Bridge Builder: Another Residential Development Grows in Fort Lee

Earlier in the week, I attended a Fort Lee Zoning Board meeting where there was discussion about a sizable residential complex to be built in Fort Lee. Another proposal in the Area 5 redevelopment project in Fort Lee may also include large scale residential construction.  It is my understanding that there are other multi-unit residential developments at various stages of the process.  

One of my questions is, "Where are the children, who would live in these complexes, going to school?"  

In my opinion, the Fort Lee elementary schools are overcrowded, the infrastructure of these schools are aging and in many cases failing, and the Board of Education and administration have been forced to layoff teachers, dismiss school aides and cut educational programs.  Keep in mind, in some of our schools, we have boilers running at 50% or less efficiency that were installed over 50 years ago. Just this school year, we have had school evacuations over black smoke from one boiler and excessive carbon monoxide from another.  

Last year, the Board of Education proposed 2 Referendum projects that were voted down by the voters of Fort Lee. These proposals, among other things, provided for infrastructure upgrade and construction to ease overcrowding and plan for future enrollment.  Now without those programs, budget and staff cuts, what can be done to ease the stress on the educational system and the financial burden of a potentially sizable influx of new students as a result of these proposed residential developments?  

I am all for reasonable development and growth, but it should be a two way street when the public education system may be disproportionately affected. What do you think?