$6.5M Expansion Project Kicks Off At Parsippany Elementary School

PARSIPPANY, NJ — In order to offset increased preschool enrollment, the Parsippany-Troy Hills School District approved plans to expand Littleton Elementary School and build additional classrooms.

According to district officials, the Parsippany-Troy Hills Board of Education, the administration, and members of the community will gather on Wednesday, Sept. 6, at 5:30 p.m. for the ceremonial groundbreaking at the elementary school.

Six new classrooms and a small group instruction room will be built at the end of the school's classroom wing, on the opposite side of the school gym, officials said.

The project totals $6.5 million and is being funded through the district’s Capital Reserve Fund.

According to the school system, the project may be funded without the use of additional taxpayer funds thanks to the rigorous and responsible spending standards of the Board of Education and the office of the Interim School Business Administrator, Robin Tedesco.

"The district has strategically set aside reserves over the past several years to fund projects like this to save taxpayers from increased taxes," the district said on Friday.

Last October, the Parsippany School District's emailed newsletter mentioned conversations between the school board and superintendent about impending housing developments in Parsippany and the projected increase in student enrollment.

The district cited increased preschool enrollment and emphasized that, in addition to regular September admissions, children with special needs are accepted into the program as soon as they turn three.

"With all the residential building going on in Parsippany and our elementary schools already at capacity, we worked with our architects to identify the best school to start a much-needed expansion project. Littleton was the ideal site due to the large field area adjacent to the school," Alison Cogan, Board President, said.

The extra classrooms will consist of preschool and kindergarten classrooms with self-contained bathrooms, small classrooms for resource room instruction, and a small office for child study team members.

The district announced that it intends to expand Littleton School in three stages as it contemplates combining the present Pre-K classrooms into Littleton.

"The district plans to expand Littleton Elementary School in a phased approach at no additional cost to residents," the district said last October.

The additional classrooms, which are part of phase one, are planned to be completed by the end of the school year.

Phase two could include the building of six more classrooms, and phase three could include the construction of an additional gymnasium; however, the district has stated that they will monitor enrollment before making any decisions.

District architects provided an overview of the Littleton Expansion Project during the Oct. 27 Board of Education meeting, which can be viewed here.

Littleton Elementary School currently has an enrollment of approximately 422 students, according to a report by U.S. News & World Report.