What's Happening in Edison, NJ…

New classrooms are being added to two Edison schools, and it is expected they will be ready for use when school starts.

Woodrow Wilson Middle School and the Franklin D. Roosevelt Preschool Program are each getting 10 modular classrooms. These classrooms are much sturdier than trailers, which are often used to increase classroom spaces, according to Richard Brescher, a member of the Board of Education. The modular structures are also far less expensive, and quicker to build. The school district is piloting this technology, and will incorporate it into other buildings if it proves successful. These may be buildings that need only a small increase in space, or brick-and-mortar buildings where the modules will be combined with the traditional structure.

At Woodrow Wilson, the new classrooms will help alleviate overcrowding. At FDR, the modular rooms will be used for special education students in Pre-K. One of the rooms will provide special-needs students with a dedicated space for therapy sessions, and every classroom will have a bathroom of its own.

Jerry Shi, the president of the Board of Education, said funding for the new classrooms was realized when the district switched insurance carriers. It was also able to negotiate with vendors, and the resulting savings are going back into the classrooms without affecting services provided to students. Flyer printing can be used to create materials informing residents about changes like this.