After further discussion with representatives from Haddonfield United Methodist Church, the Haddonfield Board of Education has decided to hold off on relocating the district’s preschool program, agreeing on another alternative.
Under the alternative, two of three classes would be moved from Tatem Elementary School to Elizabeth Haddon Elementary and Central Elementary.
“We feel we are maintaining the strength of our preschool program and creating a neighborhood school dynamic,” said superintendent Rich Perry, adding all preschool parents were notified of the change.
According to Perry, the board feverishly sought an alternative to the overcrowding issues at Tatem, hoping to find a proper substitute for housing the preschool program.
“We have worked hard to accommodate the needs of the students currently enrolled in the program to try to make the move as easy as possible. The preschool families and preschool staff have been very understanding and helpful throughout the process,” Tatem Elementary School Principal Karen Schultz said.
In June, the board agreed that using the church’s upgraded facility would be beneficial for both preschool students and students at Tatem.
The cost to rent the space would have been $5,000 per month from September to June, or $50,000 per year. It would not have affected the cost of tuition.
The district would have used five rooms on the third floor with 25 teachers and support staff onsite, including one administrative member.
The district also agreed it would be responsible for the facility’s maintenance and upkeep, using its own workers. One bus would have been available for transportation, Perry said at the meeting in June.
While the board was waiting on a response from church representatives, it made a motion to give Perry the power to make a decision when the church responds to the proposal.
Given the deadline to find a solution before the start of the school year, Perry said the concerns and demands brought up at a recent meeting could not be met in time.
Using the church’s facility is still an option for the coming years.
“Given our enrollment projections and increased number of students coming into the district, we want to look at alternative means,” he said.
The district projects its enrollment will increase 7 percent, or 2,677 students, in the next five years.
The enrollment figures for the 2013–2014 school year at Tatem is 526 students; at Central Elementary School, 366 students; and at Elizabeth Haddon, 332 students.
The district’s total enrollment is 2,558 with 72 students enrolled in the preschool program and 11 more to come, Perry said.
He said overcrowding at Tatem has caused issues with combining uses of classrooms, traffic issues during drop-off and pickup, and more.
“Moving two of the classrooms allows our school to get back our computer lab, art room, music room and counselor’s office,” Schultz said. “This will positively impact our elementary school students.”
Haddonfield Board of Education is holding its next meeting on Thursday, Aug. 22, at the Central-Middle School Library, on Lincoln Avenue.
