impact on decision
to build new school
FRHSD set to unveil
latest demographics
Results could have
impact on decision
to build new school
BY DAVE BENJAMIN
Staff Writer
A public presentation of the Freehold Regional High School District’s latest demographic study is expected to be made at the Board of Education’s June 7 meeting at Colts Neck High School. The meeting will begin at 8 p.m.
"I will be meeting with Stanley Slachetka of T&M Associates," Superintendent of Schools James Wasser said at a recent meeting of the board. "He’s finished up all the meetings with everyone and has all of the numbers from the elementary schools. I think you will get a very specific handle on what the demographics look like within the regional district, not only at the high school level, but what the projections are.
"You do the best you can with the information that you get," the superintendent said. "If the information from the eight communities that has been fed to the demographer is accurate, the projections will be somewhat accurate. If it’s faulty, or the circumstances change, then it won’t be accurate."
Wasser said the big question facing district administrators is whether a seventh high school should be built. The district presently enrolls just under 11,000 students in six high schools in Colts Neck, Freehold Borough, Freehold Township, Howell, Manalapan and Marl-boro.
"There won’t be any decision made that night, but I am encouraging [everyone] to be there," Wasser said.
Board member Terry Kraft of Howell added, "There’s an awful lot of news coming out of Howell lately about the possibility of getting a site for a community center and so forth. They (Howell officials) also mentioned the possibility of a break-off of that site for the feasibility of putting a high school there, should our demographics support that."
Kraft was referring to a plan put forth by the Howell Township Council to pursue the purchase of about 300 acres in the vicinity of the Manasquan Reservoir.
Kraft confirmed that Wasser has spoken with municipal officials around the district and has literally asked for land to be donated should a new high school be needed.
"To date Howell has made a gesture, not a commitment or anything as such, yet" Kraft said, adding that the board needs to see the updated demographics before making any decision. "There’s an awful lot of steps that have to take place and an awful lot of negotiations should this fall into play, but there is a feeling it may. The timing is right and I would imagine over the next few weeks and months there will be progress."
Should that happen, the demographics will be looked at in order to make sure that the impact of education to every student in the regional district is taken care of, Kraft said.
"The schools that are impacted the most will be relieved," he said. "Students [will] have other places to go in order to make sure that class size is equal throughout the district and educational standards will be met. That’s just the first step."
Stating that the district needs 80 or more acres on which to build a school, Wasser said Manalapan officials have also indicated that land may be available for a new school
Marlboro officials were also approached and asked for land.
"I thought when I met with the mayor of Marlboro there didn’t appear to be land. But then I read the newspaper and I found out there is some possibility that there is going to be land," Wasser said.
Board member Bonnie Rosenwald of Marlboro added, "I was very happy to also read that Mayor Kleinberg (of Marlboro) may have had a change of heart and had suggested that they may be looking for land once they do their master plan. I’m glad that Marlboro has reconsidered throwing their hat into the ring."
Residents of Howell attend the six schools in the Freehold Regional High School District.