East Brunswick Public Schools
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East Brunswick Public Schools is a comprehensive community public school district serving students from kindergarten through twelfth grade in East Brunswick, in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. Between 9,000 and 10,000 students attend one or another of the eleven facilities on a daily basis while school is in session.
Its website entitled Visit East Brunswick Schools boasts extensive links within the school system. Some individual teachers have web sites.
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[edit] Awards and recognition
East Brunswick is the only district in the State of New Jersey having eight schools designated Blue Ribbon School / National School of Excellence by the United States Department of Education.[1] Schools that have been recognized as Blue Ribbon Schools are Irwin School (1989-90), East Brunswick High School (1990-91), Lawrence Brook School (1991-92), Churchill Junior High School (1994-95), Hammarskjold Middle School (1994-95), Bowne-Munro School (1996-97), Murray A. Chittick Elementary School (1998-99) and Warnsdorfer Elementary School (2000-01).[2]
The district was selected as one of the top "100 Best Communities for Music Education in America 2005" by the American Music Conference.[3]
Students from all schools, particularly EBHS, have garnered state and national honors in academics, athletics, and the arts.
[edit] Superintendent of Schools
The Superintendent of Schools is the chief executive of East Brunswick Public Schools. As such, the Superintendent is responsible for the appropriate and necessary expenditure of approximately 78% to 80% of Township of East Brunswick property tax collections. In this regard, as well as in the sense of responsibility for education of beloved children and teenagers, the Superintendent is a most highly entrusted public official of The Township of East Brunswick.
The current Superintendent is Jo Ann Magistro, whose planned appointment was announced by the East Brunswick Board of Education on January 9, and became effective March 1, 2003. Magistro has been continuously employed by the East Brunswick School District since ca. 1972, having served variously as Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources, District’s Assistant Superintendent for Student Services and Activities, and Building Administrator.
Superintendent of Schools Jamie Savedoff served from July, 2000 through March 2003.
Superintendent of Schools Jon Kopko served from 1989 through 2000.
[edit] Board of Education
The East Brunswick Board of Education is comprised of nine elected members. Every year, in April, three of the nine members are elected to serve a three-year term. The Board meets approximately twice a month from April through February and weekly in March.
[edit] School Facilities
East Brunswick Public Schools' facilities consists of eleven postwar school facilities and one administration building; in addition, the East Brunswick Public Library serves as a repository for public examination of all curricula as well as serving as an important education-related resource for the community:
Elementary School (K-5) Facilities
- Bowne-Munro
- Central (newly expanded/renovated for 2007-08, incl. 14 new classrooms)
- Murray A. Chittick
- Frost
- Irwin
- Lawrence Brook (newly expanded/renovated for 2007-08, incl. 12 new classrooms)
- Memorial
- Warnsdorfer
As a rule, students in grades 1 through 5 attend the elementary school closest to them.
Middle School Facilities
- Hammarskjold Middle School (HMS) for grades 6 and 7 (being rebuilt for 2008-09)
- Churchill Junior High School for grades 8 and 9
High School Facility
- East Brunswick High School (EBHS) serves grades 10-12. The flagship school of the district strategically located on a topographically notable hill at the intersections of Cranbury and Summerhill Roads.
Jon R. Kopko Administration Building
- The East Brunswick Public Schools Administration, re-named in honor of long-time Superintendent of Schools Jon R. Kopko upon his retirement in 2000, is situated at 760 Route 18 North. The one-story facility is situated in a commercial development and is accessed through a veritable maze of variably maintained driveways and parking lots just north of the intersection of Rues Lane and Route 18, directly across Route 18 from the geometric center of The Brunswick Square Mall. Although the Administration Building is, in fact, adjacent to the Old Bridge Turnpike and across the street from The Chittick School, there is no driveway entrance from Old Bridge Turnpike, minimizing traffic in locations where children are likely to be walking. Board of Education meetings are held in the Administration building and are televised by EBTV to Comcast Cable TV subscribers within the Township.
[edit] Expansion
In 10 years 1994 through 2004, the number of students served by East Brunswick Public Schools had swelled by 1850 students, the equivalent of 60 to 75 new classrooms (on the basis of 25 to 30 students each). It was the burgeoning population of the Township, then ca. 49,000, and its reputation as a less-densely populated, leafy, suburban bedroom community with curving roads and little of the ills plaguing many more urban communities which had led to this growth. East Brunswick, with its rural lands, is situated at the edge of the uninterrupted urban and suburban "sprawl" surrounding New York City. Further, East Brunswick offers commuting access to Manhattan by means of two Park and Ride Facilities. At the time there was extensive use of trailer facilities in place of legitimate classrooms at the Middle School, overcrowding at elementary schools, and extensive re-balancing by busing of students to schools other than their closest facility. Furthermore, there was a prediction of further growth in the school-age population in spite of the exhaustion of new sites for construction in the Township and the introduction of zoning ordinances to limit growth in the, e.g., Rural Preservation Zone.
