No. Brunswick begins new school year with new programs and initiatives
BY JENNIFER AMATO Staff Writer

JENNIFER AMATO Construction projects that added new classrooms at the four township elementary schools and Linwood Middle School, pictured here, were completed on budget and on time for the new school year.

NORTH BRUNSWICK — With a new redistricting plan, new school construction and a new kindergarten program, the North Brunswick Township school district has been dealing with a lot of new changes during the first week of school.

However, Superintendent of Schools Brian Zychowski sees this as a positive for the district.

"I'm very grateful to have a dedicated staff who is committed at every level, from the custodial maintenance staff who took their time and efforts to prepare our schools … to the teachers who come in preparing their rooms for the students, to our supervisor of transportation who handled redistricting … to our support staff coming in and getting our schools off and running," he said.

School construction:

Over 40 new classrooms have been added to the four elementary schools and Linwood Middle School to accommodate the growing population of students. With phase one completed, phase two will add another six rooms to Livingston Park Elementary by June 2009.

"We're very pleased. All of the rooms are ready to go. Other than a few exterior, aesthetic issues, the project was completed on time and on budget," Zychowski said.

Redefining of school boundaries:

About 200 students were affected by a new plan to streamline bus transportation to the four elementary schools. Previously, students from one neighborhood could have been bused to the four different schools, which was not cost-effective.

Exceptions were made in order to keep current fifth-graders at their home schools and to try and keep their siblings with them during the transition year, and those students with child-care issues or special-education needs were accommodated as best as possible.

"The new boundaries really gave us the momentum to [correct] the problem in North Brunswick of busing children to all four elementary schools. This brought it under control," Zychowski said.

To assist students who were displaced from their original schools, the district held a Meet the Principals Night on Aug. 19 and parents were allowed to set up tours of the schools.

"Typically, children adapt very quickly," Zychowski said, mentioning that personal adjustment may take some time as far as making new friends is concerned, but that the curriculum is the same across the board.

Full-day kindergarten program:

A full-day program was promised to voters who approved a building referendum in 2006, and now about 420 students have enrolled in five sections at each elementary school. Therefore, the Community Child Care program was dissolved because of a lesser need since younger children will most likely be attending the kindergarten classes.

"This gives us the chance to take the same breadth of curriculum and go in depth and have children on par with their peers," Zychowski said, noting that there were 20 percent fewer students in kindergarten than in first grade previously, because parents had chosen to send their children to parochial or private institutions. "We are equal in terms of curriculum, but firstgraders have a balance now. It's a level playing field."

The Tools of the Mind curriculum will be piloted in the kindergarten classrooms.

High school grading policy:

Although parents mentioned during the summer that the North Brunswick Township High School could be moving toward a grading policy where there are minus grades, Zychowski said that the current systemof having whole grades and plus grades will remain intact for at least another year.

The superintendent said that input groups will evaluate the minus program, after which he will give the idea to the Curriculum Committee, who will then make a recommendation to the Board of Education.

Strategic planning process:

In May, Zychowski announced a fiveyear plan to review and analyze the operations of the district. Because of the constant changes in demographics, enrollment, economics and security issues, various committees were formed to evaluate human resources, programming, facilities, technology, finances and communication. A conference was held in June to develop goals and objectives, and action team leaders will be trained later this month. By November, a more concrete direction should be known.

Other programs and initiatives:

• An energy manager, through a contract with Energy Education Inc., will be monitoring the energy costs of the district .

"Our goal is to save more than $300,000 alone this year in energy costs," Zychowski said.

• New half-day integrated preschool classes will go into effect for children ages 3 and 4 to offer developmental readiness to optimize opportunities for students to learn and grow.

• QSAC, the district's Quality Single Accountability Continuum, will be monitored.

• Contracts will begin negotiations.

"I'm anticipating this to be a very positive school year. We overcame construction … 62 courses revised and resubmitted over the summer, staff development training, as we have over 90 new staff members … [so] I consider myself fortunate with the level of competency and dedication of my staff and I'm very pleased with how we're approaching the new school year," Zychowski said.

Contact Jennifer Amato at jamato@

gmnews.com.