New Jersey School Boards Association, 413 West State Street, P.O. Box 909, Trenton, NJ  08605-0909
Telephone: (609) 278-5202  ●  Fax: (609) 695-0413  ●  Web site: www.njsba.org/PI 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Voters Approve $193 Million in School Construction

TRENTON, September 29, 2004—Voters on Tuesday approved $193.2 million worth of school construction projects in eight out of 13 school districts, the New Jersey School Boards Association reported today.

More than $58 million of the approved construction would be funded through the Educational Facilities Construction and Financing Act. Passed in 2000, the act provides $8.6 billion of state funds for school construction, covering a minimum of 40% of state-determined eligible construction costs in school districts. 

According to NJSBA, school construction proposals approved by voters yesterday would be funded by state and local sources as follows:

    Total project costs — $193,236,101 ($338,002,170 proposed)

    State grants — $58,290,418  ($98,278,266 proposed)

    Locally financed bonds — $134,772,295  ($239,549,766 proposed)

    Other local funds — $173,388  ($174,138 proposed)

“So far this year, voters in 23 districts have approved $524.89 million in school construction projects,” said Edwina M. Lee, NJSBA executive director. “Of that amount, the state will cover $148.8 million. That’s a significant help to many communities that otherwise would have received little or no state aid for bricks-and-mortar projects.”

NJSBA is the only statewide organization that tracks the success of school bond referendums.

In addition to the 13 bond referendum questions on Tuesday, voters in Mahwah decided a special runoff election for a three-year seat on the board of education. That race was won by Douglas G. D’Angelo.

State law limits school bond elections to five specific dates; the remaining date in 2004 is December 14. The results of Tuesday’s special school elections are listed below.

NEW JERSEY SPECIAL SCHOOL ELECTION RESULTS

September 28, 2004

BERGEN COUNTY

Oakland—Defeated (both proposals)

Proposal 1: Construction of a new intermediate school and renovations to four existing schools.

$30,021,004 – total

$6,764,503 – state grant

$23,256,501 – locally financed bonds

Proposal 2 (Contingent upon passage of Proposal 1): Addition and renovations to Valley Middle School, and renovations to three other schools.

$6,008,987 – total

$1,703,583 – state grant

$4,305,404 – locally financed bonds

Oradell—Passed
Expansion and renovations to the Oradell Public School, including a new Kindergarten wing, gymnasium, media center, multi-purpose room and classrooms.

$9,966,699 – total

$2,749,175 – state grant

$7,217,524 – locally financed bonds

Westwood Regional—Defeated

Renovations and expansion designed to preserve current grade configurations at all schools.

$35,130,388 – total

$9,999,710 – state grant

$25,130,678 – locally financed bonds

Wyckoff —Passed (both proposals)

Proposal 1: Additions and renovations to five schools, including a multipurpose room for the middle school.

$29,963,226 – total

$6,796,985 – state grant

$23,166,241 – locally financed bonds

Proposal 2 (Contingent upon passage of Proposal 1): Multipurpose rooms at four elementary schools.

$4,947,440 – total

$780,952 – state grant

$4,166,488 – locally financed bonds

BURLINGTON COUNTY

Tabernacle Township—Proposal 1 Passed; Proposal 2 Defeated

Proposal 1:  Renovations to the Kenneth R. Olsen Middle School and Tabernacle Elementary School.

$9,743,980 – total

$3,897,592 – state grant

$5,673,000 – locally financed bonds

$173,388 – transfer from capital reserve

Proposal 2 (Contingent upon passage of Proposal 1):  Renovations, including air conditioning of elementary school; lighting, ceiling renovations, and air conditioning of gym and multi-purpose room of middle school.

$1,480,250 – total

$449,500 – state grant

$1,030,000 – locally financed bonds

$750 – transfer from capital reserve

CUMBERLAND COUNTY

Hopewell Township—Passed

Renovations and additions to the Hopewell Crest Elementary/Middle School.

$2,509,691 – total

$1,348,520 – state grant

$1,161,171 – locally financed bonds

ESSEX COUNTY

Nutley—Passed

Addition and renovations to the Franklin Middle School.

$23,700,000 – total

$8,769,617 – state grant

$14,930,383 – locally financed bonds

MERCER COUNTY

Hopewell Valley Regional—Passed

Renovations to high school, Bear Tavern and Hopewell elementary schools, and the Toll Gate Grammar School; additions and renovations to the Timberlane Middle School.

$15,495,731– total

$4,060,996 – state grant

$11,434,735 – locally financed bonds

MIDDLESEX COUNTY

Woodbridge Township—Passed

Renovations to all 24 district schools, and expansions of six schools for additional educational space and support areas.

$85,937,446 – total

$29,886,581 – state grant

$56,050,865 – locally financed bonds

PASSAIC COUNTY

Pompton Lakes—Defeated

Additions and renovations to Pompton Lakes High School and Lakeside Middle School, and  addition to the administrative building.

$23,736,650 – total

$6,162,017 – state grant

$17,574,633 – locally financed bonds

SALEM COUNTY

Mannington Township—Defeated

Addition and renovations to the Mannington Elementary School.

$5,504,622 – total

$1,886,666 – state grant

$3,617,956 – locally financed bonds

SOMERSET COUNTY

Bridgewater-Raritan Regional—Passed

Completion of additions and renovations at eight schools (for work previously approved by voters on March 11, 2003).

$10,971,888 – total

$0 – state grant

$10,971,888 – locally financed bonds

WARREN COUNTY

Warren Hills Regional—Defeated

Expansion and renovations to the middle and high school for additional instructional space and improvements, and construction of an athletics field.

$42,884,168 – total

$13,021,869 – state grant

$29,862,299 – locally financed bonds