Bridgewater-Raritan schools 'at a crossroads'; district eyes ambitious five-year plan
BRIDGEWATER – With the Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District "truly at a crossroads," the Board of Education is considering a strategic plan to guide the district for the next five years.
"We believe we're heading in a very positive direction," Superintendent of Schools Robert Beers told the school board Tuesday in presenting the draft of the strategic plan and the actions to work toward the goals.
Among the action plans proposed in the plan are:
Implementation of "healthy" school schedules at all grades;
Implementation of "phone-free" schools so students can focus on learning without interruption from technology;
A thorough analysis of the district's transportation services to redesign the system for the school year beginning in fall 2026 when full-day kindergarten begins and an addition to the middle school opens;
Ensure that students in the district receive equal opportunities no matter where they live or what school they attend.
The previous strategic plan was adopted five years ago, but since then the district had to cope with the pandemic and district voters passed an $155 million referendum to upgrade facilities, create the classroom space necessary to start a full-day kindergarten program and move sixth graders to the middle school.
One of the biggest challenges facing the district will be developing a transportation plan for the 8,000 students in the mostly suburban district. And that will impact the strategic plan's goal of implementing "healthy" school schedules.
Changing the schedules, with an eye toward proposing starting the high school day later, will be "a hot topic" for the school board in the next one or two years, Beers said.
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In the 2024-25 school year, the district will solicit bids for a comprehensive analysis of the district's transportation services and what changes may need to be made because of the full-day kindergarten and the possible later starting time at the high school.
That analysis, Beers said, "will look at transportation with a blank sheet of paper" and will study routes and bus stops.
Any proposal will be brought to the school board and the community for input and discussion, the superintendent said.
"It's silly to do something for high school kids at the expense of someone else," Beers said.
Beers also said another goal is to "bear down" on students' use of cellphones, which he called "weapons of mass distraction."
The strategic plan also emphasizes, the superintendent said, the need to provide students with equal opportunities.
"Every student that walks through the doors of Bridgewater-Raritan High School should have the same opportunities," he said.
"No one has lost an opportunity by letting someone else sit at the table," Beers said.
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The district will also work on developing opportunities for internships, work-study programs and community service projects by reinforcing partnerships with the community, he said.
In addition, the district will explore chances for high school seniors to earn college credits.
Among the other goals in the plan are enhancing communication with the community on the referendum project; developing ways to gather more input from the community; recruiting highl qualified staff representative of the student body; cultivating a culture of service, respect and outreach; and promoting well-being through physical, emotional and mental health initiatives for students, staffers and the community.
The strategic plan process began earlier this year with Beers delivering a "state of the schools" address and three public meetings in which all members of the district community and residents were invited to participate.
The school board will vote on adopting the strategic plan before the end of the school year.
Email: mdeak@mycentraljersey.com
Mike Deak is a reporter for mycentraljersey.com. To get unlimited access to his articles on Somerset and Hunterdon counties, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Bridgewater-Raritan NJ schools eyes ambitious five-year plan
