Middletown residents sound off on Rose Tree Media’s planned K-1 school

Although it wasn’t on the agenda, the Rose Tree Media School District’s plans to build a new school that serves kindergarten and first-grade students was a topic of passionate debate during Middletown Township’s Dec. 3 council meeting.

While some public commenters expressed concerns about the project’s impact on traffic, the environment and the area’s overall character, other residents contended that the new school is the best option for tackling overcrowding and improving education.

“I know there’s been talk of opposition to the school. I’m a resident; I’m very much in favor of the school,” said Chris Garriga, of Meadowhurst Lane. Garriga said when his children were in public school, they had small class sizes, but now students are taking classes in trailers due to all the development in the area.

“The demands on the school system are going up, they’re not going down, and we need to do something about it,” Garriga said. “If you want your property values to stay high, you want to have a very good school district.”

The Rose Tree Media School District is aiming to open the new center by the fall of 2028 at the intersection of Middletown and Rose Tree roads. But first it must conduct an expanded traffic study requested by Middletown Township and submit a preliminary land development plan to the township that will trigger a series of public hearings on the matter in 2026.

During his turn at the lectern, John Reynolds, of Hunting Hills Lane, disputed the reasoning that underpinned the decision to build a new K-1 school. “Residents are told by the school board, ‘the children are here now.’ However, as the residents have expressed — and the district traffic engineer recently confirmed — the traffic is here now as well,” he said.

“Another line that the school district often repeats when trying to justify the decision to build an industrial-sized facility in a congested neighborhood is, ‘we already own the land,” Reynolds added. But the district “owns a lot of land, clearly large enough for expansion.” He also pointed out that the proposed site of the school contains mature trees and wetlands in an area with ever-shrinking green space. That green space, he said, “protects Ridley Creek residents’ drinking water wells and the local environment.”

The better solution to addressing overcrowding and providing full-day kindergarten, Reynolds said, is through the upgrading expansion of the existing school properties. “Middletown is changing,” he concluded. “We can do it the smart way, or we can just go the way of Cottman Avenue. Let’s try to save our community.”

Michael Risser, who lives on Middletown Road in neighboring Edgemont Township, argued that if the new school is built, “traffic on [Route] 352 is going to be more of a nightmare” and have a domino effect on other local roads. He said it is ill-advised to have the district’s youngest students attend one central K-1 school because it would result in long bus rides for some students — likely pushing parents to drive their children and further exacerbating traffic issues.

Additionally, Risser contended that the school district could simply move some fifth graders to Springton Lake Middle School and add classroom space there “at a fraction of the cost” of building a new K-1 building. “The school is not a done deal, remember that,” he said.

Claire Dente, of Black Hawk Court, whose comments followed Risser’s, said she would “prefer to hear the perspectives of the Middletown Township residents” rather than those in nearby communities. But District 3 Chair Bibianna Dussling said the council had considered that request before and opted to let everyone speak — while prioritizing the comments of township residents.

In Dente’s view, congestion issues in Middletown will persist regardless of whether RTMSD builds a new K-1 center. “If this school is not built, will the traffic go away? Does anyone believe that?” she asked.

“People who have spoken before me have talked about how things have gotten more developed over generations,” Dente continued. But “This is not unique to us,” she said, noting that people are “moaning about traffic” in many places, including the Jersey Shore. She also said the school district is wise to invest in early childhood education given the wealth of research on that period’s importance. 

“I’m just saying we have to think about this issue of traffic and not conflate that with a good school system that has made this district — and my property values — much better,” Dente said.

For previous coverage on the project, visit https://mediapanow.com/news/2025/nov/17/rose-tree-media-school-district-aims-to-ease-overcrowding-with-k-1-center/.