Superintendent Johnson and Board Member Kluepfel Misrepresent Hoboken District Enrollment to Argue for New Middle School Building

According to a community message from the Hoboken Mayor to the city council, he will not support a new project in the Southwest Redevelopment Area proposed by Academy Bus that would include a new middle school, and would require “major changes to the existing Southwest Redevelopment Plan.”

The proposal includes office space for Academy Bus, a new Hoboken Middle School, 439 residential units, and public open space.

Academy Bus is a wonderful and important corporate neighbor to the City of Hoboken and has been for many years. I have no position on the proposed plan nor am I especially in favor or against the Hoboken mayor's statement on the proposed project. My objection centers more on the the statements of Superintendent Johnson and Hoboken Board of Education President Thomas Kluepfel who have consistently delivered a message to the public that the enrollment in the Hoboken Public schools in increasing. Nothing can be further from the truth.

According to an article by Marilyn Baer of the Hoboken Reporter (January 11, 2019) we read:

"In the past Johnson and Board of Education members have said they may need more seats for students in the coming years. “If enrollment continues to grow at the rate we’re seeing recently, we will surely face the need for additional space or buildings,” said then-school board president Thomas Kluepfel a year and a half ago at a school board meeting." -Hoboken Reporter (1/11/19)

Dr. Christine Johnson

In an era of false statements and lies being stated by public officials at the highest levels of government, trust and faith in our elected leaders and of our children's welfare and of our tax dollars should be of utmost importance. The statements by Dr. Johnson and Thomas Kluepfel are uninformed and misleading and depend on the public trusting these individuals that the statements they are making are accurate and truthful. Unfortunately, this does not appear to be the case. 

The enrollment in the Hoboken Public School District does not "continue to grow"-- and there is no evidence that there will be a need for additional space of buildings because of population growth in the city. The statements of growing enrollment in the district are inaccurate and without backing. In fact, here is the data for the total enrollment of the Hoboken School District for the past twelve years-- I have also included a data trend line (red dotted arrow) to show the mathematical trend line over this period.

Hoboken District Enrollment 2006-2018

The average district enrollment since the 2006-07 school year to the 2017-18 school year (latest available data from the NJDOE) shows an average total district enrollment of 1889 students and a standard deviation of about 156 students. Twelve years of data from the New Jersey Department of Education indicate that the general total enrollment of the Hoboken Public Schools has been 1889 students with a standard deviation of 156 students and the mathematical trend line has been flat to slightly downward sloping. If we look at resident enrollment, the total enrollment of the school district would be reduced by approximately 146 students because of out of town "choice" students (a program I proposed while Assistant Superintendent of Schools in Hoboken).

Thomas Kluepfel

Any claim by the Superintendent of Schools or the former Board President to indicate enrollment growth district wide is ill-informed at best.

Hoboken may need new schools. And if they do, they should make their argument for better facilities or for more modern buildings- even changing population patterns (although in a mile square city that is a difficult argument to make). But to misrepresent enrollment data to the public for a proposed redevelopment plan is, unfortunately, a sign of the times we live in. Post truth....fake news....claims that do not rely of data and good faith are a threat not only to municipal government but the foundation of democracy itself. 

As I have shown in previous posts, there is PLENTY of space in the Hoboken Public Schools.See chart below for some eye opening data.

Click to Enlarge