Galloway superintendent outlines plan to move Pomona preschool students into home schools; formal decisions to await strategic plan

GALLOWAY TWP., N.J. — Superintendent Santelli told the Galloway Township Board of Education on April 14 that the district plans to relocate Pomona School students and staff into their home elementary schools next year and that more formal planning on the building’s long‑term use will be part of a forthcoming strategic plan.

Santelli said Pomona has six classrooms, including one in a relocatable trailer, and that the building is not ADA compliant. He said state rules on preschool expansion and classroom square‑footage limits mean the district would effectively have fewer usable classrooms there next year unless changes are made.

The relocation plan, Santelli said, would prioritize continuity for currently enrolled three‑year‑olds by reserving seats in their home schools for the 2025‑26 school year. He also said district leaders will support parents, guardians and staff through the move and handle the logistics of transferring materials and programs.

"My focus is on supporting the parents, guardians, the staff that are in that building to make sure that we give them what they need so we can then close that building, you know, and make sure that they have all their things moved to the proper locations," Santelli said during the meeting.

Why it matters: Pomona has been part of the district for nearly a century, and relocating preschool programs affects families, staffing and space at multiple elementary schools. Santelli said the superintendent’s recommendation is not a final decision on the building’s ultimate use; that determination will be part of the district’s strategic‑planning process and will involve the full board, staff and the community.

Operational details Santelli provided at the meeting: - Classroom counts: Six classrooms currently at Pomona, one housed in a relocatable trailer; next year that relocatable cannot be used under expansion rules, reducing capacity. - ADA compliance: The building is not ADA compliant, a factor cited in the evaluation. - Preschool seats and expansion: The district projects it can accommodate incoming three‑year‑olds by placing currently enrolled children in their home elementary schools; the district will continue to run a wait list while expansion proceeds. - Head Start partnership: The district currently operates two Head Start classrooms and plans to add a third classroom next year, which Santelli said could provide space for roughly 15 additional students.

During board questions, a board member asked specifically about students in Pomona’s autism program and whether home schools offer comparable services. Santelli said each elementary school in the district has a preschool disabled class and that, based on current projections, students served at Pomona can be placed in their home elementary schools with their program supports retained.

Santelli stressed community input and timing: the board will review the matter again during May’s budget hearing and as part of a strategic planning process that will include staff and community engagement. He repeatedly framed the announcement as an operational step to ensure program continuity, not as a final disposition of the Pomona facility.

Next steps: Santelli said the district will communicate more formally with affected families and that any long‑term decisions about Pomona’s future will be addressed through the district’s strategic plan and with the full board’s participation.