Hillsborough Explores Redistricting Schools, Awards Contract For Study

HILLSBOROUGH, NJ — The school board took its first step into exploring the possibility of redistricting its district on Monday night.

The Hillsborough Township Board of Education voted to award a contract for a redistricting study to ARCBridge Consulting which will begin on Sept. 1 at the contractual price of $42,995.

Superintendent Michael Volpe said the study was prompted due to the continued growth in the community.

"I know the process of redistricting can be unsettling as it impacts the hearts of our neighborhoods. I know everyone wants to have smaller class sizes and a top-notch education for their children. But in order to ensure equitable resources and opportunities for our students we must evaluate our school boundaries. We appreciate the challenges this process presents and promise to approach it with sensitivity and transparency," said Volpe at the Monday night Board of Education meeting.

This study will take place throughout the 2024-25 school year and would not be implemented until 2025-26 at the earliest.

"No one wants their kids to go to a different school than they know. But when you are in an overcrowded school everyone wants some student somewhere to go to a different school. We will be as gentile as we can possibly be and we will be transparent, "said Volpe.

Additionally, at the Monday meeting, Board members voted once again to temporarily pause work on implementing full-day kindergarten in the district.

In a 5-4 vote, the board tabled a proposal by LAN Associates that included various classroom renovations to support the implementation of full-day kindergarten at schools throughout the district.

The Board previously tabled this proposal in July expressing concerns about wanting to wait for the results of the redistricting study.

The same concerns were raised again on Monday by multiple Board members including Cindy Nurse, Jean Trujillo, Elaine Jackson and others.

"With full-day kindergarten, we don't know how many classrooms we need in each school and until we have that demographers report we really, I feel like, we are going around in a circle," said Trujillo.

"I am a full supporter of full-day kindergarten but my only concern is... Are we putting the cart before the horse again?" said Nurse.

Board members spoke at length about the proposal which included upgrades to the elementary school bathrooms such as replacing toilets and sinks that are not up to code.

Ultimately, Board members voted to table the motion once more in order to wait for the redistricting study results.

"Full-day kindergarten is coming to Hillsborough," said Trujillo. "Let's do it the right way with all of the information."

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