By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
Take school buildings that are practically full and add at least 3,000 new students, and West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District officials are facing a dilemma., The question of how to handle the influx of students topped the agenda at the West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District’s Board of Education’s March 28 meeting, Over the next couple of years, recently approved residential developments are expected to generate a significant number of new school children – and the question of how to house them is one that worries school district officials., Based on two approved housing developments and a third one that is expected to be approved later this year, about 500 new students could show up on the school district’s doorstep in a very short time. The first students could be enrolled by the 2019-20 school year., And over the long term, those approved developments and several pending developments – including the Howard Hughes Corp.’s proposal on the former American Cyanamid property on Quakerbridge Road, across from the Quaker Bridge Mall – could generate up to 3,200 students., But some proposed answers to the question of how to house those students – mostly involving additions to the school buildings – were outlined before school board last week., Adding on to the existing school buildings would be easier than building a new school, said school district architect George Duthie. There is very little undeveloped land on which to build a school, and any vacant land would be expensive to purchase., There is a possibility that a 30-acre parcel of land might be available at the former American Cyanamid site, which the Howard Hughes Corp. owns and intends to develop as a mixed-use development that includes homes, offices and retail space. But there is no guarantee that the parcel would be used for a school, said Superintendent of Schools David Aderhold., Another option would be to purchase a vacant office building, of which there are a few, Duthie said. The office building would have to be retrofitted for school purposes, and it could become expensive. The property would need to have adequate parking and land for recreation., Turning to the school district’s immediate needs, it is the Maurice Hawk Elementary School that faces the most impact from the newly approved housing developments, according to Aderhold and Duthie. That impact could be felt as soon as the 2019-20 school year., Although no decision has been made, school district officials are mulling over a 16-classroom addition to the Maurice Hawk Elementary School, which is a grades K-3 school, in time for the 2019-20 school year. It would include classrooms, art and music rooms, and office space for the Child Study Team. The estimated cost is $12.5 million., But the impact of new housing developments does not stop at the elementary schools., Over the next few years, it may be necessary to build additions to several schools, including the two middle schools, the two high schools and some of the elementary schools in addition to the Maurice Hawk Elementary School., Aderhold said the lack of classroom additions, over the long term, would lead to increased class sizes. Educators do not want large classes, nor do parents, he said, adding that parents are not happy when class sizes reach 27 to 30 students., While school board members listened intently, one school board member quizzed Aderhold and Duthie about the school buildings’ capacity – whether they could, in fact, hold more students – and what demographic studies have shown before asking taxpayers for “millions of dollars” for expansion projects., The board member said she wanted the information to be reduced to a math equation that could be explained to taxpayers. “I don’t want to be guessing and I don’t want to be hoping,” she said. It is not possible to make a decision without numbers, she said., “Let’s remember, it’s not going to be an exact formula,” replied school board president Anthony Fleres. “We don’t know when (the developments) will be built. We are here to use our best judgment.”, Aderhold added that “if we wait for the perfect math formula for every facility, the board will be in a position where you will not be ready” to take action., During the public comment portion of the meeting, several parents urged school district officials to keep the small class sizes. It makes a difference in their children’s education, they said., Bruce Salmestrelli, a long-time teacher at West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North, said he is familiar with “every nook and cranny” in the school buildings., Each school building is being fully utilized for educational purposes, and there is no unused space, Salmestrelli said.
