East Brunswick has been here before.
In the early 1980s, the district faced budget constraints and declining enrollment, leading to the proposed closure of Irwin Elementary School and either Lawrence Brook Elementary School or Memorial Elementary School. The reasoning at the time was that there just weren’t enough students to justify keeping them open.
Parents fought back, concerned about class sizes, redistricting, and how students would be shuffled into already-stretched schools. But parents fought back and both Memorial and Lawrence Brook were taken off the chopping block. Yet, despite the pushback, the district went forward with the closure of Irwin School.
Then, something happened.
Just a few years later, East Brunswick had to reopen Irwin School. A housing development—Timber Hollow townhomes—brought in more families with children than expected. The very school they had just shut down was suddenly needed again.
In 2025, we find ourselves in a strikingly similar situation with when the closure of Bowne-Munro Elementary School was suggested.
The question is: Have we learned from the past, or are we about to make the same mistake all over again?
A Pattern of Short-Term Thinking
If East Brunswick has learned anything from Irwin School, it’s that closing a school is never just about closing a school. It’s about what happens next.
When Irwin was shut down in 1983, the district assumed that its students could be absorbed into other schools. The Board leased out the building for office space, believing it was unnecessary for future students.
They were wrong.
New families moved into East Brunswick, drawn by housing developments like Timber Hollow, and within two years, the district found itself scrambling to reopen Irwin because they simply didn’t have enough classroom space.
In 2025, we’ll hear the same reasoning for closing Bowne-Munro—budget constraints, declining enrollment, a plan to fit students elsewhere. But with thousands of new apartments being built in East Brunswick, are we again underestimating how many students will need classrooms soon?
A New Housing Boom—With No Clear Plan for Students
One of the biggest unknowns right now is how many new students will be coming into the district from the ongoing apartment construction in East Brunswick.
- How many school-age children are expected to live in these new developments?
- If Bowne-Munro is closed, will the remaining elementary schools have enough room?
- Has the district already mapped out redistricting, or are they just assuming it will work?
- If enrollment rises again, will we be forced to reopen Bowne-Munro—just like Irwin?
The district has yet to provide clear answers to these crucial questions.
In the 1980s, they were caught off guard by how many students came from Timber Hollow. Now, with multiple large apartment complexes on the way, we could be setting ourselves up for the same problem.
What Happens If We Get It Wrong?
What will happen if Bowne-Munro is closed and the district realizes they need more classroom space?
- Expensive additions to other schools?
- More trailers and temporary classrooms?
- Overcrowded classrooms and fewer resources for students?
None of these options is better than keeping Bowne-Munro open in the first place.
Demand Answers Now—Before It’s Too Late
This isn’t just about one school. It’s about avoiding another Irwin School situation where the district scrambles to undo its own decision.
The Board of Education needs to be transparent. They need to show real data, projections, and a plan for how this will impact East Brunswick’s students not just today but five years from now.
Once a school is gone, it’s not easy to get it back.
So what’s the plan, East Brunswick?
Because we all deserve an answer before it’s too late—again.
