Two Stockton residents who have been very involved in the Stockton School are asking the South Hunterdon School Board to keep the school open.
To the editor:
The following letter was sent to Dr. L. Muenker and members of the South Hunterdon School Board:
I am writing in support of the Stockton School with the hope that you will support the continuation of our unique neighborhood school into the future.
I have been involved with the school and supported the school since moving to Stockton 25 years ago.
In 2003 I became actively involved with the school PTO - that year I organized a fundraiser for the school - an Irish Celli held at the Prallsville Mill during St. Patrick Day weekend. The event, which featured live Irish musicians sold out to capacity and turned a profit of over $5,000 each year it was held.
The PTO funds for this and other events, such as the "Pasta & Art," rummage sale and other neighborhood events were used to purchase a variety of items and services, such as computers (Stockton School was the first school in the area to have each child assigned a personal computer - no sharing).
Closing school would be a blow to community | Editorial
We funded a Mac Lab and a PC Lab for our students. We purchased white boards and large TV monitors for each classroom.
Using PTO funds, we purchased new history and science textbooks (which were over 25 years old) and other educational products and services (tutoring, music and guitar lessons, etc.) at no cost to the taxpayers.
We started an after school program that had Roxey Ballet teaching all levels of Dance including hip hop, jazz, ballet and modern. We had math tutoring, juggling, art enrichment, robotics and chess.
We also had adult community classes in which I taught Digital Photography, Preserving Your Family Photographs and Researching Your Family Geanology classes. We also had computer skills classes for adults. Other courses offered free to adults include Dr. Nancy Harrison's course on Family Dynamics and the Rev. Kenneth Good on New Jersey History.
Every year our graduating sixth grade class trip would be to New York City to see a Broadway play and have lunch compliments of the PTO and the Rummage Sale Book Drive.
Fifth and Sixth Grade also had a manners class paid for by PTO and a luncheon at the Stockton Inn to show off their newly acquired skills.
We had an artist in residence program that supplemented our art teacher and gave the children a chance to speak with real "live" artists. They would learn techniques and get ideas from these local mentors.
We offered field trips to The King Tut Exhibit in Philadelphia and The Barnes Museum in Upper Marion, Pa.
We sponsored three times a year during winter Ice Skating at the rink in Flemington for all of our students.
We also in spring had the annual Easter Egg Hunt at the Stockton Park and Later years on the school grounds. Eggs, candy and money prizes were provided by the PTO.
Other spring events included the annual bike hike to Bulls Island. This included lunch at the park; then a naturalist park ranger would give a tour to our children featuring wildlife, animals and plant lore.
We also funded the OWL Prowl in the fall on the Goeckler Farm. This included an naturalist who spoke about owls in the area and ended with looking for and calling the owls.
These events not only benefited the school and taxpayers, but also served to bring the community together - anyone who has ever attended these events can attest to that.
During my approximately six years first as PTO vice president (for one year) and later as president (for five years), we were able to raise over $20,000 per year - not bad for the "tiny, struggling school" that we are often unfairly typecast as being.
Another item that I worked on in cooperation with the School Board, former Principal/Superintendent Susan Ivans, and Stockton School graduates (from the 1930s and 40s) such as Wes Hendrix, Carl Cathers and Iris Naylor and others was documenting the school's rich history.
Under Mayor Gregg Rackin we formed the Stockton Historic Commission.
This lead to having the school placed on the State and National Registers of Historic Places - the only other establishment in the Borough to be honored with this distinction is the Historic Prallsville Mill Complex.
In addition to enhancing the historic significance of Stockton - which in and of itself benefits local businesses via tourism (eg. the Woolverton Inn and Stockton Inn and others), listing on the National Register affords a high level of protection for the school.
Equally, or perhaps more important, it has proved to afford many financial benefits, such as outright grants, which we were savvy enough to pursue - and obtain.
It took a lot of research, work and paperwork, but as you may not know, the school was able to secure funds in excess of $20,000 for a restoration feasibility study and long range facility plan. This led to yet another grant of over $350,000 for much-needed restoration and renovation of the foundation, uphill retaining wall, and exterior envelope - including remedial lead removal of exterior paint in compliance with all OSHA and Environmental Regulations.
Once again, not bad for our "tiny, struggling school".
Also, contrary to some uninformed opinions, with regionalization the new district did not inherit a "white elephant," but a restored educational jewel.
