N.B. redistricting plan to go into effect in Sept.
Incoming fifth-graders allowed to remain at current schools
BY JENNIFER AMATO Staff Writer
The North Brunswick Township Board of Education adopted a plan to redefine elementary school boundaries at a special meeting on July 9.

About 300 students will be rezoned come September. For a complete list of the affected areas, visit www.nbtschools.org.

After two public meetings, officials felt it was best to redesign the township map because of the increased cost of transportation, the school building expansions, the hundreds of applications for new registration received throughout the summer, a larger population at the Renaissance housing development off Route 130 than anticipated, and the implementation of full-day kindergarten in the fall. However, parents said they felt that the two public workshops held over the last month were all in vain.

"It seemed like it was set already and it didn't seem like anything changed … so it seems like, why did we bother with these three meetings," said parent Rona Hales. "From a parents' point of view, it didn't seem like [anything we said] was taken into consideration."

Yet Superintendent of Schools Brian Zychowski said there were "tremendous changes" made to the original plan, the most significant of which is allowing 80 to 90 fifth-graders to remain where they are.

Fourth-graders entering fifth grade have the option of staying in their current school or requesting to go to their new home school. Siblings of those fifth-graders can request to stay together depending on classroom availability, but parents must provide transportation and then the younger siblings would return to their new school the following year.

In addition, some minor rearrangements were made, such as keeping some areas of the map at John Adams Elementary instead of transferring them to Livingston Park, and vice versa. Also, some streets that were originally not going to receive transportation now will.

Although a few other parents expressed their displeasure off the record, Zychowski said in a meeting the week prior that administrators did the best they could to minimize the impacts but that the current system is "antiquated," and the bus routes needed to become more consistent.

To deal with the transition period, students will be allowed to visit the schools and meet with the staff before the end of the summer, and orientation activities will be scheduled during the first few days of school.

Any parent who has a special request must submit a letter to Zychowski by July 18.

For more information, call 732-289-3000 or visit www.nbtschools.org.