Caldwell-West Caldwell Students Need More Space, School Officials Say

WEST CALDWELL, NJ — What does a school district do when it has limited space but has a range of new programs that it wants to provide students?

Think creatively, according to Caldwell-West Caldwell school administrators.

During the Board of Education meeting on Nov. 14, Superintendent James Heinegg gave a presentation about the ways that the district has handled the need for space in recent years, and what the short-range and long-range options may hold in store in the years to come.

“As a district, we try to make creative use of the amount of space we have,” Heinegg said. “For example, through grant funds and the work of our custodial/maintenance staff, we have transformed two storage rooms at GCMS into cutting-edge STEM labs.”

Heinegg said that creating additional space would give the district an ability to develop “several valuable programs,” including full-day kindergarten, more design-based pedagogy opportunities and in-district special education initiatives.

• See related article: Caldwell School Officials Are Pondering Full-Day Kindergarten

Heinegg also opined that class size issues could be better addressed with additional classrooms.

According to Heinegg, the district’s main long-term option under consideration is an expansion at Grover Cleveland Middle School. The construction of a new wing would allow the building to become a Grades 5 to 8 facility, and would free up sufficient space at the elementary schools to allow for full-day kindergarten, he stated.

The next steps for the district would include having an architect complete plans for state officials to review, and then for the state to determine what percentage of the project would be eligible for aid from New Jersey.

During the Nov. 14 meeting, school administrators said that because the costs of construction and new staff members would go beyond the 2 percent cap on increases to the tax levy, the measure would require a public referendum.

Board President Marie Lanfrank said that while BOE members are “committed to fiscally prudent use of public funds,” they also believe that the community should be given the opportunity to determine whether or not to pursue options such as full-day kindergarten.

“Ultimately, this will be the community’s decision,” she opined. “The school district will prepare a plan that addresses the educational prospects for our students, and the taxpayers of Caldwell and West Caldwell will then have the chance to decide if the plan will be implemented.”

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