And let me emphasize this - this was all done, to high standards set by the U.S. Department of Interior, federal Environmental Protection Agency and New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, with no increase in the tax burden to the district taxpayers. It didn't cost them a cent.
It is my feeling that with the benefits of future grants - if successfully applied for - that we can keep the cost of any needed future renovations with a minimum of district taxpayer dollars.
I feel that this fact must be considered when looking at the finances of the Building and Grounds of the district facilities. These potential benefits are something that is unique to the Stockton School - none of the other facilities have this benefit.
Finally, I must emphasize how important the school is to the borough - Tony Grecco was 100-percent right when he said that the school is the center and soul of Stockton. Community involvement goes hand-in-hand with education at our small neighborhood school.
Adults and local businesses, artists, musicians and so on support the school with their time, enthusiasm and donations. The students do not need to be encouraged to volunteer for community events and fundraisers - they just do it because, well, that is how our school has operated.
Regionalization was supposed to benefit all of the schools. But I feel you are neglecting and cutting down our little school.
Please consider saving and keeping this wonderful historic gem.
Joanne M. Nestor
Stockton
To the editor:
The following letter was sent to Dr. L. Muenker and members of the South Hunterdon School Board:
I am writing to you as a former Stockton Borough School, South Hunterdon Middle/High School board member, parent of a SBS/South graduate and concerned member of the Stockton community to encourage and implore you vote to vote to continue to allow SBS to educate our students at this school.
Stockton School was established years before the existence of the other area district schools and has had a record of excellent academic and community involvement.
As you have undoubtedly noticed at the recent meeting at the Stockton Firehouse, where approximately 100 supporters turned out, the school is the glue that holds our community together.
To have that many supporters (over 20-percent of the borough's population) show up at a mid-week evening meeting should be an indicator of the value that we, young and old, place on the School.
One former student in her 80's even attended and voiced her support. Incidentally, not every attendee was aware of the sign-in sheet, so the numbers on the sheet are an under-representation of the actual number of supporters at the meeting.
Stockton School has been recognized as an important component of the principals of Smart Growth, Community Involvement, and Sustainability. In 2008 the Stockton School was a finalist for a Smart Growth Award - this was supported by New Jersey Future Director Peter Kasabach (our school was a runner-up for the award to a small, refurbished inner-city educational establishment).
I would advise anyone interested in fully understanding the principles of smart growth/sustainability to read the publications of Thomas J. Hylton, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, president of Save Our Land, Save Our Towns, Inc., long-serving school board member in his town and smart growth advocate who has assisted 450 groups in 35 states achieve Smart Growth goals.
Hylton visited Stockton School prior to regionalization and wrote a glowing review of the school.
Some of Mr. Hylton's published observations are as follows:
"Schools reflect a community's values" and small community schools stand out "...as a shining star for the nurturing, caring environments it creates for its children."
"Many educators argue that placing children of different ages in the same classroom, called "multi-aged grouping," is actually a superior method of education."
"Large consolidated schools haven't improved education, either. An extensive body of literature shows most students do better in small schools."
"When small school districts merged, hundreds of neighborhood schools were closed and replaced with consolidated schools on the urban fringe to which all students had to be bused. These new schools spawned car-dependent development and drained the life from older established communities."
That begs the question - if a small community-based school such as Stockton School is seen as "smart" by experts like Hylton and Kasabach, what does closing the school imply?
I believe that the school represents an opportunity for forward-thinking and a challenge to past failed attempts at education. For instance, the school could become a magnet school for not only borough students, but also choice students.
The school used to teach three world languages: French (K-6), Spanish and Mandarin (upper grades) and had a viable curriculum-based Pre-K.
After-school enrichments were varied and many - employing the principles of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) - integrating such programs as robotics, art, guitar, dance, environmental science, math and more.
It is for these, and many other reasons that it would be a great disservice to the community to close this small, walkable community school.
In addition, it would be a disservice to deny choice students from other areas such as Ewing Township and the City of Trenton the opportunity to attend the school - Stockton School can provide a "breath of fresh aid" to some of these at-risk children.
I ask you to vote to not only keep the school open, but to encourage everyone to think "outside the box" and make the School realize the future benefits it can provide. Many people and supporters outside of the district are watching to see if we, citizen, taxpayers and school board members, collectively, take up this challenge.
Please do not let them down - don't let the citizens of Stockton down, and don't let the students, local and choice, down.
Thank you for your attention and anticipated support in this important matter.
David L. Pasicznyk
Stockton
