As the district’s early childhood education building gains more and more pupils, Mantua Township School District can now expand into higher education.
At the Aug. 19 board meeting, Superintendent Bob Fisicaro updated the board on a partnership with Rowan University for Sewell School to be dedicated as a formal professional development school for the university.
He added the partnership will give the university the opportunity to place early childhood education student-teachers directly in the field. A professor will also be at the school once a week for the college students and to help prepare them for the field.
“Rowan didn’t have an early childhood school building, and when Sewell School went to early education, we had some strong discussions to make it into their building,” he added.
Sewell School was converted into an early childhood education building at the end of the 2017-2018 school as the district realigned its schools. All students in preschool and kindergarten in Mantua attend the elementary school.
He went on to add the district also provided time for educators to get used to the full-day preschool program that was awarded by the state for a full year before finalizing the partnership’s details.
A representative from Rowan University’s College of Education could not be reached for comment.
The program is being renewed on a year-to-year basis. Currently, only one student-teacher will be placed in Sewell School, and the young learners’ education would not be negatively affected by this partnership.
“We don’t have plans expanding it district-wide because we’re focusing on keeping our resources there for early childhood development,” Fisicaro said.
In addition to launching the partnership with Rowan University, Fisicaro said a floor replacement plan was discussed with the board regarding Centre City’s all-purpose room.
“We had planned on replacing the floor at [J. Mason Tomlin School] this year, but because it was so expensive to remove it – and the floor at Centre City is much easier to remove – we’re replacing the floor there now as opposed to waiting until next year,” he said.
A replacement plan was built into the 2018-2019 budget and will not affect funds from the 2019-2020 budget.
He quelled the worries of mercury in either of the three schools’ floors in adding that the trace levels that were found are “well below the state requirements.” The district, he said, is also working to improve air flow to prevent the levels from climbing.
Work on Centre City’s floor will be completed by the Sept. 5 start of the school year.
The next board meeting is scheduled for Sept. 9, beginning at 7 p.m. at the Dr. H. Simmerman Administration Building.