In The State of New Jersey, schools are funded primarily by property taxes. By 2004, voters had seen a significant increase in home equity that created a wealth effect enabling them to embrace somewhat increased property taxes needed to correct the above-noted shortage of classroom facilities. Beginning in 1998, property values in the Township of East Brunswick had climbed steadily and, by 2004, dramatically (2× or greater) mirroring regional and national trends. The rise, following an extended period of approximately flat property values since the dramatic rise in property values during 1985-87, was stimulated by a one-two punch of dramatically increasing equity market valuations culminating in March 2001, followed by a dramatic easing of credit stimulated by the Federal Reserve Bank thereafter. In the end, however, property taxes increased at a rate of 7% annually from 2000 to 2007. It is interesting to note that rapid rises in property taxes tend to cause seniors and empty-nesters to sell their existing homes to families with children, with the expected outcome of yet more increase to the school-age population.
In December 2004 following a public campaign in its support, the eligible citizenry of East Brunswick approved a $106.1 million referendum for the additions and improvements at Central, Lawrence Brook, and Hammarskjold Middle Schools. A strong proponent of the expansion, Superintendent of Schools JoAnn Magistro ventured into unfamiliar waters of economic prognostication, claiming that construction costs were likely to increase in the future. In contradistinction to annual East Brunswick Public School budgets, not strictly subject to voter approval, construction was indeed predicated on approval of the referendum. Previous bond referenda in 1994 and 1995 failed to obtain voter approval. For 2004, an additional ca. $54 million believed necessary for renovations at other East Brunswick School facilities (which would have brought the total to $160 million) was deferred lest voters defeat the three highest-priority projects.
Of this sum, $24.7 million was to be contributed by The State of New Jersey. The rebuilding of Hammarskjold Middle School was planned to cost $66.5 million, of which $12.3 million was to have come from the State. Central School renovation and expansion were planned to cost ca. $20.7 million, of which $6.4 million was to have come from the State. Lawrence Brook School renovation and expansion were expected to cost ca. $19 million, of which ca. $6 million was to have come from the State.
[edit] Decommissioned facilities
Several older prewar school facilities in East Brunswick have been decommissioned. They date from the period before the rapid expansion of East Brunswick in the 1960s and provide a glimpse of how the Township appeared before the burgeoning residential build-outs of the 1950s and, on minimum-1/3-acre plots, of the 1960s. Each of the latter phases of development is readily visible upon driving through the Township. The few prewar school structures that remain are readily identifiable as red-brick, two-story buildings and several still stand. Extant structures are The McGinnis School (Dunhams Corner Road and Hardenburg Lane) and The Weber School (Riva Avenue and Hardenburg Lane – now sold). The McGinnis School, last utilized for instructional purposes in 1977-78, dates from the early part of the century; in April 2007 Mayor William Neary was quoted as stating the Township would accept no less than $260,000 for the facility. In general, the Township has struggled somewhat in its deliberations as to their future, not wishing the sites to become commercialized. Since they require either costly demolition or renovation, and are situated (by and large) on main thoroughfares, it is presumed that their best future use will be neither residential nor commercial. For example, the Weber School has been acquired by a nearby existing religious community institution.
[edit] Philosophy and goals
East Brunswick Public Schools proclaims the following principles as guiding its mission:
Children are the focus of the East Brunswick Public Schools. Our chief goal is to help each child in the East Brunswick Public Schools develop to his or her fullest potential. Each individual is different and therefore our efforts must be directed toward identifying and satisfying individual needs. Accordingly, we encourage diversity and flexibility in our programs. Inherent in a democracy is the recognition of the importance of the individual and of the school's responsibility for preparing each student for an effective role in our society's growth, management and preservation.
– The skills, knowledge and attitudes needed for functioning successfully in our society shall be developed.
– Students shall acquire the habits and attitudes associated with responsible citizenship.
– Academic potential shall be developed by encouraging and assisting students to explore and to learn as broadly and deeply as their interests and abilities permit.
– The ability to think creatively and constructively shall be developed.
– Individual creative talent shall be discovered, nurtured and appreciated in all areas.
– Knowledge and appreciation of the cultural, economic and political facets of life in our community and society shall be cultivated.
– Students shall develop respect for diversity among individuals and societies, the ability to form responsible relations with a wide range of people and an understanding of the interrelationship and interdependence of people and nations of the world.
– Students shall be able to make constructive choices concerning their leisure time.
– An effective environment will be provided to develop a positive attitude toward learning.
– Educational programs shall be designed to encourage the development and understanding of social, moral and aesthetic values as an integral part of instruction.
– Psychological, physical and social needs of students shall be recognized and dealt with constructively.
– The community shall be encouraged to be involved in and share responsibility for the continued growth and development of the total educational process.
