By Sunayana Prabhu
SHREWSBURY – Students at Shrewsbury Borough School will return to a larger building next week. The school will open the doors to a new pre-K wing, marking the latest chapter in the century-long evolution of the borough’s only elementary school from a three-story school- house to a modern educational facility.
The $22.5 million expansion, approved by taxpayers in a referendum and funded through bonds issued by the Monmouth County Improvement Authority, added three pre-K classrooms and two multipurpose rooms to the existing campus. Students will eat lunch in the all-purpose room and use the original gym for physical education and assemblies. A separate multipurpose room will accommodate the district’s aftercare program, run by the YMCA, as well as clubs and community meetings.
Superintendent Brent A. MacConnell said the expansion addresses concerns about critical space constraints that have plagued the district for nearly two decades, particularly in terms of recreational scheduling.
“We would do everything in one space,” MacConnell said during a tour of the new facility Aug. 25, noting that the gym and the stage area were also used as a lunchroom. “Our community doesn’t have any rec centers or any other areas, so the (new) space is in demand. We have teams that want to play here. We have groups that want to be here. People that want to use the school. So, we now just have more school to offer.”
The Scope of the Expansion
All classrooms now have air conditioning to enhance student health and focus, and HVAC and electrical systems were upgraded to more efficient models. The new systems will save the district on energy costs and costly repairs.
Security upgrades include enhanced entrances that allow Main Office staff to control visitor access, new classroom doors equipped with instant locking mechanisms, and new windows featuring shatter-resistant film.
The project also includes additional playground equipment outside the new section, additional recess areas and a new GaGa Ball pit, an enclosed play area used for a game called GaGa Ball, a variation of dodgeball.
The expansion to the pre-K through eighth-grade school was the central piece of a bond referendum that passed in October 2022 but it followed a failed attempt at a more ambitious project nearly a decade ago.
In 2014, district officials began planning a referendum that was put before voters in 2016 but was ultimately defeated by taxpayers. MacConnell said that proposal was more expansive and would have better anticipated the district’s needs 10 to 50 years in advance, including purchasing an adjacent property to expand the school’s footprint and adding more classrooms beyond the current project.
The approved referendum in 2022 authorized $22.5 million to be bonded through the Monmouth County Improvement Authority. While the state provided some funding for certain portions of the project, MacConnell noted that the Department of Education typically does not assist suburban districts with construction costs. He said the district learned from the 2016 defeat and now believes in pursuing “smaller referendums more frequently, rather than waiting 20 years,” to avoid burdening taxpayers with larger, more expensive projects that may face voter resistance.
The school’s new expansion adds about 20% more square footage to the school. Ben Harvey Construction of Ocean Township served as the general contractor, with Epic Management providing construction oversight.
The expansion required eliminating some parking spaces from the former “bell circle” drop-off area, MacConnell said, but the district reconfigured the lot to maintain adequate parking.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony took place Wednesday, Aug. 27, for the new wing. Invited guests included Mayor Kim Eulner and the Shrewsbury Borough Council, District 11 legislators, Monmouth County Superintendent’s Office representatives, Monmouth County commissioners, and Speizle Architects, Ben Harvey Construction and Epic Construction Services representatives.
“The improvements to our building will benefit Shrewsbury students for many years to come,” Board of Education President Jessica Groom said in a statement. “This is a proud moment for our school and community.”
Students, teachers and staff will begin using the new addition on the first day of school, Sept. 4.
Historic Growth
The school’s expansion reflects its long history of adaptation. Originally built in 1908 on Broad Street as a three-story schoolhouse, the facility moved to its current location at 20 Obre Place in 1952. Subsequen additions were completed in the 1990s and 2000s.
Speizle Architects designed the new primary wing with spacious rooms, colorful interiors and furniture. Each of the three pre-K classrooms – assigned orange, blue and green color schemes – includes reading centers and gathering areas for storytelling and presentations.
The expansion comes as Shrewsbury experiences increased development pressure, with Netflix coming to nearby municipalities. New residents are drawn to the borough’s smalltown charm and proximity to both beaches and urban centers.
However, enrollment at the 465-student school has actually declined slightly since the pandemic, MacConnell said, mirroring trends in neighboring districts. MacConnell attributed the decrease to broader demographic shifts rather than local factors.
The timing also coincidentally aligns with an imminent state mandate requiring all districts to offer free preschool and full-day kindergarten by 2030. “I think more school is better for all of our kids,” MacConnell said, welcoming the measure. “The earlier you can start kids, the better prepared they’re going to be. It does help them to be in a school environment. So, I’m all for it. I think it’s great.”
More full-day enrollment adds to staffing challenges, which ultimately require more funding for public schools. MacConnell said the district is exploring state preschool expansion grants to support the new program in the future but also noted the shortage of teachers across the state. “I think we have a lot of challenges just locally, but I think, in New Jersey, colleges and universities are shutting some of their teacher preparation programs and public service is maybe less appealing to folks, and now it’s become more complicated to be working in schools,” he said.
“I think the environment, the landscape, is very different.”
MacConnell declined to comment when asked about recent complaints voiced at Board of Education meetings by parents and teachers calling for greater transparency following teacher shortages at the school. Some claim the district has struggled to fill positions and blame the superintendent for creating a culture that is driving staff away.
The teachers’ union has not issued any statement so far on the matter.
The article originally appeared in the August 28 – September 3, 2025 print edition of The Two River Times.
