This letter is being distributed by the South Orange Maplewood School District via email and is being mailed overnight. The following streets currently zoned for Tuscan Elementary School are proposed to be  rezoned for Clinton Elementary School:  Plymouth Avenue (23-116), Burnett Terrace (61-67) and Oakland Road (145-215).

From Brian Osborne, Superintendent of Schools:

Elementary projections for Tuscan Elementary School exceed the available space in the building.  It is expected that Tuscan School will be short one room in 2010-11, two rooms in 2011-12, three rooms in 2012-13, and two rooms in 2013-14.  While the district planned for increased enrollment by creating additional classroom space this past summer, the six percent increase in enrollment resulted in the district taking some unusual measures to compensate for a lack of space at Tuscan. Some late registering kindergarten students from the Tuscan zone were sent to other district schools and class size in second grade was increased with an  additional teacher to support those classes.
 
A detailed analysis was completed to determine a proposal for addressing the increased elementary enrollment figures. District administration evaluated a number of options ranging from creating additional space in the district, creating magnet programs at some of the elementary schools, moving the fifth grade to the middle school, as well as other options. The following principles guided the creation of a proposal for consideration by the Board of Education:
 

• Respect target capacity for all elementary schools
• Create boundaries that are sustainable in the future
• Impact as few families as possible
• Use natural boundaries (avoid dividing streets, look at major roads as natural dividing lines)
• Keep rising fifth graders in current school (consideration extended to siblings)
• Maintain demographic balance
• Minimize cost impact

A presentation of the proposed plan is scheduled at the March 22 Board of Education meeting.  The plan being presented would rezone the following streets to Clinton Elementary School:  Plymouth Avenue (23-116), Burnett Terrace (61-67) and Oakland Road (145-215).  Students residing on these streets are in closer proximity to Clinton Elementary School than they are to Tuscan
Elementary School.  
 
Current fourth grade students from the affected streets would remain at Tuscan for fifth grade, along with their siblings already attending Tuscan. Students who are currently attending Tuscan on a transfer basis must reapply for consideration for the 2010-11 school year. Students residing on the affected streets would have the option of attending either Maplewood Middle School or South Orange Middle School.
 
A community forum is scheduled on this topic for Monday, April 12, at 7:00 pm in the Board of Education District Meeting Room. 

Any questions regarding this topic can be e-mailed to enrollment@somsd.k12.nj.us.

In South Orange, the following streets are being rezoned to the Marshall/Jefferson pairing: South Wyoming Avenue (146‐216), Collinwood Road, Collinwood Road South, Crestwood Drive (1‐21), Sunset Terrace, Colonial Terrace, New England Road, Evergreen Place, Audley Street, and Washington Park. Students would receive transportation to Marshall School for grades K‐2. These students would  continue to attend South Orange Middle School.