To the Editor and fellow members of the Hopewell Valley community,
I want to begin by noting that I am currently a member of the Hopewell Valley Regional Board of Education, elected by Pennington Borough, where I reside. The opinions expressed here are my own and do not represent those of the Board. I am not authorized to speak on its behalf. That said, my intent in this letter is to focus on facts and figures, not opinions.
I’d like to thank our two former mayors, Ms. Sandom and Mr. Hart, for highlighting aspects of our District’s finances and offering a comparison to other school districts.
https://www.communitynews.org/towns/hopewell-express/should-a-2-565-pilot-rebate-arrive-with-your-tax-bill/article_61f660f1-25ee-4255-b120-e074342640ae.html
Unfortunately, their article included only a limited set of data. As is often the case, this can lead to skewed perceptions—something I’m sure neither Ms. Sandom nor Mr. Hart intended. I’d like to help by presenting a somewhat more complete picture. All educational statistics referenced here come from the New Jersey Department of Education’s data portal, specifically the School Performance Reports: https://rc.doe.state.nj.us/
Per-Pupil Costs
Since Ms. Sandom and Mr. Hart highlighted Edison Public Schools, let’s use that district as a comparison point. It’s an interesting choice, since Edison is quite large (the 5th largest in New Jersey, per their website: https://www.edison.k12.nj.us/), and likely benefits from economies of scale. Hopewell is mid-sized by comparison. Still, I’ll follow their lead.
Here’s a snapshot:
- Per-pupil cost: Hopewell – $23,663 | Edison – $15,915
- Student-to-teacher ratio: Hopewell – 9:1 | Edison – 13:1
- Students with disabilities: Hopewell – 22.4% | Edison – 11.4%
Edison’s per-pupil costs are about 33% lower than Hopewell’s. However, their student-to-teacher ratio is 44% higher, which makes sense—they employ fewer teachers per student and spend less accordingly.
To illustrate: if a current elementary class in Hopewell has 22 students, increasing the ratio by 44% would push that number to roughly 32 students per class.
But even that’s an underestimate. A significant portion of a school district’s instructional budget is allocated to Special Education—about one-third in Hopewell’s case. I don’t know Edison’s exact number, but given that their percentage of students with disabilities is half of ours, they likely spend far less on Special Ed.
Special Education is heavily regulated, with strict requirements around class sizes, staffing ratios, and additional services. That means the impact of a higher student-to-teacher ratio falls disproportionately on general education—potentially pushing elementary class sizes toward 40 students, we were to increase our student-to-teacher ratio by 44%. At the high school level, it likely means the elimination of many non-core programs: AP classes, performing arts, business electives, and more.
Cost of Proposed Building Addition
Ms. Sandom and Mr. Hart also compare construction costs between districts. Edison is spending $9.5 million for 25,000 square feet. Hopewell is proposing $16.1 million for 19,000 square feet. On the surface, the gap appears large. But let’s look deeper:
- Edison’s project includes a gym, which is a large, open space with minimal internal infrastructure—fewer walls, bathrooms, electrical and plumbing needs—which reduces cost per square foot. Video: https://palprobuilders.com/portfolio-items/lincoln-elementary-school-addition-edison/
- Hopewell’s addition includes 10 classrooms, each fully code-compliant for special education, PEECH, and kindergarten. Every classroom includes an individual bathroom, which adds significant cost. I’m not sure if Edison’s plan includes those features in every classroom.
- Edison’s costs reflect today’s market prices. Hopewell’s estimate must project at least two years out. As my Board colleague Mark Peters often notes, construction inflation is substantial, currently running close to 5% annually.
Broader Impacts
To be clear, I don’t mean to criticize Edison—they’re a good district. But they’re very different from Hopewell Valley.
Years ago, I moved here because of the quality of schools we offer. Many others still do. But will they continue to come if our elementary class sizes climb into the high 30s, or if our high school offerings are drastically cut back? What will that mean for our property values?
As I said during the referendum town hall last year: it’s up to you, the community, to decide what kind of schools you want. If you direct the Board to crowd classrooms, cut electives, and neglect facilities—I will ultimately follow that direction, alas with deep disappointment.
Sincerely,
Alex Reznik
Board Member, Hopewell Valley Regional Board of Education (Pennington Borough Representative)
Writing in a personal capacity
