Study: Schools Already At Population Peak

The latest demographic study conducted out of concern of the economy's effect on public school populations in Cranford has provided a similar result to last year's study: that most school populations have reached their peak.

"Last year's study indicated that we were at the top of our enrollment crunch and that we would then be on the downward slope and that is again what this one has put forth," said Superintendent Gayle Carrick.

The latest study was conducted due to the Cranford Board of Education's concerns regarding the impact of the economy on school population growth.

"With the impact of the changes in the economy we decided to try and confirm the results of last year's study by having it done again this year," she said.

Carrick said there was a possibility, due to financial restraints, parents would remove their students from private or parochial schools and bring them to the public school system.

"I'm not seeing that [in this study]," she said.

"It is very interesting, one of the things we noticed is when we look out to 2014, 2015 the high school has large classes, freshmen, junior and senior," she said. "Not the largest they've ever been, but larger than other classes in the district."

Based on the study results, some specialized classes such as art or music may return to the classroom after being relegated to a moving cart.

"We do anticipate some of the specials that have been displaced, put on a cart, returning to a classroom," she said.

Without going into specifics, Carrick acknowledged growth in the population at Orange Avenue School by 2013, while expressing confidence in the district's ability to deal with the growth with the current buildings in Cranford.

"There appears to be additional growth at Orange Avenue, and that appears to be something we can deal within the district with the configuration of schools we have now," she said. "We can handle the enrollment in the district."

But nothing is guaranteed. The 2013 population increase at Orange Avenue may not be as much as the study predicts.

"Things may totally change by that point," she said.

The demographic study will be discussed at Board of Education meetings held twice a month on Mondays at Lincoln School. Click here for the meeting schedule.

Current enrollment

Cranford High School 1,152   (2008: 1,148)

Bloomingdale Avenue School: 237  (2008: 243)

Brookside Place School: 421  (2008: 413)

Hillside Avenue School: 724  (2008: 689)

Livingston Avenue School: 244  (2008: 224)

Orange Avenue School: 782  (2008: 758)

Walnut Avenue School: 307  (2008: 302)