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Mayor supports school expansion, lauds graduation rates

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I would like to respectfully respond to a recently published letter to the editor in a local daily newspaper concerning the North Brunswick school district’s proposed action to relieve overcrowding in our schools and improve high school graduation rates.

I support the Board of Education’s (BOE) plan to give relief to overcrowded classrooms while meeting the needs of all North Brunswick residents. I respect that last December a referendum to build new facilities was narrowly defeated at the polls. Sadly, only 12 percent of eligible voters cast ballots in that election. Since then, our BOE has spent a full year listening to the concerns of residents and taxpayers. As a result, a referendum planned to be put before voters this December will be substantially different from the one that was defeated. It will reduce overall proposed costs by $10 million, increase the amount of state funding by $1.1 million and limit new construction to one school.

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As mayor, I have the same concerns for the students and taxpayers as do most residents. I am acutely aware of the correlation between good schools and strong property values. The destiny of students and taxpayers is intricately intertwined, since strong student performance enhances both our intellectual well-being and our property tax base. I hope the letter writers, and all residents, will attend one of the many community presentations to be offered throughout the township by our school district prior to the December referendum.

Graduates of our high school have benefited from the foresight and fortitude of our community’s decisions to expand and enhance that school, making it one of the finest in the region. Now it is time to show the same determination as we meet the challenge of ensuring that our elementary and middle schools are second to none.

North Brunswick is a wonderfully diverse community. A rich history of cooperation between the township and our BOE has resulted in significant real-dollar savings to residents over the years. The plan now proposed by the BOE is one of conservative, responsible growth for the benefit of our children, the betterment of our community and the enhancement of our property values.

The assertion in the recently published letter that our high school graduation rate has slipped concerned me, so I asked District Superintendent, Dr. Brian Zychowski, and North Brunswick Township High School (NBTHS) Principal, Mr. Peter Clark, whether it could be accurate. I learned that the way the State of New Jersey mandates that high school graduation rates be calculated has changed.

The new formula counts students as “graduates” only if they receive their diploma within four years of their freshman year, even if that student earns a diploma a short time later. This formula places “quickness” of education over “quality” of education. It penalizes a district like North Brunswick, which takes seriously the individual requirements of students with special needs or with learning and/or language barriers. I am proud that our district will not be bullied into giving any student less than a full education just to meet a bureaucratically imposed schedule.

The numbers tell the story. Under the state formula, the 2015 graduation rate for North Brunswick Township schools was 84.35 percent. The Class of 2015 started with 450 students in 2011, but 62 of those students did not graduate at the same time as their NBTHS class because they moved or had learning/language barriers. However, 56 of them did graduate during the following school year, in full accord with their established Individual Educational Plans, making the true graduation rate an astounding 98.66 percent.

Sadly, the new state formula penalizes our district for doing the right thing and partnering with these students and their families to successfully complete their education. Dr. Zychowski and our BOE are committed to demonstrating competitive graduation rates — even under the unfair state calculations — without compromising the district’s standards or faltering in its commitment to meet the needs of every student.

North Brunswick is a community of diverse people who care for one another. We care for all our students and are determined to meet the needs of each. I support the BOE’s proposed elementary and middle school expansions. They are responsible and they are necessary. They will enhance the education of our children, reflect the ideals of our township and protect our property values.

Mayor Francis “Mac” Womack III
North Brunswick

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