Long Branch Will Realign Elementary Schools After West End School Closure

By Christopher Sheldon

The Long Branch School District will have a different look in time for the 2014-15 school year.

Long Branch School District Superintendent Michael Salvatore explained that an increase in the amount of students in pre-kindergarten and kindergarten, has caused the district to realign its elementary schools.

Kindergarten classrooms will be pulled from the district's current elementary schools and placed into the Joseph M. Ferraina Early Childhood Learning Center and Lenna W. Conrow School, which are currently preschools. The Morris Avenue School will also become an exclusive early education center after serving as a home for pre-kindergarten to third grade students.

The Gregory School and Amerigo A. Anastasia Schools will no longer have kindergarten classrooms and will now house students in grades 1-5.

The completion of the construction of the George L. Catrambone School will give the district its third elementary school, Salvatore said. The school is expected to be built in time for the 2014-15 school year.

After this upcoming school year, students from the Joseph M. Ferraina Early Childhood Learning Center will feed into the Anastasia School, Lenna W. Conrow students will feed into the Gregory School and Morris Avenue School students will feed into the Catrambone School.

Salvatore said the redistricting will result in two empty elementary schools; the West End School and the Audrey W. Clark School School.

The West End School will close after the 2013-14 school year, Salvatore said.

"It will definitely be taken offline," Salvatore said. "We are likely going to bid it out for sale in the next 30-60 days."

The Audrey W. Clark School will become the new home to the district's alternative education program. The district is currently renting space at the Holy Trinity School for program which is designed for students with "unique learning styles," according to Salvatore.

"There is a reduced ratio between students and teachers in the program and there are full-time counselors for the students," he said.

Salvatore said all the changes are subject to approval by the state Department of Education and the county superintendent.

"It's exciting, yet strategic planning for the district," Salvatore said.