Author Topic: Overcrowding in School District  (Read 7149 times)

Offline Whitey

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Overcrowding in School District
« on: March 20, 2017, 10:27:14 AM »
Editor's Note: This topic was split from "Area in Need of Rehabilitation" topic.
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The Record had an editorial about the impact of new residential construction on the local school system.  This article describes how building new development can have secondary, sometimes unintended consequences.  In Fair Lawn, one of those consequences is overcrowded schools.

http://www.northjersey.com/story/opinion/editorials/2017/03/19/editorial-soft-borders-fair-lawn/99323858/

There were also recent articles about how the Franklin Lakes school system is coping with overcrowded local schools caused by new residential construction. 

I believe it is true for Hackensack as well, especially since most of our projects do not contribute to school taxes.
« Last Edit: March 21, 2017, 04:14:15 PM by Editor »



Offline Editor

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Overcrowding in School District
« Reply #1 on: March 20, 2017, 10:50:01 AM »
According to the Hackensack Superintendent's office, only 21 students were added to the school system from redevelopment.  10 from 100 Street and 11 from 414 Hackensack Avenue.  This accounts for just a small fraction of the increase of the number of students into the system over the last 8-10 years. 
« Last Edit: March 21, 2017, 02:58:05 PM by Editor »

Offline Homer Jones

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Overcrowding in School District
« Reply #2 on: March 20, 2017, 01:37:50 PM »
This is somewhat reminiscent of what happened about 45 years ago when the Prospect Avenue high rises were a topic of discussion. There was a similar concern that these new buildings would flood the school system with new enrolees. The City requested the Board of Education provide yearly enrollment statistics from Prospect Avenue .
The number of students generated from the Prospect Avenue buildings was found to be insignificant.
Results from the City's redevelopment efforts will probably be similar; but, the coordination between the City Council and the Board of Education is something that should not be neglected as the redevelopment efforts proceed.
« Last Edit: March 21, 2017, 02:58:14 PM by Editor »

Offline irons35

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Overcrowding in School District
« Reply #3 on: March 20, 2017, 08:35:11 PM »
wait 5 years.   then check the numbers.  414 Hackensack Ave is overrun with kids.   they are mostly not school age.    the only hope is that because most of the apartments are small, that families will outgrow the apartments and move.   
« Last Edit: March 21, 2017, 02:58:25 PM by Editor »

Offline irons35

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Overcrowding in School District
« Reply #4 on: March 20, 2017, 08:38:24 PM »
According to the Hackensack Superintendent's office, only 21 students were added to the school system from redevelopment.  10 from 100 Street and 11 from 414 Hackensack Avenue.  This accounts for just a small fraction of the increase of the number of students into the system over the last 8-10 years.
and if someone would do strict residency enforcement, you wouldnt have the overcrowding you have now.
« Last Edit: March 21, 2017, 02:58:38 PM by Editor »

Offline Editor

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Overcrowding in School District
« Reply #5 on: March 20, 2017, 10:39:22 PM »
I'm told that the Hackensack School District increased by something like 100 students per year over the last 8 years or so. That's significant. As explained to me, extended families doubled or tripled-up in single-unit apartments when the recession hit.  With the economy gradually improving, the numbers may drop but only very gradually. 

I think enforcement is very important.  That said, I don't know how you tell someone that their recently unemployed brother and his kids can't stay with them temporarily.  Unless there are obvious, reported code violations, it is difficult if not impossible to legally identify, let alone remedy. Proof of residency is relatively easy to demonstrate. But can we make students/parents prove they are living in code-compliant housing?

It's easier to prove when a student is not living in town (and I hear this happens with some frequency) but the real problem appears to be overcrowding within Hackensack.  It's much harder to establish that a student is living in illegal, overcrowded conditions.   How is this done? Even if you correlated enrollment data (last names) and building data (number of bedrooms), that might only reveal that cousins share a bedroom. There's no law against that.

And, to make matters worse, this overcrowding is not safe.  Remember the fire on Anderson behind the convent?
« Last Edit: March 21, 2017, 02:58:50 PM by Editor »

Offline ericmartindale

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Overcrowding in School District
« Reply #6 on: March 21, 2017, 10:28:51 AM »
Some of the increase might be due to families doubling up in units, but probably less than you think.

I suspect that if someone looked in detail at the enrollments, you'll simply find that more one and two-family homes are occupied by families with children, and less by empty-nesters. The older folks are dying off or retiring out of Hackensack, and houses are selling.  And more families with children are living in apartments because of the housing crisis --- mortgage rules are tougher and people can't qualify for mortgages. Plus rents are way up and salaries aren't, so people can't even afford to save money to buy a house. They are trapped, as I am, renting.

Hackensack doesn't need to build a single unit to hit 50,000 population, because the number of people per unit that had been going down for decades is going to go up. Or it has already gone up.  Watch when the next census comes out, Hackensack will be at 50,000 or very close to it.
« Last Edit: March 21, 2017, 02:59:01 PM by Editor »

Offline Editor

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