The Trenton Times published the following article on January 29, 2013. To read the full article, click here.

Trenton school district sets up committees to work on school reorganization plan

By Erin Duffy/The Times of Trenton 
on January 29, 2013 at 8:20 AM, updated January 29, 2013 at 8:22 AM

TRENTON — As the district moves forward with plans to restructure many of its 21 schools, several committees are studying how to best shuffle students and teachers to new schools and prepare classrooms that could switch from housing kindergartners to middle-schoolers.

Under the reorganization plan, the district will split its schools up into K through five, six to eight and nine through 12 to help crowding woes and create true middle schools focusing on the academic and social needs of the district’s preteen students. Several schools will be broken up or take in new students from other schools and at least one shuttered school will reopen.

To prepare the district for the new restructuring, which will begin in time for the 2013-2014 school year, four committees have been created to study the impact of the reorganization on facilities, human resources, student transitions and curriculum. Each committee spoke briefly about their goals and focus last night and one committee will give a more in-depth presentation at each board meeting in the future.

Business administrator Jayne Howard and Wesley Boykin, executive director of systems data management and accountability, said they were looking at how to get several schools ready for a new student population and make sure teachers and administrators have enough desks, chairs, books and other supplies.

Board president Toby Sanders and Superintendent Francisco Duran said special attention needed to be paid to Jefferson Elementary School and Rivera Middle School.

Jefferson has been closed, after it was reopened briefly in 2011 amid complaints about dirty, moldy conditions there, and Rivera has only been partially opened the past few years to house an alternative middle school program. Under the school reconfiguration, Jefferson will become a full elementary school and Rivera a full middle school.

“Parents and staff have registered concern about what the conditions of Jefferson would be,” Sanders said. “They need to be given word they’ll be going into a school that’s clean, that’s remodeled, that’s conducive to the highest form of education. It’s a serious concern.”

Board attorney and human resource director Kathleen Smallwood-Johnson said her HR committee was working to make sure school staff transitioned smoothly to any new assignments at new schools. The district needs to have student enrollment projections that are as accurate as possible to make sure there are enough teachers at each school at the beginning of next year, and teachers, support staff and principals should be informed what school they’ll be working at by sometime in early May, Smallwood-Johnson said. “You want teaching staff members, administrators, paraprofessionals to be clear: What is my assignment?” she said. “If you get a second grade classroom instead of fourth grade, go from high school down to elementary school, we do not want that confusion.”

The final two committees are working on student transitions to schools that may be new and crafting new curriculum, specifically plans for middle school students, who school officials said need their own specially-tailored curriculum.

The board also approved a $218,900 contract with Winchester Roofing Corp. of Blackwood to replace the roof at P.J. Hill Elementary School, which was damaged during Hurricane Sandy.