BREAKING NEWS: Falling enrollment could lead to closing of school
Howell enrollment stands at about 7,100; options being examined
BY TOYNETT HALL
Staff Writer

HOWELL -- As one way of dealing with a declining enrollment in the community's K-8 public schools, Howell Board of Education members are considering the possible option of closing a school.

The Howell school district has 13 schools -- 10 elementary schools and three middle schools.

According to information provided by the school district, the K-8 enrollment in Howell schools has dropped from 7,386 pupils in 2003 to 7,276 pupils in 2004, to 7,243 pupils in 2005, before showing an increase to 7,289 pupils in 2006, and then a drop to 7,084 pupils as of Oct. 15, 2007.

The possibility of closing a school was raised at a Jan. 16 meeting by board Vice President Louis Corato, who chairs the finance committee.

"We are currently experiencing a natural drop in student population," Corato said. "This started in 2000 when a demographic study said the district would have 8,000 pupils by this time. When the Sept. 11, 2001 (terrorist attacks occurred), the housing market fell. The 8,000 students never came to fruition because the housing starts did not happen.

"In 2000 the enrollment figures said we had close to 7,500 students. There are now 7,000 to 7,100 students enrolled. If this trend continues to go down then we will have to consider closing one of the district's schools. It would not make sense to have 13 schools open in the district," Corato said.

Superintendent of Schools Enid Golden said the option of closing a school is under consideration.

"We still have to see what our budget figures will look like and calculate how the state's new school funding formula will impact the district," she said.

Golden said that information will not be available until after Feb. 26.

On Jan. 24 the township issued a press release which stated that housing construction in Howell is at a virtual standstill. Two employees in the construction code department will be moved to vacant municipal positions and two other employees in the construction code department will be let go, according to Township Manager Helene Schlegel.

Golden said the school board has hired T&M Associates to conduct a demographic study of the K-8 district. The data to be provided by the consultant will give enrollment projections for the next five to six years.

"If it looks like enrollment will continue to go down we may consider closing one of the elementary schools. The school we are seriously looking at is Ardena," Golden said.

As of Dec. 31, there were about 340 pupils at the Ardena School.

Corato said the Ardena School, Route 524, "is one of the oldest schools in the district. It currently does not have air conditioning and it would take a large amount of money to add air conditioning and bring that school up to current code. We are only entertaining the idea of taking one of our schools off-line. This is not a definite.

"We have to consider everything, and it all depends on what money we get from the state. There is not a lot of sentiment in Trenton, backing up Gov. Corzine. We have to be ready to cut whatever we can to get under the 4 percent cap (which limits tax revenues). If the budget goes down (rejected by voters in April) we have to prepare to cut more. We have to consider the economic effect and what it would save taxpayers. What is fiscally responsible is not always palatable. The finance committee will act in a fiscally prudent manner depending on what the demographic study says," Corato said.

The demographic study may be ready in the near future.