Belleville Schools May See 625 New Students In 10 Years: Official

BELLEVILLE, NJ — It’s a topic that “might shake the tree a little bit,” but it’s time to talk about it, Belleville Superintendent Richard Tomko says: enrollment in the district’s schools.

Tomko hit on several items as part of his budget presentation on Monday, including enrollment numbers in the Belleville Public School District (watch the video below, cued to the discussion). Long story short? The district is expected to see 625 new students over the next decade.

Currently, the district has 4,518 students. That number is expected to increase to 5,143 in 2032.

“This is a scary slide,” Tomko opined, sharing a chart of projected K-12 enrollment figures in the district (you can also see the chart in the above photo gallery).

Tomko noted that the district’s pre-school program – for which it receives state funding – is now at 525 students … an “amazing” 86.7 percent of the town’s eligible population. Read More: NJ Preschool Funds Paying Big Dividends For Belleville, Official Says

“When I got here, we were under 10 percent,” he said.

However, that growth isn’t the only factor behind the jump in enrollment that’s projected to hit the township in the next 10 years, he said.

Tomko noted that the 625 new students who are expected to arrive over the next 10 years include 258 who will live at new development projects that have recently sprung up in the township.

The superintendent added that he is “100 percent” for the new real estate projects that are helping to fuel the enrollment jump – “that’s called growth,” he said – but he warned that “you have to be ready for it.”

“This will be the last graduating class that will be able to have their family in here,” he told attendees at Monday’s meeting, gesturing around the high school auditorium. “The next graduating classes are so large, we’re going to have to have two sessions.”

“We need space,” Tomko said. “I’m just telling you like it is.”

• See Related: Belleville School Budget Gets Green Light (Here's The Tax Impact)

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