New High School To Be Proposed For "Growing" Hoboken District

HOBOKEN, NJ — Hoboken Patch reports that the Hoboken Board of Education announced in a message to the school community Tuesday that due to enrollment increases and the aging of the district's school buildings — "many of them built before 1910" — the district will present plans for a new high school to the city's Planning Board next month. There will also be a special election regarding the plans in January, the board said.

Hoboken was built in 1962 and currently holds grades 9, 10, 11, and 12. However, the district enrollment in Hoboken High School as estimated by the Hoboken Board of Education's ASSA Report is quite low and does not exhibit significant growth in any meaningful manner (see Figure 1). Keep in mind, Hoboken High School had an original student capacity of 1500 students (see Figure 2). 

Figure 1: 2021-22 ASSA Report 
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How many students are currently in Hoboken High School? Based on the 2021-22 ASSA report, there are 433 total students in Hoboken high school including "choice" (non resident) students. Omitting non resident students leaves approximately 310 Hoboken resident students in Hoboken High School (see Figure 3). Presented in a different way, Hoboken High School is at 20% capacity from the original 1962 1500 student floor plan. 

Here is a post detailing the student enrollment capacity of Hoboken High School from the original plans developed in 1962: CLICK HERE 

Figure 2: Hoboken High School Student Capacity was 1500 in 1962
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Figure 3: Distribution of Choice Students Throughout
the Hoboken School District 

The Hoboken Board claims that district enrollment has been growing since 2015, reversing a trend from the previous decades.

"The district has been focused on integration of the community and service to the community as part of our educational goals. We are thrilled to present to the community a facilities project, including a new high school, that will meet the needs of our growing population," said the board in its message.

A new Hoboken High School may be warranted for any number of different reasons. But there seems to be little justification for a new high school based on current or future student enrollment. There is good reason to question enrollment projection by the Hoboken Board of Education.  As recent as the Spring of 2020 the Hoboken Board of Education predicted a large enrollment increase for the 2020-21 school year. That enrollment increase never materialized. 

Plans will be presented to the Planning Board next month. The special election will take place on Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2022.