One classroom or two? Twins' parents can pick

Just in time for the new school year, Gov. Jon Corzine has signed a bill into law that gives the parents of twins or other multiple-birth children power over whether their kids learn together or apart.

Parents whose multiple-birth children are enrolled in the same grade at the same public school can now choose to place them in the same classroom or to keep them separated. Requests will be granted if they are submitted within the first 14 days of the stu dents' enrollment, according to the law, which the governor signed this week.

In the past, school districts typically split up twins when they started kindergarten. But with New Jersey and the country experiencing a surge in twin and triplet births, more parents and schools began to question the issue. The law puts New Jersey in the company of at least six other states that let parents make the decision, officials said.

"Parents of twins know whether their children will be a help or a hindrance to each other in the classroom," said Assemblyman Louis Greenwald (D-Camden), the father of twins and a co-sponsor of the legislation. "Class placements involving twins should not be made in a vacuum."

If, after the first marking period following the students' enrollment, the placement is found to be disruptive, or not sufficiently supportive of the students' academic or social development, a principal -- in consultation with teachers and parents -- can request that a board of education change the arrange ment. The new law takes affect immediately and will apply to the 2008-09 school year, officials said.