Parents Voice Concerns Over Changes To Bridgewater-Raritan's AI Gifted Program

BRIDGEWATER, NJ — Changes are coming to the Bridgewater-Raritan School District's gifted and talented program, prompting concerns from parents.

Superintendent Robert Beers and Assistant Superintendent of Schools Dr. Karen Jones broke down the changes to the program at the March 17 Board of Education meeting.

Beers told the community the district wanted to provide "a little bit more clarity" after parents sent in questions following an earlier board presentation.

He said the change is tied to district grade shifts planned for 2026-2027 due to reconfiguration, but also to how the current program works.

"It doesn't lead to anywhere," said Beers of the current AI Program, which he called a "dead end. "

"It doesn't lead anywhere," said Beers.

Beers said students in AI are accelerated in grades two through four, then return in fifth grade to the same cohort as other students in enriched classes.

Jones said AI students and E students are combined in fifth grade for English language arts and math. She said math remains accelerated into 6E, seventh-grade algebra and eighth-grade geometry, while other classes become enriched courses that feed into honors in high school.

Jones said the district has fewer than 70 students in the AI program at the primary level and that the program costs $512,000 per year in transportation and personnel.

She said under the new model, students will stay in their neighborhood schools, with current AI students automatically eligible for placement in a gifted and talented cohort.

She also said all students will receive daily enrichment through an extended learning period.

For current second-grade AI students, Jones said they will return to their home schools and be automatically eligible for daily math and English language arts cluster groups, along with weekly small group investigations.

Current third-grade AI students entering fourth grade will attend Eisenhower or Hillside and remain with their cohort while joining other eligible students in an advanced math class. Current fourth-grade students will receive the same services, with placement in 5E math, she said.

Administrators also linked the changes to state requirements. Beers said the district had found that after earlier budget cuts, removing gifted and talented services from neighborhood schools and relying only on AI "made us non-compliant with New Jersey state law."

Jones said the district later brought in Rutgers expert Lenore Cortina for a program evaluation and changed identification practices, including universal screening.

Beers said the district already has "a robust gifted and talented program that's happening right now" in neighborhood schools and said the district will continue providing annual data to the board and public.

Jones said an annual parent gifted and talented presentation is still planned and that the date will be posted on the website after more planning time.

Board member AJ Joshi asked if the new program is modeled after high-performing schools in the state, those ranking in the top 25, top 30.

Beers said agreed with Joshi going as far to say the new program is modeled after schools in the "top three" in the state.

"Our program is more robust than what Montgomery has. It's pretty similar to what you find at West Windsor-Plainsboro, which is, you know, for public schools. West Windsor-Plainsboro is generally speaking the highest performing school district in the state of New Jersey," said Beers.

Parents spoke during the meeting for just over an hour objecting to the proposal.

One parent said, "What is deeply concerning is not just the proposal itself, but the lack of due process surrounding it. A program that has been in existence for over 35 years is now being presented for sudden elimination without clear evidence of a formal board vote, robust community discussion and meaningful stakeholder engagement. That is not how decisions of this magnitude should be made."

Another parent said, "The AI program has enabled my older daughter and countless other students here to excel academically and we need to preserve it, not dismantle it."

Watch the full AI Program presentation below (begins around 39:00):

Have a news tip? Email alexis.tarrazi@patch.com.