Once upon a time I lived in Mount Arlington in Northwest New Jersey. This is where my family lives (kinda, we’re stuck in between two towns) and I was surprised to read a report in yesterday’s Daily Record that claimed Mount Arlington is the leader in Morris County growth, with a population of just over 5700. From the article:
One of Morris County’s smallest municipalities is among the fastest growing in New Jersey, according to the latest population estimates.
Mount Arlington was the state’s third fastest growing community between 2005 and 2006, data released today by the U.S. Census Bureau show. The population in this municipality of less than 3 square miles rose by more than 7 percent in a year and 22 percent since the 2000 Census. Over the six-year period, 1,045 have moved into the borough, bringing its population to just over 5,700, the bureau estimates.
What is also interesting about these numbers is that the amount of kids attending school in Mount Arlington at either the Edith M. Decker Elementary School or the Mount Arlington Public School is down, overall. This is a result of what the Mayor said is the increased number of age-restricted housing in the municipality. As for the public school numbers, they look something like this:
In fact, school enrollment in Mount Arlington has been declining steadily. In 2000-01, the K-8 district had 468 students. In 2005-06, enrollment had dropped to 415. It had dropped further, to 405, in the school year that just ended.
I’m a little torn over whether or not this is a good thing for Mount Arlington. Home prices in the town have gone through the roof and many young professionals and young couples simply cannot afford to live in the township. That’s a bad thing in terms of public schools because you don’t see too many 55+ year olds having kids these days. The end result of a continued decline in the township’s school-age population may lead to results such as the school district condensing with Roxbury Township (which wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world) or lay-offs for the excellent teaching staff in Mount Arlington.
In the past, the condensing with Roxbury option has been looked down upon. However, with the state’s recent push for municipalities to condense services now may be a good time to reconsider this option. It wouldn’t mean that the existing schools would need to be shut down or no longer used. In fact, I would assume that these schools would see their numbers stabilize as Roxbury Township students who live near them began to attend. Doesn’t seem like a bad end-result in terms of practicality.
However, I am not a professional in condensed services so this is just one man’s opinion. Anyway, congratulations to Mount Arlington for your population growth.
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