Vacation’s over and the school buses are rolling

By Christopher Sacco
Bordentown
   Despite a defeated budget last April, no staff cuts were necessary for the Bordentown Regional School District. Superintendent Constance Bauer attributed this to several unanticipated retirements. The middle school’s interscholastic varsity teams, which had been cut, were restored over the summer. Ultimately, no programs were cut.
   Installation is continuing on the high school roof’s solar panels. The construction is awaiting additional materials that will arrive in October, but delays aren’t expected and the project should be completed by the end of the fall. The high school is also getting new turf for its athletic fields, which should also be finished sometime in the fall. Both of these projects, which cost $8,499,975 in total, are the result of a December referendum. The district is receiving $2.6 million in debt service aide from the state Department of Education and estimates that it will save $127,238 annually in energy costs.
   The first day of school for students is Friday, Sept. 3.
Chesterfield
   The move into the new Chesterfield Elementary School is the district’s major change this year. For the start of the year, kindergarten, first, and second grades will be leasing classrooms in North Hanover, while all the other grades will be taught at the old elementary school on Bordentown-Chesterfield Road. The new school is expected to open after winter break, when the number of buses in use will be reduced from 11 to six. Since the school’s new location will mean that more children will be walking to and from school, Superintendent Ellen McHenry said it will be necessary for the staff to re-educate students on proper safety practices. Ms. McHenry was confident that there would be no further delays regarding the school’s opening.
   Chesterfield is also starting a new integrated preschool program called Little Dragons. This program will integrate children with disabilities into instruction. Little Dragons will be leasing space in Mansfield in the fall before moving with the rest of the students into the new building.
   Ms. McHenry also anticipates another difficult budget year, but the current plan is to start working on the 2012 budget earlier and utilize the newly formed Finance Committee.
   The first day of school for students is Thursday, Sept. 2.
Florence
   While looking toward the new school year and its slashed budget, Superintendent Louis Talarico takes a different viewpoint than most: “We can get all worked up about it,” he says, “or we can look at the positive side and strive to make a challenging learning experience for our children.”
   Dr. Talarico admits that the budget has been a difficult thing to work through, but is proud of the ways that the district is improving its curriculum. This year, the district is one of only six in the state to receive a $25,000 math grant that will incorporate new technologies into the school’s existing math curriculum. Florence has also received a grant that led to the implementation of Understanding by Design. Understanding by Design is a program that looks to make instruction more relevant by showing teachers which methods are most successful for specific classes and students.
   In addition to these new programs, the staff will have unprecedented access to data collected from various sources that will hopefully improve the education Florence Township offers its children. Dr. Talarico said it is important to “focus attention on making students believe they can succeed” and hopes these unique tools can help achieve this goal.
   Dr. Talarico was especially proud of the landscaping job that a group of special education students did at Riverfront School. The students created a design using flowers and plants that the superintendent described as “phenomenal.”
   The first day of school for students is Wednesday, Sept. 8.
Mansfield
   Despite budget problems across the state, the district will be incorporating new technologies into the curriculum this year. Superintendent Diane Bacher said the district will continue to purchase SMART Boards for the classrooms, an initiative that began a year ago. Ms. Bacher is also excited about the new solar project at John Hydock Elementary School. This project will place a kiosk in the school’s lobby that will show teachers and students how much can be saved by using various alternative energies. Ms. Bacher stated that although the restricted budget is a major issue, it is her goal that the students are as unaffected by it as possible.
   There will also be programs designed to assist struggling students in several subjects, as well as continued professional development for staff.
   The first day of school for students is Thursday, Sept. 2.
North Hanover
   North Hanover schools are maintaining status quo as much as possible due to the tight budget, which means that there isn’t much in the way of new programs in the plans for the coming year. The only negative effect Superintendent Richard Carson anticipates is a minor increase in class size, which is a result of two teaching positions that were vacated and won’t be replaced. The district also had to cut back on the number of teachers in special areas.
   There will also be a lull in enrollment over the next two years, which will allow the district to renovate the schools by moving the third and fourth grade classes into C.B. Lamb Elementary. The renovations are expected to last approximately three years.
   The first day of school for students is Friday, Sept. 3.
Northern Burlington
   Northern Burlington County Regional School District has postponed any plans to expand its science curriculum due to the pressing budget problems the area is facing. In an attempt to get a head start on what Superintendent James Sarruda predicted will be another difficult budget year, the district has already started working on its 2011 figures.
   ”The cuts that were made last year has set the stage for this year’s budget,” Dr. Sarruda said.
   While the financial situation has prevented the district from doing anything drastic this year, the high school has appointed Craig Wigley its new principal. The high school’s previous principal, Andrew Kearns, is now the administrator at the middle school.
   The first day of school for students is Thursday, Sept. 2.
Springfield
   This year has been described as a “maintenance year” for Springfield by Interim Superintendent Joseph Miller. This is the result of a budget so tight that it was impossible for the school to even consider new textbooks or programs. The district’s attempt to renovate the building was also voted down three times last year and Mr. Miller believes it to be “a dead issue.”
   While Mr. Miller is doing his best to learn the curriculum after the abrupt departure of his predecessor, Beth Godett, he has recently hired 10 teachers to replace positions vacated by unanticipated retirements. No new positions of any kind were created for this year.
   As for the future of the Springfield district, Mr. Miller says that one of the duties given to him by the Board of Education was to look into ways that the district can utilize more shared services in order for it to be more efficient. With district consolidation a possibility, he expects the board to hold meetings on the future of the elementary school throughout this school year, with potential changes occurring as soon as the 2011-2012 year.
   The first day of school for students is Thursday, Sept. 2.