IN OUR SCHOOLS

Middlesex to hold meeting on possible school project

School board is listening to residents before making any plans

Mike Deak
@MikeDeakMyCJ
Watchung School is one of two schools in Middlesex Borough that are celebrating their centennial this year.

MIDDLESEX BOROUGH - With two of the borough's five schools a century old and "every nook and cranny' of classrooms filled, the board of education is considering a building project.

But the board won't even start developing a plan until it gathers as much input as possible from borough residents.

That's why the board is holding the second in a series of four community meetings on Thursday evening at Watchung School, one of the two century-old schools in the district. A tour of the school will be given at 6:30 p.m., with the meeting beginning at 7 p.m.

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"We don't have a plan yet," said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Linda Madison. "We don't have a cost because we don't have a plan."

Unlike many school districts, the Middlesex school board decided to hold public meetings before starting work on a plan.

"We don't want to put anything before the public if the public is not going to support it," Madison said.

About 150 residents attended the first community meeting last month. Many of them "could not believe the school board was seeking input" before presenting a building plan, the superintendent said.

Though district enrollment has remained steady, classroom space is tightening as the district has switched to a full-day kindergarten and more special-needs students are being kept in the district instead of being sent to programs in another district.

"We're using every nook and cranny," Madison said. "We're cramped."

Keeping more special-needs students in the district will prove more cost-efficient in the long run, the superintendent said, adding that the district has the lowest percentage (5 percent) of students sent out of district in Middlesex County. 

The district has an enrollment of 2,076 students and an annual budget of $34.5 million.

The board was pleased by the turnout for the first meeting and by the number of people who spoke, asked questions and filled out comment cards, Madison said. About 18 residents offered suggestions, she said.

Many of the questions asked at the meeting are answered in the Community section of the district's website, http://www.middlesex.k12.nj.us/msd/​.

Audio recordings of the meetings are also available on the website.

The next meeting will be held May 5 at Parker School, the other century-old school, and the final meeting will be held May 26 at Von E. Mauger School.

Hazelwood School, the newest school in the district, was built in 1965, with the high school being built in 1958. Mauger School was built in 1953. The last referendum on a building project was an addition to Mauger School in 1998.

Many of the classrooms throughout the district are smaller than current state requirements. For example, the district's pre-K and kindergarten classrooms are 650 to 795 square feet, while the state requirement is 900 square feet with a restroom.

Parker and Watchung, both of which opened in 1916, do not meet requirements of the federal Americans with Disabilities Act.

Staff Writer Mike Deak: 908-243-6607; mdeak@mycentraljersey.com