Five Cherry Hill elementary schools will be overcrowded by 2028. The district is considering how to redistribute students.

Faced with a forthcoming increase in elementary school enrollment, the Cherry Hill School District may redraw boundaries for its 12 neighborhood schools.

The South Jersey school district has been studying expected demographics for the coming years and came up short; there are not enough available seats to accommodate an anticipated burst in elementary student population.

To meet the demand, the district has undertaken an “Elementary Enrollment Balancing,” which means possibly adjusting where students go to school. Cherry Hill is the 12th-largest district in the state, with nearly 11,000 students.

“We want to make sure there is not a negative impact on children and families,” Superintendent Kwame Morton told parents at a recent community meeting.

The demographic study conducted in 2024 showed that five of Cherry Hill’s 12 elementary schools are expected to have a shortage of seats in the 2028-29 school year, said George Guy, director of elementary education.

Based on census data and housing construction projections, the district will be short about 337 seats, according to Guy. The demographic survey examined possible growth over a five-year period, from 2024-25 through 2028-29.

“Those kids are coming. We have to do something,” Guy said in a recent interview. “We can’t wait to do it.”

The five schools in question and the expected growth in their enrollment are: Clara Barton, 126 students; Joyce Kilmer, 81 students; Horace Mann, 50 students; Richard Stockton, 56 students; and Woodcrest Elementary, 50 students, Guy said.

It is not yet clear how many students could be affected by the rebalancing, district officials said. Some elementary schools are nearing capacity, and a few have surplus seats.

At a school board presentation this month about the enrollment balancing project, several parents expressed concerns about their children possibly being moved. Parents like the convenience and proximity of a neighborhood school.

“What’s the game plan here?” asked Nicole Marley, who has three sons. “I don’t want my kids to leave their school. It’s stressful.”

Guy said possible options include grouping schools by proximity, with nearby schools to share students and programs, and reassigning students to less-crowded schools. Also under consideration is converting the Arthur Lewis administration building to an elementary school, which could accommodate about 200 students, he said.

District officials currently are not considering a bond referendum to raise funds to build a new school, Guy said. In October 2022, Cherry Hill voters overwhelmingly approved a $363 million school bond referendum, one of the largest in New Jersey history.

“We want to be open to anything,” Guy said. “We don’t want to take anything off the table.”

» READ MORE: Cherry Hill voters approved a $363 million school bond referendum, N.J.’s largest in at least a decade

A board committee has been charged with developing a plan to address the overcrowding. Parents peppered the committee with questions at an information session held at Cherry Hill East.

“We’re still very early in the process,” said board president Gina Winters.

Currently, the sprawling 24.5-mile community of nearly 75,000 is divided into elementary school zones. Most students are assigned to a neighborhood school within two miles of where they live.

Morton said the board has set parameters for the rebalancing committee. Besides minimizing potential disruptions, transportation must be taken into consideration, he said.

The district doesn’t want students riding a bus for long periods of time, especially special needs students, Guy said. Two of the affected schools — Barton and Kilmer — are located on the west side of Cherry Hill, while the other three — Mann, Stockton, and Woodcrest — are on the east side.

The committee plans to present a preliminary rebalancing plan to the school board in January or February. A final plan is expected by June or July.

The district held three community meetings in November to get feedback from residents and answer questions. More community meetings are planned for March.

Parent Dan Levin, an urban planner, questioned how the committee gathered its data. He suggested the committee consider more long-term planning for 15 years down the road.

“You’re shooting in the dark,” said Levin, whose son attends James Johnson Elementary. “You’re throwing good money after bad.”

Morton said the district wants to implement the rebalancing plan for the 2027-28 school year, before enrollment is expected to swell in the 2028-29 school year.

Guy said the district’s most pressing need for more seats is at the elementary schools. He said officials are not yet examining future enrollment needs at the middle and high schools.

Cherry Hill is in the third year of a four-year middle school redistricting plan. The district is expanding its preschool program, with 240 new spots set to open in January.