Supt.: Change will still have busing for all pupils
BY KATHY BARATTA Staff Writer
Residents of Manalapan and Englishtown will have one more chance to make their feelings known about a proposed reorganization of schools in the Manalapan-Englishtown Regional School District.

Superintendent of Schools John J.Marciante Jr. will once again present details of his recommendation at the Manalapan Englishtown Middle School, Millhurst Road,Manalapan, at 7:30 p.m. June 5. Public comment is welcome.

Marciante is recommendingmaking the Pine Brook School a building for all of the district's sixth-graders; leaving MEMS for seventh- and eighth-graders; leaving the John I. Dawes Early Learning Center for all of the district's kindergartners; and making ClarkMills, TaylorMills, Lafayette Mills, Milford Brook and Wemrock Brook schools for children in the first through fifth grades. He has proposed the change to become effective in September 2009.

At the present time, the Clark Mills, Taylor Mills and Milford Brook schools educate children in grades one through three; and the Wemrock Brook, Pine Brook and Lafayette Mills schools educate children in grades four through six.

The district's Board of Education will eventually be asked to act on the superintendent's recommendation.

Having already held two public meetings about the issue, Marciante said there is "clearly a rumor that is flying around the district."

The rumor Marciante is referring to is one which claims that as a result of the reorganization some students will lose their bus transportation to and from school and be required to walk to and from school if they live less than 2 miles from the school they would be attending.

Marciante said no student will be required to walk to school regardless of the proximity of his or her home to their assigned school under any plan.

"The district is committed to maintaining courtesy busing at this time. The establishment of neighborhood schools will not change that commitment," the superintendent said.

Courtesy busing is the term used to describe bus service a school district provides as a courtesy for pupils who live close enough to their school that they would otherwise be directed to walk to school.

Marciante has explained that the change in the organization of the schools is being proposed because there is an expected budget shortfall of $1.13 million in the 2009-10 school year and a projected increase in the shortfall thereafter.

Marciante said the mix of first- through fifth-graders in the same school is working elsewhere in the state.

The superintendent said while some New Jersey school districts are dealing with budget deficits by cutting teachers and programs, and closing schools, Manalapan- Englishtown has options. Enrollment in the district is expected to remain flat in the coming year at slightly more than 5,500 pupils.