[edit] Prominent Alumni of East Brunswick Public Schools
- [Anne Milgram]], Attorney General of the State of New Jersey
[edit] Controversy
On October 7, 2005, in the midst of the season and shortly after being informed by Superintendent of Schools Jo Ann Magistro (reportedly acting at the advice of counsel following numerous complaints from both supporters and opponents) that he would not be permitted to join his football team in a prayer as he had done in the past, East Brunswick High School coach Marcus Borden resigned from his position. The Board of Education had specifically prohibited Borden from bowing his head and bending down on one knee while players led the team in prayer. A typical prayer would ask that his players show courage and determination on the field, that they represent their families and community well and that both sides escape the game injury-free. Borden, also a tenured Spanish teacher, had by then had a distinguished 23-year career with East Brunswick Public Schools. As widely reported, Supreme Court rulings require that no representative of the school district may constitutionally encourage, lead, initiate, mandate or otherwise coerce, directly or indirectly, student prayer at any time in the school-sponsored setting.
Following Borden's resignation, the Board of Education received many e-mails predominantly supporting Borden.
Less than two weeks later, Borden sought, and was allowed, to return to duty at East Brunswick Public Schools so that he could undertake a law suit ostensibly to contend that he indeed possessed a constitutionally allowed privilege to lead the prayer services.
Subsequently, however, on July 26, 2006, Judge Dennis M. Cavanaugh of the United States District Court for New Jersey ruled that Borden could bow his head and bend his knee when the team captains (i.e., students) lead the players in prayer. In fact, Borden did not seek the court's permission to conduct the prayers himself. The East Brunswick Board of Education then learned it could have to pay up to $100,000 in legal fees related to Borden's attorney, Ronald Riccio of Seton Hall, who may be awarded such fees by the court notwithstanding that he had taken the case pro bono as far as Borden was concerned. East Brunswick promptly filed an appeal.
On Oct. 3, 2007 the U.S. 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals weighed the case of Marcus Borden vs. the East Brunswick Public Schools. A decision is still pending as of this writing (Nov 19, 2007).
[edit] Special education
As elsewhere, special education is a key component of the education provided by East Brunswick Public Schools to eligible students.
East Brunswick Public Schools provides such services in compliance with the Federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and related State of New Jersey Statutes. Accordingly each eligible student is educated in a least restrictive environment (LRE) according to an individualized education plan (IEP) drafted by his or her child study team (CST) consisting of school personnel and parents. Eligibility determinations are made every three years. Special services may include speech therapy, occupational therapy, educational aides, and other services as appropriate and called for. A Director of Special Education, currently Sharon Weber-Oleszkiewicz, manages East Brunswick Public Schools' program of providing special services. At the district level, the Director is supported by a Supervisor of Elementary School Special Education, a Supervisor of Secondary School Special Education, and a Supervisor of Autism Spectrum Program.
Special education is supported at the schools by individual professionals including specialists (math, reading, and speech), special education teachers, teacher resource personnel, teacher aides, and child study team personnel (a category which may include psychologists, learning disabled teaching consultants, and social workers). These individuals come into direct contact with those students who require special services.
Students receiving special services may be eligible for participation in an extended school year (ESY) program by which they attend instructional classes during the summer.
Pre-school and kindergarten students eligible for special education services receive instruction from an early age and full-time kindergarten (conventionally, East Brunswick Public Schools offers only half-day kindergarten).
There are multiple resources and support groups available to parents of disabled children. For example, the State of New Jersey operates the Division of Developmental Disabilities. The East Brunswick Special Education PTA (SEPTA) offers a valuable website. Another organization of value for those interested in autism-spectrum disorder is COSAC (Center for Outreach and Services for the Autism Community), and yet another is ASPEN (Asperger's Syndrome Education Network).
[edit] Individualized Education Program (IEP) process
East Brunswick Public Schools has a high commitment to special education. The aptitude, competence, training, commitment, and energy displayed by the professionals of East Brunswick in its elementary schools are, by all contemporary standards, at a high level. Students, and parents of special-needs students, are fortunate to benefit from East Brunswick's array of dedicated professionals.
That said, the processes mandated by IDEA, while saving the educational lives of many affected students, also pose many challenges to educators and parents. The IEP process can be lengthy. A child requiring special services needs a substantial investment in time on the part of the parents, the child's greatest advocate. Parents need to consider outside evaluations and consult with others. Parents may refer to the published curricula made available by East Brunswick Public Schools at The East Brunswick Public Library. East Brunswick Public Schools uses "leveled reading" terminology to specify reading skills. Leveling schemes are highly technical. One scheme by which, e.g., "Level J" is an end-of-first-grade reading level, is the Fountas and Pinnell "Benchmark Assessment" System. Achieving a properly defined plan, it is important to conduct a full and proper evaluation. The individualized aspect of the IEP is critical.
Educating a special needs child is a project. Project planning is a discipline in industry and government. It can be challenging to provide the ongoing monitoring of progress and support of course-correction activity that is required to provision a high-quality planned educational program to eligible students.
It is the that IDEA guarantees the services needed by special students. It is wise for parents to familiarize themselves with relevant portions of the IDEA text. Alternatively one may team with an advocate who can, potentially, attend the IEP meetings with parents.
