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Declining Enrollment
Committee Presentation
Monday, September 18, 2017
Tuesday, September 19, 2017
Monday, October 2, 2017
Tuesday, October 3, 2017
Welcome!
We look forward to your input.
Committee Members
2 School Principals/
AdministratorsChair: Ted Loeffler
Elissa Scillieri
1 Teacher from each
schoolMichele Rubino - NB
Sharon Martinez - SJG
Sarah Diver - HV
Denise Donch - PV
Rhett Eveland - PTHS
2 Guidance CounselorsBetsy Crocker
Terri Praschak
1 Child Study Team
MemberKim Buscher
1 Special Education
TeacherAmi Anton
3 HSA MembersChair: Renee Blustein
Lia Czubachowski
Kathy Van Dine
1 Parent from each
schoolTimothy Stoudt - NB
Aaron Sherbune - SJG
Lindsay Buntzen - HV
Kim Shay - PV
Dave Hollberg - PTHS
1 PTEA MemberDenise Segedin
2 Community MembersAllison LeGates
Lisa Damico
Public Forum Guidelines
Public Forum Guidelines
Thank you for taking the time to attend tonight.
Your feedback matters.
Tonight we will record your feedback but not respond to it.
Public Forum Guidelines
Who
PV parents & staff
Others if time permits
How Long
Until 8:30
2 minutes each
What –Feedback on:
What should be in final proposal?
Information presented
tonight
Public Forum Guidelines
Please, no electronic recording.
We want a comfortable
and respectful environment of
sharing.
Public Forum Guidelines
Sign in.
State your name & grade of child or grade/ subject that you teach.
-No personal references to parents, staff, or Board.
-Try not to repeat questions/opinions already voiced.
-Each person may come to the podium once
Pro
vid
e:
Avo
id
Public Forum Guidelines»If you did not get a chance to speak or prefer to
respond via a card in the feedback box, please
print your first and last name on the top of the
card, add your feedback, and drop it in the box.First & Last Name
Feedback:
Background
The Pequannock Township Declining Enrollment Committee is a
committee of stakeholders assembled to research and discuss
solutions designed to continue the delivery of a quality education to all
Pequannock Township students in the wake of a changing educational
landscape and declining enrollment.
Committee Purpose
Committee Purpose
The Committee considered the
following:
● Declining Enrollment Numbers
for Pequannock Township
Schools
● Financial Constraints Due to 2%
Budget Cap and consecutive
years of 0%
● Real Estate Trends in
Pequannock
● Educational Trends
● Academic Programming
● Community Concerns
Declining Enrollment
The number of students
entering the school district this
year is less than the number of
students who graduated in June
2017.
2017 Graduating class:
174 students
2017 Kindergarten enrollment:
150 students
» 12th Grade =
177
» 11th Grade =
192
» 10th Grade =
158
» 9th Grade = 172
» 8th Grade = 188
» 7th Grade = 146
» 6th Grade = 145
» 5th Grade = 158
» 4th Grade = 152
» 3rd Grade = 162
» 2nd Grade = 142
» 1st Grade = 147
» Kinder. = 150
» Pre-K = 33
Enrollment as of 9/15/17
» Discussed:
» Existing data
» Initial proposal
» Public concerns
» Experiences based on roles
Committee Process» Met over the course of 3 months
» Identified initial questions to be
answered
» Researched pros and cons of
various school configurations,
taking into consideration all
stakeholders in the town (staff,
students, parents, community
members)
» Reached out to other district
personnel and parents to gain
points of view
Possible Reasons Discussed● Low housing inventory (fewer than 50 houses on the market currently)
o Empty nesters are not moving out of Pequannock Township
o Limited plans for additional housing developments (such as The
Glens)
o Limited inventory of lower priced homes compared to neighboring
towns
● Enrollment in private high schools and academies (Morris County
Vocational School District) due to program availability based on student
interest
Why is enrollment declining in Pequannock?
Declining Enrollment is not unique to
Pequannock Township
● According to the New Jersey State Health Assessment Data, as New
Jersey birth rates dropped from 2003 - 2010 so did enrollment in New
Jersey schools from 2010 - 2016
● Between the 2012 - 2013 school year and the 2015 - 2016 school year,
statewide enrollment dipped from about 1.373 million to 1.369 million
Source: NJ.com
NJ Birth Rates and School Enrollment
Why is change needed?
Elementary Schools
● Unbalanced class sizes among schools
● Less flexibility when creating classes
● Duplicated special education resources, resulting in higher costs
● Traveling related arts teachers (music, media, art, phys ed), offering
less flexibility and fewer opportunities for additional enrichment
Why is change/improvement needed?
Elementary Schools
● Limited opportunities for collaboration and planning time among same
grade level teachers across the 3 schools
● Elementary teachers plan for 6 different subjects per day, with
increased demands for rigor
● Offering of enrichment programs/activities differs by school because of
separate HSAs
Why is change/improvement is needed?
Middle School/High School
● Middle School scheduling changes will need to be made to adjust for class
offerings and staffing, which will determine the effect on sections and
electives offered
● Low class numbers make classes fiscally inefficient to run
● Single class offerings cause scheduling conflicts for students, requiring
students to make difficult choices
Why is change/improvement needed?
