Our Elementary Schools Are Out Of Room And Our Town Continues To Grow

Written by Collingswood resident, Meghan Adamoli

Published in The Retrospect on July 11, 2024

Some of my friends are against the bond referendum and I understand their reasoning. Many more are against the referendum because they’ve been misled or misunderstand it. I was disheartened when some people showed up at the first info session with pre-drafted speeches ready to oppose the plan before they’d even heard it.

I’ve read the plan and the data behind it. I’ve asked questions and considered the responses. Although I’m sure they’re speaking from the heart and have the same ultimate goals that I do for our kids, it saddens me that their minds were made up before hearing any of the actual data or reasoning behind each piece of the plan.

The idea of consolidating to grade level schools was explored under former superintendent Scott Oswald, and the sale of Good Shepherd gives us the opportunity to make this happen The School Board has been collecting feedback from community members for the past few years, took that feedback and asked the architects to draft every possible option so they could formulate a plan. This was the only option; the ONLY way we can improve current facilities and add the much needed space of Good Shepherd with resources from the state instead of even more from our own pockets. Sharp and Garfield are to be closed because they are the oldest in town and because the cost to make ADA-compliant would far exceed the current proposed bond. Not because of their location or who attends.

Our elementary schools are out of room and our town continues to grow. It would cost too much money to renovate and make ADA-accessible, or tear down and rebuild any of our schools. Repurposing Good Shepherd is the least expensive opportunity to add much needed classroom space and other facilities. It will also give ALL of our elementary school kids a chance to feel prepared for middle school. We desperately need the space and it will only benefit our kids to socialize and learn together before 6th grade.

With the flat state funding and rising costs, I want to see every precious resource given to our beloved educators, who deserve that and so much more. But that is not what this or any bond referendum is able to address. I have heard complaints about the inclusion of the HS athletic complex, and while I agree that it is not a priority for my family, our fields and stadium are in desperate need of updates, and this will enable the district to host sporting events, bringing potential income to address ongoing repairs and improvements to the HS and MS.

Transportation for students in the proposed plan is understandably a concern, especially crossing the White Horse Pike, but many students- a majority of whom are Black and/or from lower income families- are *already* crossing it to get to school each morning. This plan actually reduces the number of students who will commute over WHP each day.

Finally, our elementary schools are segregated. Full stop. With the racist incidents we’ve seen happening in the high school recently, how can we accept that as okay? My family chose Collingswood to move to 10 years ago instead of another town BECAUSE of its diversity. Now we see a glaring disparity in our schools and have a real chance at addressing it. We owe it to ALL of our students to make our schools equitable: right now they’re not.

I’m asking everyone to look at the bigger picture, to see that this is the only feasible option to improve conditions for ALL of our students and utilize the Good Shepherd School. To the families that are understandably heartbroken about the closure of your current school or the complexities of getting to school going forward, I understand and commit myself to supporting you in this transition however I can. I hope you too will see how detrimental it would be to squander this opportunity, and join me in voting Yes on the Bond Referendum in September.