CLOSTER, N.J.—Borough and education officials told a packed room Aug. 5 at the Senior Center that they anticipate approximately 40–50 new school children by 2022 or 2023 in Closter’s elementary and middle school—an increase likely to be accommodated within the existing schools.
Nearly 100 residents jammed the first of several town hall-style meetings sponsored by Closter’s Republicans—also attended by the council’s three Democratic members—to discuss topics affecting Closter schools, including the impact of planned affordable housing units, upgrades to its two schools, Hillside Elementary School and Tenakill Middle School, and school security concerns.
According to a flyer advertising the public forum, the borough’s four council Republicans, including Mayor John Glidden, sponsored the forum and plan a series of three town-wide discussions.
Also offering short comments Aug. 5 were the district’s new superintendent, Vincent McHale, Parent-Teacher Organization President Angela Ferullo, Board of Education President Gregg Lambert, and Korean Parent Group members Yun So Cho and Kelly Kwon.
The anticipated increase in students would come mostly from families moving into 36 affordable units to be constructed at Village School, a 100 percent affordable development authorized by the borough’s 2018 affordable housing settlement.
Construction on affordable units is expected to start in 2020 and be finished in 2022, with occupancy likely in 2022 and 2023, and new students in 2023 or 2024, said officials.
Bergen County Housing Authority will handle property management at Village School, said Glidden. Glidden said its settlement only required Closter to build about 38 units to satisfy its affordable obligation through 2025.
The two additional affordable units include single-family homes, he said.
However, if new students increase significantly beyond 50, it may be necessary to consider an addition to the elementary school or even another school building.
That might require a referendum that voters must approve to move forward, said a school board official.
“Hillside [Elementary] is running out of space faster,” said BOE President Lambert, noting new residents appreciate smaller class numbers which Closter currently provides.
Lambert said the new students should be accommodated by relocating existing administrative offices out of Hillside Elementary School and that’s under consideration.
He said relocation of administrative offices should occur in 2021-2022 as the district can handle additional students at the middle school but not the elementary school.
‘What we’re exploring’
“That’s what we’re exploring now…Eventually if we get significant, significant growth—which could happen, we don’t think so … To expand the schools we’d have to have a referendum and ask the voters to approve the cost to build on to schools and it’s probably not going to be an inexpensive cost,” said Lambert.
Glidden said Closter has little vacant land available for future affordable housing and additional affordable units may be unlikely after 2025. He said he hoped for a legislative solution to resolve affordable obligations beyond 2025.
Glidden said Closter is “not seeing an increase in population” in the last decade as senior residents move out of town and families move in, but is seeing an increase in children.
Yun Su Cho, of the Korean Parent Group, said every year about 20 Korean families move to Closter.
Enrollment increases
District Superintendent Vincent McHale said since 2014, student enrollment at Hillside Elementary School has increased. He said other services—such as small-group instruction, basic skills or special-needs instruction, or English as a Second Language instruction—require space at the elementary school.
Councilwoman Jannie Chung asked what McHale saw as “challenges” after his first 26 days on the job.
He said resolving the “space issue” in elementary school is a top priority as well as increasing student enrichment offerings, such as art, music, dance and drama.
He said also making sure “everyone is getting what they need” such as students needing extra help or wanting extra academic challenges is another priority.
Other issues raised included increasing drug prevention and addiction education, including social and emotional health, early introduction and reinforcement of “consent education” among elementary students, after-school busing/transportation alternatives, and additional placement of crossing guards at busy downtown crossings.
One resident asked if recent mass-shooting events might lead to armed guards in schools. McHale said his number one responsibility was to ensure that students and faculty are safe during the school day.
McHale said he wasn’t sure if armed guards are an acceptable option or affordable and that often armed guards are present but may not always stop a mass-shooting event.
‘Monitor who’s coming’
“We’re looking to really make sure that our security measures are in place that really monitor who’s coming into the building,” McHale said, noting he met with the police chief to discuss school security. He said every month students have active-shooter drills, lockdown drills, evacuation drills and shelter-in-place drills.
“It’s sort of a sad time that these things are even made known to our youngest learners but it’s important that they practice (drills) and are prepared in the event that something happens,” said McHale. He said there are no current plans for armed guards, although Lambert said the school board looked at armed officers previously.
“We’ve spent a lot of time discussing the options including guards and other things,” said Lambert, of numerous previous conversations with police officials.
He said school security enhancements, including a camera system, have been added over the years after consulting with police.
McHale noted that two police officers do daily “walk-throughs” of both schools at random times and “have a presence there.”
He said having officers visit local schools “provides us with safety, but it also provides a positive experience for students in that [they learn] police are friendly people, they’re our helpers and they’re here to protect us. They get to know them and I think that’s a bonus.”
McHale said he took notes to record all concerns raised and asked residents to provide feedback to an online survey about schools.
Despite the Senior Center’s broken air-conditioning system, about 100 residents remained almost two hours to discuss a range of school concerns.
After the meeting, Councilman Joseph Yammarino said he had learned residents were concerned about items including affordable housing and impacts on student population, plus student busing and security.
Councilwoman Chang, one of three council Democrats, who joined her other Democratic colleagues at the forum, said the forum was “great” and noted that the new superintendent “will move us forward and progress the district forward.”
She said she heard new concerns about students who need to be academically challenged in addition to those who need extra help.
Chang said she and her two Democratic council colleagues, Scott Devlin and Dolores Witko, were upset at not being asked to co-sponsor the forum on school concerns. The forum was sponsored by the local Republicans.
‘Cleverly disguised’
“In this political climate, towns are wary about labeling it as such,” said Chang, who said the forum was a “cleverly disguised” Republican-sponsored event and portrayed as a non-partisan event.
Only Mayor Glidden served as emcee for the forum, while Republican council members Yammarino, Victoria Amitai and Alissa Latner were listed as co-sponsors.
Chang said the forum was “a play for publicity” and noted its partisan nature was downplayed “especially in a demographic that they feel may be less conservative and more blue [Democratic],” said Chang.
She said she was “not surprised” by the attendance due to its wide promotion on email and social media.
“I think it was really nice for the community and very informative,” said Chang, noting the forum was a worthwhile community event.
Glidden said he advertised the forum in the mayor’s newsletter and that the event was not a partisan event.
He said Lambert and McHale said they would not participate if this was a partisan event.
“This was a mayor’s event,” he said, noting that the three council Republicans came up with the community forum idea during discussions with residents.