The Matawan‑Aberdeen Regional School District Board of Education voted Oct. 27 to authorize a demographer to begin a formal redistricting and rezoning analysis and scheduled a community forum for Nov. 24 to gather public input.

Superintendent Melita Perez told the board the move follows recommendations in a demographer’s study presented to the district in June and is intended to inform decisions about enrollment balancing, transportation routing and building capacity. Perez said the district added 108 new students in grades K–12 and 18 preschool students since August and currently reports total enrollment of 3,848. She emphasized that “no decisions have been made thus far” and that all options will be presented to the community and to the board for approval in late February.

Board members asked for clarity about the vote; administrators said the board’s action authorizes data collection and modeling, not a final plan. Business office staff explained the demographer will use weighted enrollment categories (kindergarten through high school, special education, transportation, security) to produce district‑level cost estimates and scenarios; staff expect the fiscal figures to be available for review in mid‑March. The board also agreed to take additional community engagement steps, including public forums and email feedback to the district’s designated address.

District officials said the redistricting work is intended to address localized overcrowding and underutilization, to improve routing efficiency and to ensure equitable distribution of programs and supports. The board noted the process will include opportunities for public comment and that any final rezoning would return to the board for formal approval.

The motion to authorize the demographer was made, seconded and recorded as approved in the meeting minutes (vote tally not specified).