MONROE — Students, teachers and parents alike embraced the new school setup last week without any notable problems, Superintendent of Schools Kenneth Hamilton reported.
“It’s been an incredibly seamless transition,” he said, adding that the first week’s success was a credit to the staff and the students alike. “I don’t think it could have gone any better, frankly.”
The transition involved the opening of a new high school across Schoolhouse Road fromthe old building. The former high school building has reopened as the Monroe Township Middle School, replacing theApplegarth Middle School, which will remain closed this school year while it undergoes renovations and asbestos removal. Applegarth is set to reopen next year as an elementary school.
Monroe’s middle school now encompasses sixth grade, in addition to seventh and eighth grades.
Hamilton said there were some busing-related glitches on the first day, Sept. 7, but other than that, it was a smooth first week of school. The bus delay in the afternoon started at the high school, he said, but had a ripple effect on other schools.
“If thatwas the least of our problems, then we can say that this has been a phenomenal opening,” Board of Education President Kathy Kolupanowich said.
Hamilton said the summer orientations for students and parents also helped.
“Everyone had an opportunity to get acclimated to their building,” the superintendent said, adding that teachers also had time to set up their classrooms at the new high school. Construction of that building was completed onAug. 15.
Student feedback has been positive, Hamilton said.
“The kids at the high school are beyond excited,” Hamilton said. “The kids at the middle school who transitioned over there are quite excited [too].”
However, one complication during the first week of school came courtesy of Mother Nature in the form of Hurricane Irene. Hamilton said that about 40 district students were displaced from their homes due to flooding, and some are in situations where their existing homes are uninhabitable. As such, many are nowin locations outside the district’s borders .
Hamilton said the district has been working with these families to provide students busing to their temporary locations or to have them enroll in a local school temporarily.
“I think in some instances it’s going to be pretty long-term,” Hamilton said regarding the displaced students, adding that some homes need to be demolished.
Kolupanowich said the district is trying to provide transportation where possible so that displaced students “still feel part of the community.”
Meanwhile, the district is moving ahead with remedying the situation atApplegarth.
“We are actually putting that item out to bid soon,” Hamilton said.
Kolupanowich said that when Applegarth reopens, it may be a “sister school” to Oak Tree Elementary School, following the existing partnership structure in place at Mill Lake and Woodland, and Barclay Brook and Brookside. Students start in the first school for kindergarten and transition to the second school in third or fourth grade, depending on the school.
“We haven’t decided yet what grades will go there,” she said of Applegarth.
But that process isn’t taking away from a first week that was generally complicationfree.
“I just think that this has been a really, really good opening for us,” Kolupanowich said.