Barnegat School Redistricting Plan Causing Parental Concerns

The Barnegat Township School District expressed support for redistricting and will hold a special meeting for parents about it at 6 p.m. March 14 at Barnegat High School. But for many local parents, reconfiguration is a concerning issue that cannot wait until then.

Officials hope to implement reconfiguration by September. The plan would result in the four elementary schools housing two grades rather than continuing as K-5 buildings.

Here are some other effects, according to reports:

• The Cecil S. Collins School would house Pre-K and kindergarten.
• First- and second-graders would attend the Joseph T. Donohue School.
• The Lillian M. Dunfee School would encompass third and fourth grade.
• Fifth- and sixth-graders would attend the Robert Horbelt School.
• The Russell O. Brackman School Middle School would hold seventh- and eighth-graders, instead of Grades 6 and 7, effectively becoming a junior high.

“While we understand this model creates more transitions for the students and eliminates singular school communities, the benefits to this new structure far outweigh the setbacks,” Superintendent Brian Latwis wrote in a letter to parents. “By creating five two-year grade spans, we are eliminating the ‘middle school’ and the anxiety that goes with it. Now, it is the next paw up.

Latwis said the board of education and the administrative team of principals, vice principals and supervisors support the plan, according to The Sandpaper.

The redistricting plan, however, has caused concern among many local parents. An online petition called "SAY NO TO THE REDISTRICTING OF THE BARNEGAT SCHOOL SYSTEM" has 711 supporters as of Thursday morning.

The petition, created by Tracy Sutton and Christine Matzer Krug, lists the following concerns, including transportation costs and children's comfort level, in its description:

• "I am concerned about the environmental stress and anxiety that will be imposed upon my child having to switch schools every two years."
• "I am concerned about the lack of stability this plan provides for my child's sense of belonging and school spirit."
• "I am concerned that the friendships my child has forged with classmates in smaller elementary school settings will be lost in a much larger setting with a larger grade level population."
• "As a taxpayer, I am concerned with the cost of transportation for these changes and the stress that will be inflicted upon my child having to spend an extended and unspecified amount of time traveling to and from a school that is further away from home."

The petition proposes that the school district leaves its current structure intact and puts redistricting on a referendum for a future township election.

Latwis told Jersey Shore Online that only transportation costs will affect taxpayers. The district is awaiting a report that would allow it to calculate the anticipated transportation costs, according to Jersey Shore Online.

The superintendent said it would be better to tell parents now about the plan instead of after the transportation study came in, so parents could prepare earlier for what's coming, Jersey Shore Online reports.

Comments on the online petition include the following:

"The teachers know and love our children," said Jeremy L. "Now my youngest will never be in the same school and have to change schools every two years? So to the district they will be stats not kids?"

"My children and now my grandchildren attend the Barnegat school District These are huge changes done without involving the parents, considering their views or concerns!" said Nancy B. "Totally unfair!!"

"Children need stability and changing elementary schools every two years does not provide that," said Francine C. "This will cause undue stress on families with multiple elementary school aged children."

It appears many parents will make their feelings heard March 14. A Facebook event for the reconfiguration meeting has 186 saying they will attend as of Thursday morning. Sean OBrien posted a Google Doc on the event page with a template to write to officials.

In the meantime, people can communicate questions to onebarnegat@barnegatschools.com.