Merged Elementary Schools Could Be in Collingswood's Future

Citing the limitations of age, handicap access and room for growth at its existing elementary schools, the served notice Monday that the town should begin planning for districtwide changes.

“Our edict to the board is: develop something,” said former board Vice President Robin Halpern, who served on the Elementary Education Committee.

“Change it as you need to change it, but we need to be looking at how to promote student achievement at the elementary level, which is different than it was 30, 40, 50 years ago,” she said.

The committee reported to the board that two of the five existing neighborhood elementary schools in Collingswood are nearly 100 years old and approaching obsolescence. Its recommended course of action is to merge grades one through five into one or two schools and to establish a centralized early learning center for kindergarten and preschool children.

Board member Lisa Soulos acknowledged that any construction on such a project would be more than 10 years away. Nonetheless, she said, it is important for the future success of Collingswood students that they have a strong educational foundation in their early years, and the current system stands to be improved on this count.

“There needs to be a long-term vision as to what to do with the elementary schools,” she said, adding that centralizing early education activities in the district “could really promote student achievement."

Reactions to the proposal were mixed from the audience.

“I moved to Collingswood not to go to someplace where you’re going to have hundreds of kids at an elementary school level,” said Brenda Burg of Haddon Avenue. “Not to walk 10, 12, 15 blocks to a central location. To me, I think you’re just making [the schools] too generic.”

Superintendent Scott Oswald said, “The argument for five schools is pretty much that it’s cute. There’s nothing else efficient about it. Back in 1951, we didn’t offer OT, PT, special ed; [kids and their therapists are] constantly moving between buildings.”

Oswald also pointed out the potential for professional collaboration in an environment where all the teachers from the current five schools could connect to share ideas about education.

“All the resources and support staff would be in one central place,” said Halpern. “Anything specific would be left up to the district educators and architects.”

Board member William Stauts explained the philosophy behind the move.

“What we’re trying to do is be proactive as opposed to backing into an issue,” he said. “I moved here because my kids can walk to school, but we have realities related to staffing. We have financial restraints. We have a severe fiscal crisis in the state of New Jersey.

“We need to take a close look at this and try to figure out what kind of ongoing plan we have to deal with a facilities challenge,” he said.