Belmar also offers a more diverse environment than more homogeneous, nearby districts, officials said. English as a Second Language teacher Luv Kelly said she teaches 12 students who speak everything from Spanish to Chinese at the elementary school. Although it has a large student body, the school still maintains small class sizes 19 students last year compared with the state average of 21.6. The kindergarten and first-grade teachers are just outstanding. On a recent afternoon, eighth-graders in Sidohan Ryan's language arts class consulted with her on their progress on research papers.
Some students read encyclopedias and other books, taking notes on index cards.
Others went over their outlines with Ryan. They teach us good stuff. District officials have budgeted to add a fourth section of fourth grade next year, in part to try to improve test scores for that grade, Principal Richard W. Taggart said. Some parents said they felt discipline was a problem at the school. Nine students who graduated from Belmar Elementary School in June pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct after the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office investigated allegations that older boys had been hazing younger boys by poking them in the buttocks on school grounds.