Enrollment Caps Lead To New Cranford Students Being Assigned Outside Neighborhood Schools

CRANFORD, NJ — Some newly enrolling Cranford students are being assigned to elementary schools outside their neighborhood attendance zones due to enrollment caps in certain grades, school officials said at the district’s June 29 Board of Education meeting.

District leaders said the placements are tied to long-standing class size limits and available space across elementary schools, and do not involve moving students who are already enrolled in their neighborhood schools.

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Superintendent Mark Cantagalo said the policy only applies to new student placements when schools reach capacity in a specific grade.

“Our district has always had enrollment caps in place,” Cantagalo said.

Under district policy, kindergarten classes are capped at 23 students, while grades 1 through 5 are capped at 25 students. When a grade level at a school reaches its limit, newly registering students are assigned to another elementary school in the district where space is available.

For the 2026-27 school year, 24 newly enrolled students are currently assigned to schools outside their neighborhood zones, according to district officials.

Officials said the number of out-of-zone assignments has gradually increased in recent years, rising from 6 students in 2023-24 to 24 students for the upcoming school year.

District says only new students are affected

Cantagalo emphasized that the placements do not impact students already attending their neighborhood schools.

“I want to reiterate, no one is talking about making different zones or redistricting things,” Cantagalo said. “These 24 students are not students that were here for two years and then all of a sudden we call them up and said, ‘Oh, by the way, you have to move.’ That does not happen, and has not happened.”

Instead, the policy applies only to students who are newly registering or entering the district. Once placed in a different school due to space constraints, students typically remain there to maintain continuity unless a family requests a change when space becomes available.

Board member Lauren Moyle said the clarification helps address confusion.

“I think it’s really important that current students who are enrolled are not changing schools,” Moyle said.

Board member Susan Shaw said clearer communication could help residents better understand how the process works.

“This might be something that a more informed community would be helpful for,” Shaw said, referencing conversations happening on social media.

Board President William Hulse said district officials responded quickly after the issue was raised publicly.

“There were a lot of comments on that,” Hulse said. “Mr. Cantagalo got ahead of this, shared information, and we will continue to be transparent.”

District reviews transportation mapping tool

Officials also discussed how the district determines transportation eligibility and walking distances between homes and schools.

Cantagalo said the district makes efforts to keep siblings together when possible, but that space limitations can make that difficult.

Business Administrator Robert J. Carfagno suggested the district consider using a professional mapping system to standardize home-to-school distance calculations.

Under New Jersey law, districts must provide transportation for elementary students who live more than two miles from school and high school students who live more than 2.5 miles away.

Carfagno said a standardized system would help ensure consistent answers for families and reduce confusion about eligibility.

“We can look someone in the eye and give a consistent answer,” he said.