Your Turn
So. Brunswick schools excelling in all areas
Bryan Laurita
Guest Column

As we approach the annual school board elections, I would like to take this opportunity to share with every resident of South Brunswick a snapshot of our community's most prized possession, our school system.

South Brunswick has much to be proud of when it comes to our schools. Our students are excelling not only at the state level, but also at national and international levels of competition. Recently, 55 South Brunswick High School students were honored as Edward J. Bloustein Distinguished Scholars and 40 students were recognized by the National Merit Scholarship Program; both are records for South Brunswick. Student performance on the state standardized tests continues to improve at all levels and the number of graduates attending highly accredited two-year and four-year colleges and universities are at an all time high. In 2005, SBHS was named among the top 75 public high schools in the state.

The school district's academic success is mirrored by our student achievements in music, the arts and athletics. South Brunswick is known throughout the state for its outstanding music program. The middle and high school music programs are award-winning and serve as a showcase of our students' remarkable ability. Our elementary students are talented beyond their years and their journey of music exploration is both a sight and sound to behold. Every year, stage productions take place at all academic levels and these performances reflect the many talents of our rich and diverse school community.

On the playing field, our young athletes continue to improve as we build a highly competitive and respected athletic program. Individual and team achievements have resulted in championships at both the county and state levels. Recently, SBHS was named the 2006 recipient of the Sal Abitanta Exemplary High School Physical Education Program award.

These successes could not be achieved without an extremely knowledgeable, professional and highly committed staff, whose hard work and dedication is visible in the daily achievement of every student. Clearly, South Brunswick has a lot to be proud of as our students continually define themselves as some of the most productive, intellectual and well-rounded children in the state.

This type of success obviously does not just happen overnight. As the community has grown, the school district has followed suit. Over the last 15 years, we have added facilities and updated our existing ones to accommodate the more than 9,000 students we now have enrolled. These facilities are among the most advanced in the state and we take pride in them and treat them as such, maintaining them with great care.

Going against the current trends in education in New Jersey, South Brunswick has been able to meet and exceed the needs of its students without frivolously wasting taxpayers' dollars. Our construction projects have been delivered on time and on budget. We have towed the line on unnecessary expenditures while delivering on the Board of Education's main goal of advancing greater educational achievement and opportunities for all students at all levels. We have been able to do this all while maintaining a cost per pupil that is $1,100 below the state average, at a time when our state funding continues to be reduced.

South Brunswick is a desirable community that continues to grow much in part to our excellent school system. We all can take great pride in our collective accomplishment, yet it is essential that we protect and preserve our much heralded past as we continue to build towards an even more successful future.

I encourage all South Brunswick residents to learn about the school budget and make an informed decision on April 18 that's in the best interest of our community and most importantly, our children. Information can be obtained online at the district Web site, www.sbschools.org or at any of the schools and the Board of Education Office. See you at the polls!

Bryan Laurita is president of the South Brunswick Board of Education