Six Hopatcong Students Leave for Lenape Valley

Six Hopatcong students will transfer from the district to Lenape Valley Regional High School in September.

The Stanhope school was part of the state's Interdistrict Public School Choice program, which allows high-performing schools with enrollment below capacity to accept out-of-district students. County students were also able to apply to Lafayette Township School, the Ogdensburg Public School District and all six Vernon public schools.

Of those six students, three are soon-to-be freshmen and one never attended school in Hopatcong. The other two will leave mid-

Business Administrator Theresa Sierchio said the students' names couldn't be released due to state law.

U.S. News & World Report magazine awarded Lenape Valley its Bronze Medal award in 2008. Meanwhile, Hopatcong has lost about 40 positions and a slew of programs due to state aid cuts and budget defeats over the last few years.

Hopatcong school Superintendent Dr. Charles Maranzano and other Board of Education members said they would like to ask departing students why they're leaving.

"I think it's something we clearly have to focus on and I do think we should be finding out the reasons people are leaving," school board President Cliff Lundin said. "And that's not to say that we're going to be able to stop them.

"Maybe we can send some letters out, get some feedback," board member Joanne Passerini said.

Maranzano said he thought the number wasn't high, given the opportunity.

"From a statistical perspective, you've got a population of 1,000 kids," Maranzano said. "Given the opportunity to join another district, I would expect there to be someone that would take advantage of that. And as [school board member Richard Lavery] pointed out, these numbers aren't high.

"The interesting thing would be to talk to these kids a year from now and ask them, 'What was your experience? Was there a detachment sense at all? Or did you feel very welcomed?"

Each district decided students had to live within 20 miles of the school. The student's home district must pay for and coordinate transportation, and can get state transportation aid for each student.

Maranzano said the number of students attending Sussex County Technical School or private schools in 2011 hadn't risen significantly.

The School Choice program, which Gov. Chris Christie signed into law in Sept. 2010, began in 2000 as a five-year pilot program.