Board Vows to Review School Rezoning Plan [VIDEO]

About 60 parents attended Tuesday's Warren Township Board of Education meeting, most of them there for the board's vote on a proposal to realign the districts for Woodland and Central schools.

The change is needed, according to Superintendent of School Tami Crader because of increasing enrollment at Woodland caused by residential developments in the school's area. The plan, developed by a panel of parents, board members Tia Allocco and Don Huber, and Dr. Crader, proposed moving about 65 students from Woodland to Central.

The students would be shifted from the following streets: Arrighi Drive, Loren Way, Blackthorne Road, Mountain Avenue (200 and above),  Mountain Boulevard,  Crown Drive, Mt. Bethel Road, Deerfield Road, Old Church Road, Dubois Road, Old Stirling Road (between Reinman Road and Mountain Boulevard),  Peach Tree Lane, Reinman Road (between Dubois and Mt. Bethel roads), Helen Street, San Road, Hemlock Creek, Sycamore Way, Hillcrest Boulevard, Isabella Way, Wilshire Road and Lauriel Court.

Additionally, the following streets will be moved to Central's area, although there are currently no students living on the streets affected by the change: Carriage Court, Countryside Lane, Crest Lane, Forest Drive, Giddes Lane, Marian Lane, Mountain Court and Wexford. 

But parents at the meeting said some aspects of the plan didn't make sense, with kids being moved to Central School who will ride on buses driving past roads where the students go to Woodand.

Others noted it wouldn't be necessary to require fourth-grade students to also change, and the parents asked the board to consider allowing the students to be "grandfathered" to stay at Woodland, if parents can provide transportation.

Dr. Crader said she would review the enrollment figures and transportation routes to see if changes to the plan is possible.

The board tabled a resolution on the rezoning, with plans to vote on it at the Feb. 13 meeting, after a follow-up meeting for parents in the affected neighborhoods set for 6 p.m. Feb. 7 at Central School.

This article was edited to correct the number of students affected in the rezoning plan.