Woodbridge advances proposed Hopelawn elementary school after seeking state review and park-land approval

Woodbridge Township and the Woodbridge Board of Education are advancing plans for a proposed K-5 elementary school in Hopelawn, but key state and park-land decisions remain pending.

A township notice says Woodbridge filed a request with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection to dispose of 4.429 acres of Clyde Avenue Park for construction of the proposed school. The property is identified as Block 3.02, Lot 1, along Clyde Avenue in Hopelawn, Middlesex County.

School plans move to state review

The Woodbridge Board of Education approved submitting plans for a new K-5 Hopelawn elementary school to the New Jersey Department of Education, according to a June 2026 report. That action advances the proposal to state review; it does not establish that the school has received approval.

The proposed use of park land adds a separate state process. The township’s Green Acres hearing notice describes a requested disposition of park acreage for the school, rather than a completed transfer. As of Aug. 9, 2026, the state education review and the park-land disposition decision were not final.

Funding and municipal review

A Woodbridge Township Council agenda lists an agreement with the Board of Education to pledge certain payments made under a PILOT agreement for construction of Hopelawn School 10 and improvements to other township schools. The agenda also lists a financial-agreement transfer involving 51 New Brunswick Avenue in the Hopelawn section.

The PILOT agreement could help finance school construction and other school improvements, but the council record does not establish that it represents the full funding package for the proposed school.

Township planning and zoning records show that Hopelawn-related land-use matters remain part of the municipal development process. The township’s August 2026 agenda listings include continuing planning and zoning meetings.

What remains unresolved

The proposal’s final design, cost, classroom count, student capacity and construction schedule have not been disclosed in the public records identified for the project. No construction start date has been established.

For Hopelawn families, the proposal could change local elementary-school facilities. For the surrounding neighborhood, the requested use of Clyde Avenue Park raises a separate open-space question that must proceed through the state review process before the park-land disposition can be treated as final.