sets new boundaries
for K-8 district
Howell school board
sets new boundaries
for K-8 district
By kathy baratta
Staff Writer
The facilities committee of the Howell K-8 Board of Education met with parents twice last week to present its redistricting package to the public.
The drawing of the new district boundaries means 35 percent of the township’s K-8 student population will be changed from their present attending school to a different school, according to Marcie Nowicki, chairwoman of the facilities committee.
Assistant Superintendent of Schools Jordan Schiff told parents at two special meetings last week, "At the end of the process there will be 1,700 kids going to schools that are new to them."
Parents attending the meetings were informed that the proposed redistricting package was devised using present residential construction and future "buildouts" of projects that are on the books but have not yet received Plan-ning Board approval or had construction started, and that the issue of redistricting shouldn’t need to be revisited for at least five years.
The neighborhood developments that will be attending the district’s schools were announced last week at the two meetings.
According to the present proposal, students living in Winston Park, Tanglewood, Oak Hollow Estates, Lexington Crossing, Lakes Edge Lake Club, Hilltop Crossing I & II, Glen Arden and Aldrich Estates will attend the Aldrich School on Aldrich Road.
Students living in Timberline, The Preserve, Shore Oaks, Farmingdale Park, Fairways, Embassy Estates, Crystal Creek, Ardena Acres I & II, and Angle Inn will attend the Ardena School on Route 524.
Students living in Point O’ Woods, Oak Hill Manor, Countryside Apartments, Windeler, Heathermead, Moors Landing and Adelphia Greens will attend the Griebling School on Havens Bridge Road.
Students residing in Woodbine, Saddlebrook Estates, Quail Run, Hunter Run, Patterson Village, Majestic Oaks, Knob Hill Estates, Fairfield Ridge, Crow Hill Road, Country Village, Country Meadows, Country Meadows II, Colts Glen, Bridle Path Estates, Ardmore Estates and Ardena Estates III will attend the new elementary school north that is under construction on Route 524.
Students living in Land O’Pines, Radiance, Monmouth Ridings, The Woods, Sunrise Station, Pine Hill, Centennial Point, Freewood Acres East, Freewood Acres West and Twin Hill will attend the Land O’ Pines School on Pirates Way.
Students living in Salem Hill, Oak Glen, Briar Knolls and At the Pines will attend the Newbury School on Newbury Road.
Students living in Woodview Estates, Parkway Pines-Shore Club, Laurel Crest, Winding Brook, Stanford Brooks Estates, Newtons Crossing, Forrest Ridge, Scribner, Laurel Manor and Briarcrest developments will attend the Ramtown School on Ramtown-Greenville Road.
Students living in Ramtown Manor, Ramtown Knolls, Parkside Commons, Crosswoods Estates, Briarcrest East and Allenwood will attend the new elementary school south under construction on Ramtown-Greenville Road.
Students living in Friendship Estates, Friendship Manor, Roseland, Heritage Point and Brentwood Estates will attend the Southard School on Kent Road.
Students who live in Woodstone, Woodsend, Manor Estates, Northbrook, Woodbryne, Windmill Club, Thousand Oaks, Meadow Woods and Candlewood will attend the Taunton School on Taunton Drive.
According to the presentation available in print form at the meetings held Feb. 11 and Feb. 13, as far as the middle schools go, students residing in the Ramtown, new elementary school south, Taunton and Newbury elementary school attendance areas will attend Howell Middle School South on Kuzminski Way.
Students residing in the Southard, Aldrich, Land O’Pines and Ardena elementary school attendance areas will attend Howell Middle School North on Squankum-Yellowbrook Road.
Students residing in the Griebling and new elementary school north attendance areas will attend the new middle school that is under construction on Route 524.
Nowicki has previously said that despite some setbacks in the construction of the new schools, the board expects the three new buildings to open as scheduled for the 2003-04 school year.
The facilities committee, which is comprised of school board members, district staff and community members, worked on developing the boundaries by incorporating the existing elementary schools as well as the new ones being constructed and all three middle schools that will be up and operating next year.
Nowicki said the committee had a hard job doing it, but designed the new boundaries so that children can go to the K-8 grades with children they went to K-5 grades with.
The panel also tried to balance enrollments at the schools.
Transportation was another consideration in moving major boundary lines. According to Nowicki, the changes were made to prevent future traffic problems by minimizing the number of buses that have to cross Route 9 or travel near large shopping centers, and by attempting to shorten the time students have to spend traveling on the buses.
Nowicki said the entire package will be presented at a public meeting of the school board at a special meeting scheduled for Feb. 26 at Howell Middle School North at 8 p.m.
Anyone who does not live in a listed development and who is unsure which school their child will be sent to in the coming school year can contact the board offices by calling the transportation department at (732) 202-1740.
Any other redistricting questions should be directed to Jordan Schiff at (732) 751-2480, Ext. 3830.