💲The Jackson school district anticipates a $13 million budget deficit

💲The Board of Education will likely restructure three schools and sell another

💲A final vote happens on Feb. 5


JACKSON — The Board of Education of a cash-strapped and shrinking Ocean County school district recommends the sale of a second school in two years school and the consolidation of its two high schools.

Without restructuring, the board says it may have to eliminate 200 jobs, advanced placement courses and athletics while packing 40 students into each classroom.

Jackson school district has 7,628 students in nine schools

Last year, the district sold the Rosenauer Elementary School to a Lakewood-based all-girls Jewish school, for $13 million to close a budget deficit.

This year, the district is looking to close another projected $13 million deficit

Without restructuring, the board says it may have to eliminate 200 jobs, advanced placement courses and athletics while packing 40 students into each classroom.

A formal budget has not been presented but the district expects a further cut in state aid.

Both final plans called for closing one of two middle schools and consolidating the two high schools into one building.

The favored plan submitted by a planning committee:

— Close Goetz Middle School, which now enrolls more than a thousand students.

— Turn Jackson Memorial High School into a middle school for 7th and 8th grades.

— Send all high school students to Jackson Liberty, which currently enrolls a thousand students, and is the newer of the two high schools. Memorial now enrolls less than 1,500.

— All elementary schools would serve pre-K to 4th grade while McAuliffe Middle School would serve 5th and 6th grades

"This is not something that any superintendent, board of education or administration really wants to to do in a district. It's a lot of work, it's a lot of emotion and it's a lot of change," Superintendent Nicole Pormilli said. "We recognize that these decisions impact people. Our students, our staff and our community."

ALSO READ: Immigration raid survival guides distributed to NJ schools

Strategic plan recommended by the Jackson Board of Education
Strategic plan recommended by the Jackson Board of Education (Bud McCormick)
loading...

One Jackson

The recommendation chosen by the board will close the Goetz Middle School and put it up for sale or lease.

Liberty, which opened in 2006, was designed as a state-of-the-art high school with parking for students, staff and visitors and large hallways.

Pormilli acknowledged the emotions in closing the district's legacy high school.

"We will address and work through all of our challenges of uniting our staff and our students to ensure that we become one united place," Pormelli said. "It's the facility that's different but we want to come together as one Jackson."

A final vote will be taken on Feb. 5 after an additional public hearing beforehand.

ALSO READ: Murphy could face charges for illegal immigration policies

Report a correction 👈 | 👉 Contact our newsroom

The best NJ foods and soups for cold, snowy weather

Gallery Credit: Mike Brant

Expiring scratch-offs in New Jersey

A rundown of the New Jersey Lottery scratch-offs that are set to expire in 205

Gallery Credit: Dino Flammia

15 items to never leave in your car during a New Jersey winter

Gallery Credit: Jen Ursillo

More From New Jersey 101.5 FM