Population Dynamics in South Brunswick High School Uncertain

by Om Bhaskar ('27)

The South Brunswick High School has experienced several different population trends across its history. Most recently, its population has been declining for the past four years. However, this soon may not be the case, and the ramifications of that could be problematic. 

According to SchoolDigger, South Brunswick High School has seen a population decrease since 2020, with the total number of students decreasing from 2,962 to 2,786 in just four years. Decreases may continue if populations in lower grades remain the same. However, this trend could change. In a few years, around 2,500 houses will be constructed in the township, creating a new large supply of potential students not just for the high school, but for middle and elementary schools as well. 

The population of the South Brunswick Township has had relatively small changes in comparison to the schools. While school populations have been decreasing quickly since 2020, the township's population seems roughly stable. 

Data given by the U.S. Census Bureau shows how the population of South Brunswick shrank by only 1% from April 2020 to July 2023. This kind of shrinkage is far lower than the decline experienced by the High School, decreasing by approximately 6%.

Superintendent Mr. Scott Feder said, “People are not moving after their kids graduate high school.” 

When people do not move out of the township after their kids graduate, the overall population of the township does not go down, but the school populations still do. 

Additionally, Mr. Feder said, “Parents are not selling their homes, and Covid made it worse, because it became very difficult to sell a home because interest rates became so high, people were in houses for low interest rates, and the housing market boomed, and the interest rates boomed.”

The large senior and junior populations in comparison to sixth or seventh graders also show how if populations among grades remained fixed, the total student population of South Brunswick would be on a gradual decline. 

According to Public School Review, there were 726 seniors compared to just 593 sixth graders in 2024. This means that once the current sixth graders (Class of 2031) would become seniors, the future senior population would be dramatically smaller.

 While this makes the situation initially seem like an open and shut case, with a clear indication that population growth would end in South Brunswick Schools, that is not necessarily the case. 

In the township, many new houses are currently being or will be built. Due to the potential for hundreds, if not thousands, of new children to enter the township’s schools, Mr. Feder explained how there is a possibility that the South Brunswick student population has not hit its peak yet. 

Asked about whether or not he thinks the South Brunswick High School would ever have a student count above 2,977 (the highest recorded in the school to date), Feder said, “I think the number will be over 3,000 one day, just might be for a number of years.” 

The potential consequences of a rapidly increasing population could be a real issue later on, stretching already scarce funding for the school further. A slowly increasing population, however, with homes being bought more slowly, can be dealt with more feasibly. 

Mr. Feder said, “What [a rapidly increasing student population] will hurt is our ability to have good class sizes, our ability to have all the programs we have, all the athletics, all the clubs, the music programs, it will affect everything if it comes too fast. If it comes gradually, we can manage better.”

All of these factors paint an uncertain picture of what South Brunswick students and general population dynamics will look like in the next decade. Only time will tell if and how the population either continues to shrink or sees a steep increase.