Nazareth Area School District proposes new elementary school attendance boundary zones in Upper Nazareth Township

FROM THE EXPRESS TIMES

By COLIN MCEVOY
The Express-Times

U. NAZARETH TWP. | A newly proposed Nazareth Area School District plan would establish "swing areas" in parts of Upper Nazareth Township and give district officials greater flexibility to choose which elementary school new students from those areas attend.

Superintendent Victor Lesky, who presented the plan to the school board Monday, said it allows the district to address class size imbalances among three elementary schools without hiring teachers or going through redistricting every few years.

If approved by the school board, the proposal would take effect next school year, Lesky said. He hopes to have approval by the time kindergarten registration begins in April.

The plan will next move to the district's advisory board and PTAs for discussion and consideration.

Lesky pointed out that, according to the district's census data, 140 kindergartners are expected to enter Shafer Elementary School next year, whereas only 80 each are expected for Lower Nazareth and Bushkill elementary schools.

The swing zones could stave off a situation where Shafer has class sizes of about 26 students and the other schools have closer to 18, Lesky said.

With the flexibility afforded by the swing zones, Lesky said, the district could even class sizes out to roughly 22 students in all three schools.

"If I can distribute students across three schools equally, I can avoid having to hire an additional couple of teachers at one school just to bring class sizes down," he said.

Lesky described the plan as fiscally responsible. Hiring teachers and other expenses are becoming more difficult due to reductions in state and federal education funding.

"We have been asked as part of our thinking as we move forward how we can economize and still give the kids a good program of studies," he said. "I believe this proposal meets that."