Middle School/High School
● Reduced sections of core and elective classes make scheduling difficult
● Diminishing course selection will affect school rankings
● Lower student numbers combined with varied wide interests contributes
to scheduling conflicts and cancelled classes, causing students to need
to go elsewhere for classes (online and summer)
Why is change/improvement needed?
● Explored the addition of an academy-type medical program in
cooperation with Chilton and Morris County Vo-Tech
● Shared services with other districts
● Researched other district configurations
● Developed Four Years and Beyond program to attract students to PTHS
How has Pequannock addressed these issues?
● Opened tuition programs: preschool, STEM, special education
● Offered full-day kindergarten to attract families to town
● Began holding HSA president meetings
* Many of these ideas align with the recommendations made in a recent
article
● “School’s Out Forever: An In-Depth Look at the Options Available with
Declining Enrollment”
How has Pequannock addressed these issues?
Possible Solutions
Three Overall Ideas Explored
» Reconfigure schools
» Build a K-5 supercampus
» Enrich current K-5 configuration
6. Livingston: K-5 / 6 / 7-8 / 9-12
7. Holmdel: K-3 / 4-6 / 7-8 / 9-12
8. Westfield: PreK-K / 1-5 / 6-8 / 9-
12
9. West Windsor-Plainsboro South:
K-3 / 4-5 / 6-8 / 9-12
10. Glen Rock: K-5 / 6-8 / 9-12*
*The only two schools with same configuration
as we currently have.
2016 NJ Monthly Top 10 High Schools
1. Chatham: K-3 / 4-5 / 6-8 / 9-12
2. West Windsor-Plainsboro North:
K-3 / 4-5 / 6-8 / 9-12
3. Kinnelon: PreK-2/ K & 3-5 / 6-8 / 9-
12
4. Millburn: K-4 / 5 / 6-8 / 9-12
5. Haddonfield Memorial: K-5 / 6-8 / 9-
12*
District Configurations
Concerns» Multiple transitions
» Traffic concerns
» Multiple dropoffs/pickups
» Parents spread between HSAs
» Limited range in student mentors
» Before/Aftercare
Reconfiguring SchoolsBenefits
» Combine services
» Grade level collaboration
» More efficient use of staff
» Departmentalization possible
» Leadership opportunities for
younger students
» More sections per grade level per
school
Reconfiguring Options
Option 1: March
Presentation» NB PreK-3
» SJG K-3
» HV 4-5
» PV 6-8
» PTHS 9-12
HV
4-5
PTHS
9-12
NB PreK-
3
PV
6-8
SJG K-3
Option 2: True Cluster» PreK-1 (School alterations
for bathrooms necessary)
» 2-3
» 4-5
» 6-8
» 9-12
Reconfiguring Options
HV
4-5
PTHS
9-12
NB PreK-1
PV
6-8
SJG
2-3
Reconfiguring Options
Option 3: Separate PreK» SJG Board Office and PreK
» NB K-3
» HV K-3
» PV 4-7
» PTHS 8-12
HV
K-3
PTHS
8-12
NB
K-3
PV
4-7
SJG PreK & BOE
Option 4: Early Childhood
Center» SJG PreK, K, Board Office
» NB 1-4
» HV 1-4
» PV 5-8
» PTHS 9-12
Reconfiguring Options
HV
1-4
PTHS
9-12
NB
1-4
PV
5-8
SJG
Pre-K, K, BOE
Potential Challenges» Cost of constructing one campus
» Challenges of a referendum
» Lack of support of community
members who do not have school-
aged children
» Use of closed schools
» Traffic at one school
Build a K-5 Supercampus
Benefits» Costs of upgrading older buildings are
eliminated
» Cost savings of closing schools
» Funds are more effectively spent
» Common grade-level planning for
teachers
» Siblings all together
» Specials teachers in one location
» Special education all together
» Transitions all occur at one campus
location
» Fewer administrators needed
» Departmentalization possible at any
grade
• Create a district education
foundation
• Advertise to schools outside of
Pequannock
• Increase 8th grade activities at
PTHS to get students vested in
staying in Pequannock (pep rallies,
tours)
• Offer summer school to students
who want to take classes they
could not take during the year or if
they want extra help in a subject
• Offer video classes
Enrich Current K-5 Configuration
Areas for potential growth• Decrease tuition for teachers and
administrators to send their children in
district
• Approach neighboring towns to attend
our high school (i.e. Riverdale)
• Share services with neighboring towns
• High School
• More programs to attract students
• Continue communication with
county for academy offerings that
could be implemented at High
School
● Other districts may not be willing to
join or share with us
● Continued duplication in special
services
Enrich Current K-5 Configuration
Potential Challenges Remaining
● Different HSA programs due to unequal
resources creating different offerings
● Limited grade level common planning
time
● Continued lack of significant increase in
students or revenue
● Limited cost savings
• Before/after care
• District is rushing decision
• Loss of neighborhood schools
• Loss of mentoring opportunities for
students
Community Concerns
» Traveling between schools
» Ethics
» Students in multiple schools
» Phase in
» Full restructure
» District plan is to increase class size
• Stress of too many transitions
• School spirit diminished
• Loss of familiarity with teachers,
parents and students if schools are
reconfigured
• Can this be solved with curriculum
changes?
Community Concerns
• Elementary schools won’t feel like “real
schools”
• Budget
• Aides, reduction in staff
• Dissolve HSAs
• Close a school
We look forward to using your feedback
for our continued work.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME