Overcrowded Classrooms: A New Reality for New Jersey Schools

In New Jersey, some schools are sending students to the principal’s office, but not for the usual reasons. Instead, that’s become the makeshift classroom.

At Hillsborough Township’s Sunnymead Elementary School, Principal Tammy Jenkins sacrificed her own office five years ago to help alleviate overcrowding. For six months, she worked from a desk in the school’s office and lobby.

“I certainly honed my flexibility skills,” Jenkins remarked to a local news source. She continued, “This boils down to my general philosophy as an educator: putting students first and by any means necessary.”

In Somerset County, schools have resorted to using warehouses, teacher lounges, and other unconventional spaces to cope with increasing student enrollment.

Superintendent Michael Volpe noted that local development and a surge of new families have contributed to this situation.

Jenkins explained that the school’s rooms are utilized for various purposes, including occupational therapy, small group classes, and meetings for child research teams. Interestingly, the district’s boundaries for the six elementary schools have remained unchanged for over 20 years, failing to adapt to the growing population.

She pointed out that other elementary schools in the district have far fewer students and even some vacant classrooms.

The county school board is planning to update these boundaries before the next school year, which means Jenkins might finally reclaim her office instead of holding virtual meetings in a storage room.

“I literally run around this building all day, every day, trying to find a place to work, a place to meet, anything,” she mentioned, reflecting the ongoing challenges faced in the school.