High School Redistricting of Some Students Concerns Parents

About a dozen parents received a letter from the Board of Education on May 18 stating that due to capacity issues students who reside in an area of Fords will be redistricted to attend Woodbridge High School instead of John F. Kennedy High School.

Fernando Rojas was one of those who received the letter. His twin boys, who just graduated Fords Middle, will now have to attend Woodbridge High. The boys had already received their schedules for JFK and attended an orientation, Rojas said at the Board of Education meeting earlier this month.

Two other parents spoke out at the Board of Education meeting and expressed their concerns, mostly with the timing of the letter. The parents felt their right to choose where the child should attend high school was taken away from them, because by the time they received the letter it was too late to complete testing for private schools or consider moving.

Superintendent Dr. Robert Zega said he understands the concerns of parents, but a few years ago capacity tests were performed and JFK was about 300 students over capacity. He added that this causes teachers to run out of classrooms and larger class sizes.

“We felt it important to address that situation,” he said. “It is not fair to Iselin residents that the school is becoming overcrowded with students who don’t live in Iselin.”

Zega also pointed out that most of Fords Middle already attends Woodbridge High School, so it was the most logical choice.

The parents said they understood the need to address capacity issues, but choosing about 15 students right before summer did not seem like the most fair option. Rojas addressed the board by saying it was probably best to do this with the next group of students and inform them now so they at least have plenty of time to make a decision.

It was also brought up when the decision to redistrict the students was voted on. Rojas and the other parents said they could not find any mention of this issue in past minutes dating back to May. Board member Judy Leidner said she did not recall ever voting on the issue, only discussing it in committee.

“We all know JFK is a better school,” one parent said.

Rojas stated that it was just not fair on the part of the parent, “We should have the right to make that choice (where our child attends high school).”