding.
With the sibling rule in effect, the school board will obviously be sending two bus routes into many developments.
Based on my wife’s and my own family planning, our daughter graduated Marlboro High School last year, and my current eighth-grader would be redistricted to Colts Neck.
My older son also graduated from Marlboro High School in 1999. Both of my older children were very active in the school, and both were captains of their respective sports teams. My daughter was also the homecoming queen in her senior year. There is a definite meaning to being a Marlboro Mustang in my house.
To take this away from my youngest and have him participate against his friends and those he has grown up with, in my opinion, is unfair.
My wife has spent eight years being involved with the high school and its programs. We have both been involved with the booster clubs and fund raising. Is it fair to us or our youngest not to be allowed to attend Marlboro High School? Would you think it was fair if it were your family or your child? I think not.
Before this becomes law, remember a committee just works with numbers, but those numbers are people’s lives.
Sandor Epstein
Marlboro