Jackson Township slashes middle school sale price by $10 million

🏫 Jackson schools slash $10M from Christa McAuliffe Middle School sale price.

📉 Public school enrollment is down in Jackson as nonpublic busing skyrockets 816%.

💸 District leaders say selling the school is a “fiscally responsible” step after years of cuts, layoffs and program eliminations.

JACKSON — In Ocean County, public school officials have slashed $10 million from their asking price for a Jackson Township middle school that’s up for sale.

Christa McAuliffe Middle School hosted its final Jackson public school students in June.

The two-story main building is part of a 37.5-acre property

In September, it was first listed at $54 million. The minimum bid has now been adjusted down to $44.4 million.

The site is zoned for public facilities and education, with small portions in low-density, single-family residential zoning.

All new bids are due Friday, Dec. 12, submitted to the Jackson School District Business Administrator’s Office.

The website has a gallery of photos showing every part of the building and property, in what is bound to be bittersweet for alumni and some past staff members.

Read More: Jackson BOE votes to close, sue state over funding 

Elements of the school pointed out include:

◾Cafetorium with a full kitchen
◾Athletic facilities, main gym, locker rooms
◾Music and art rooms, science labs with prep rooms
◾A two-story media center
◾188 parking spaces, athletic fields, and a drop-off loop
◾LED lighting, Kohler 60KW generator, CCTV/access control, two newer boilers
◾”Robust” utilities and keyed elevator for full accessibility

Jackson district’s financial struggles push building sale

Back in January, school officials had first considered shuttering a different middle school, but had to switch gears the following month due to restrictions on that property’s use.

“The Christa McAuliffe property is an exceptional facility, and we are confident in its value,” Schools Superintendent Nicole Pormilli said in a press release on Monday. “It is a well-designed, modern building with every amenity you could want in a school or large facility.”

“Even as we adjust the minimum bid, the district strongly believes in the value of this school and this location,” Business Administrator Daniel Baginski said. “Selling the property remains a fiscally responsible step that will help us continue supporting the present and future needs of the Jackson School District.”

Previous financial stresses within the Jackson Township school district in 2024 led to the sale of Rosenauer Elementary School to an all-girls Jewish school based in neighboring Lakewood.

As of late last year, Jackson had already cut more than 285 positions, pushed class sizes to the district’s historically highest levels, defunded ice hockey and gymnastics while merging Jackson’s high school swimming and bowling teams.

Between 2014 and last year, Jackson’s public school enrollment had dropped by about 13%, based on financial data filed with the state.

Read More: My deepest hopes as beloved Jackson school closes for good

Nonpublic busing explodes 816% as enrollment declines

What has spiked in the same time has been the town’s population of non-public school students.

In 2017, Jackson had to pay for 655 non-public students to get back and forth to classes at their private or religious-based schools, as previously reported by Asbury Park Press.

As of this year, the school district was paying for the transportation of nearly 6,000 non-public students, an increase of 816% in roughly eight years.

Jackson has estimated that it will face more than 7,000 nonpublic students in need of transportation for the 2025-2026 school year.

The state does partially foot that bill — as "Nonpublic transportation aid reimburses school districts for nonpublic bussing costs in excess of $710, but not more than $1,177, per pupil" under the state budget.

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