Essay 2 Draft

Nicolas Siino

English Writing Skills Workshop

Professor Young

09/30/14

" Hanover Township A Community that Inspires Excellence "

“Great Things Happen in Hanover” is the tagline for the township that I live in.  Hanover Township comprises the communities of Whippany and Cedar Knolls and is located in Morris County, New Jersey.  Located at the crossroads of Morris County, Hanover has excellent access to major highways and transportation hubs, offers excellent schools and services while maintaining a very high quality of life for its residents.  So I live in a desirable suburban community.  So, what is the problem?  The problem is that Hanover has seen significant growth in the community in terms of its population as seen in new housing communities and in a change from a pre-dominantly older generation to a new, younger generation.  This demographic shift has created a new problem, overcrowding of our schools.

Hanover Township consists of three public elementary schools in the Township teaching grades K-5.  These schools are Bee Meadow School (BMS), Salem Drive School (SDS), and Mountview Road School (MTV), and Memorial Junior School (MJS) which teaches grades 6-8.  As the housing market expands in my community, this is greatly impacting the class sizes and quality of education.  For example, Bee Meadow School actual student body for 2013 - 2014 school year was 330 pupils however, the class size for 2014 - 2015 school year is 351 pupils. Salem Drive School's  actual student body size for 2013 - 2014 was 265 pupils, but the class size for 2014 - 2015 is 278 pupils.  As for Mountview Road elementary school the actual school population size for 2013 - 2014 was 314 and the enrollment for 2014 -2015 school year is 329 pupils. As, the class sizes grow in the elementary schools this is going to result in larger class sizes in the middle school, since this is where all three elementary schools merge together.

When I attended Mountview Road elementary school, I remember having 15 students in my class and there was only 2 classes per grade. Now this school consisted of  18 - 22 students per class and have increased to 3- 4 sections in some grades. The economic development of high density townhomes and condos in Cedar Knolls and Whippany have caused overcrowding in our elementary schools.  For example, the development of Sterling Parc  a 317 unit apartment complex, Saddle Brook Court which consists of 87 affordable housing units, Woodmont Knolls a 126 unit apartment complex and Riverview which consist of 60 town houses constructed three years ago in Cedar Knolls have all recently contributed to the overcrowding of Mountview Road School.  Because of the recent construction of the Saddle Brook units on Horsehill Road in Cedar Knolls this resulted with 20 new students enrolling at MTV beginning in 2013 - 2014 school year.  The school had to add a 4th class in the 3rd grade. They had to lose their aftercare room and a Girl Scout Troop can no longer meet in the school building, because there is not an empty room for the troop to hold their meetings. The capacity at MTV is 340 and currently there are 329 students enrolled.

As for the two elementary school on the Whippany side of town, they too have been impacted by the development of condos and townhomes.  For example, Eden Lane Village, Oak Ridge Condos and Sunrise at Hanover, are three high density condo and townhouse communities. These new developments have all contributed to the overcrowding at Bee Meadow School and Salem Drive School.  On the first day of school this past September, Mr. Stark the principal  at Bee Meadow made an announcement that there were 24 new students in the school. Ten of the new students were in fifth grade.  Bringing both fifth grade classes up to 25 students in each class. As, the class sizes increase there is a requirement for additional aides in the classroom which is costly. Also, because of the larger class sizes there is more disruptions and the students find it hard to concentrate on what's being taught.  

With proposed building sites such as the former meat packing facility on North Jefferson Road in Whippany which has been rezoned to accommodate 16 single family homes and the Whippany Village along Route 10 West, which will consist of approximately 40 residential units built over retail space once it's completed. I do not think there is any question that the development activity has negative impact on the school system.  The Township Committee and planning board I believe have not taken a stand against the increasing of housing in our community.  This will ultimately impact our present schools and class room population sizes.

If the township committee and planning board allow for this increased expansion in my town, taxes will eventually go up and Hanover will no longer be know for low taxes.   Every time the schools has to add a section to a grade , we have to hire a new teacher which has a starting salary of approximately $51,000 plus benefits, equating to a cost of $70,000.  How do we defer this cost and reduce the potential for increased taxes in Hanover?  It is my recommendation that we look at increasing the amount of tax ratables in the community and focus on economic development.  Bayer Healthcare, which recently consolidated multiple locations into a single location in Hanover has aided to keep taxes in check.  Economic development in the form of increased retail space along Route 10, or industrial parks along Jefferson Road or Ridgedale Avenue will also aid in increasing the tax base within the town and can be used to keep taxes lower and offset the additional costs in our schools. I am very confident in Hanover's future and its ability to openly discuss these economic development issues and planning challenges. Hanover Township  in order to attract family's needs to continue to offer amenities such as housing opportunities, retail and parks but fine schools need to go along with that.