Enrollment Approaching Max In Some Wayne Elementary Schools: See Data

WAYNE, NJ — Wayne Public Schools officials are monitoring increasing enrollment at the Preakness Early Childhood Center and some elementary buildings, as they plan for a 2024 referendum to fund improvements and upgrades around the district.

At the Board of Education's public work session on Dec. 7, Dr. Mark Toback gave a presentation on recent enrollment trends throughout Wayne Township Schools. The district reports enrollment numbers to the state as part of a yearly audit, which determines state aid and also helps the district plan for the future, he said.

Toback said as of Oct. 15, there were 7,658 students in the district, "well beyond" enrollment numbers that were projected when the district did a demographic study a few years ago. Enrollment in mid-October of 2020 was 7,547, and numbers have increased steadily every year. And with more of residential units planned to go up in the township, that number could only increase as more families move in.

"We are at our max, and we continue to grow," he said.

There were 208 students enrolled at the Preakness ECC as of Oct. 15, with others on the evaluation list or Enrollment there has increased more than 42 percent since the 2020/21 school year, Toback said — and could reach 300 students by 2024/25.

New classrooms are being built to add more space, but Toback added that "by the time those classrooms are finished, we'll already have enough students to fill them."

Meanwhile, enrollment at three Wayne elementary schools has increased 14 percent or more since the 2020/21 school year, according to school records. Theunis Dey School saw the largest percent increase (16.58 percent), with 392 students registered in October of 2020 and 457 students registered this October. Packanack's enrollment increased 15.08 percent, and Lafayette's by 14.04 percent.

Middle school enrollment has been mostly stable, he said, though George Washington Middle School has seen a downward trend — in part because the township bought out some of the flood-prone homes in the Hoffman Grove area, so there are fewer houses in the school's attendance area.

Enrollment trends at the high schools have been affected by an increase in students going to Passaic County Technical for the STEM Academy or other programs, Toback noted.

"We're now sending 260 of our kids to Passaic County Tech," said Toback, who is approaching his 10th year with the district. "When I first started here, we sent about 60 students to Passaic."

There has also been a rise in the number of students experiencing housing instability, Toback added.

You can view the full presentation on Wayne Township Public Schools district enrollment here.

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