Green Brook May Allow Out-of-Town Students

With declining enrollments projected for the new few years, Green Brook school officials are considering a change to district policies to allow out-of-town students to enroll—providing they pay tuition.

Superintendent Richard Labbe said the policy, which passed a first reading April 23 and will voted on again at the May 21 meeting before becoming district policy, is aimed at opening up the district for interested students.

"We do have in our policy provisions for special ed students, but this will now allow individual parents and students," Dr. Labbe said.

He added each student would be considered on an individual basis, and enrollment would be contingent on the school having space available for any added students.

The district had a policy allowing for out-of-district placements, which was changed five or six years ago because of growing enrollment in the district, Dr. Labbe said. He also said the district has received 10-20 inquiries from parents from out of the district about the possibility of enrolling in Green Brook since January.

The district's cost per pupil in 2010 was $15,279, according to the NJ School Report Card for the Green Brook district, which is about where tuition to attend the district schools would be set.

Dr. Labbe noted that in an era when school districts are facing strict budget caps and financial restrictions, districts need to be innovative about generating revenue from sources other than taxpayers.

"What greater product can we market than our educational product?" he asks.