The Mantua school district has announced that it will expand its preschool program for the 2024-’25 school year after receiving $3,480,130 in school aid from the state Department of Education (NJDOE), according to Superintendent Christine Trampe.
The expansion will add six additional classrooms – now empty because of a reduction in the teacher workforce – to the program at J. Mason Tomlin Elementary School (JMT), an addition that will support an extra 78 to 90 students.
“When experiencing a reduction of force, additional classroom space is usually available,” said Trampe. “JMT school has a wing on the Evergreen Avenue side that had most recently been used by our fourth grade. By moving our fourth graders and teachers into empty classrooms further into the building, we will use those six large classrooms to support the additional … preschoolers.”
The plan will include revamping the play area, creating a double security vestibule for direct access from Evergreen Avenue, installing cameras, ordering classroom furniture and supplies, and pouring a blacktop area for outdoor play.
The preschool program at Tomlin – also known as Evergreen Preschool – will be overseen by school Vice Principal Andrea Salstrom, a former interim principal of Grenloch Terrace Early Childhood Center in Washington Township.
“I love working with our oldest students at JMT, but I am thrilled that I will be able to also work with our preschoolers every day, too,” Salstrom noted. “Having worked closely with Kate Donocoff this year, I am excited to be the liaison between the preschool program at Sewell School and Evergreen Preschool.”
Tomlin will still house fourth, fifth and sixth graders who will not see changes to busing or dropoff and pickup spots.
“Our fourth, fifth and sixth graders will continue to enter and exit the building in the same way they do now,” said Principal Christine Connelly. “Preschoolers will have a separate entrance and exit on the Evergreen Avenue side of the building and won’t have to walk through any of the big kid hallways.
“We will continue with our current busing, and additional buses will only be used for our JMT preschoolers on Evergreen Avenue,” she added. “Although the preschool wing is separate from the rest of the school, we can’t wait to welcome preschoolers to our JMT family.”
The plan is to mitigate the space issue faced by the district since the preschool program began four years ago. It currently takes place at Sewell Elementary and includes 10 classrooms and two separate classes for disabled students, for a total of 143 students.
Lack of space meant students went on a waiting list.
“There are no empty classes or offices,” explained Sewell Principal Kate Donocoff. “Unfortunately, that means we cannot service many of the children and families in the community that would access free preschool if there were enough space.”
“As a working mom with three children,” Trampe noted, “I know first hand how expensive quality full-day preschool education can be. My children’s school district did not have a preschool program when they were little, so I completely relate to the financial struggles families face.”
Preschool pre-enrollment for the 2024-’25 school year is now open on the school district’s website for students who will be 3 or 4 years old by Oct. 1.
