FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

news release

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

CONTACT:    Frank Belluscio (fbelluscio@njsba.org)
                        Mike Yaple (myaple@njsba.org)
                        (609) 278-5202

VOTERS IN 25 DISTRICTS TO DECIDE $527 MILLION IN SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION

TRENTON, September 25, 2003—Voters in 25 New Jersey school districts will act on construction proposals totaling more than $527.6 million on Tuesday, September 30, the New Jersey School Boards Association reported today.

So far in 2003, voters have approved 79% of school construction referenda—the highest rate since NJSBA began tracking bond referenda in 1997, a year when the passage rate for bond referenda was 52.7%.

"The figures tell us that citizens are supporting their local school districts, even in a difficult economic climate," said Edwina M. Lee, NJSBA's executive director. "The level of support for public education is reflected in a Star Ledger/Eagleton-Rutgers poll (Public Schools in New Jersey: Good and Getting Better) released this week, which found that nearly nine out of 10 parents were satisfied with their public schools—and that more than half were 'very satisfied.'"

The success rate for bond proposals rose to the 70% range in the year 2000, when the state enacted the Educational Facilities Construction and Financing Act (EFCFA), which provides $8.6 billion in state funding for school construction. EFCFA covers a minimum of 40% of state-determined eligible costs of voter-approved school construction projects.

According to NJSBA, the facilities act made 240 school districts become eligible for state money for school construction for the first time. Another 108 school districts saw their state construction funding eligibility increase dramatically. Additionally, the act permits districts to accept funding either through up-front grants, which reduce the size of locally finance bonds, or through annual "debt service" aid, which helps districts pay off the bonds.

More than $126 million of the proposed spending on Tuesday would be funded through state grants. (One district is opting for debt service aid, rather than an up-front grant.)

Statewide, proposed construction financing on Tuesday’s ballot is divided between state and local sources as follows:

Total project costs — $527,625,332.62

State grants — $126,089,309

Locally financed bonds — $400,536,329.62 *

Other local funds — $999,694

* One district has opted to receive its state funding as annual debt service aid, totaling $5,226,465 over a 20-year period, rather than through an up-front grant. This amount is not included in the total for state grants.

[Click here for descriptions of the 25 school construction proposals on Tuesday's ballot.]

School construction referenda are limited to five dates a year. They include the final Tuesday in September, the second Tuesday in December, the fourth Tuesday in January, the second Tuesday in March, and the Annual School Election, which takes place on the third Tuesday in April.

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The New Jersey School Boards Association is a federation of more than 600 local boards of education. Established more than 80 years ago, NJSBA represents the education and related health and safety interests of New Jersey's 1.3 million public school students and advocates the positions of the state's local school districts. The Association also provides inservice training and technical assistance to the state's 4,800 local board of education members. School board members, who serve without compensation, are the largest group of elected and appointed public officials in the state.

NEW JERSEY SCHOOL BOND ELECTIONS

SEPTEMBER 30, 2003

New Jersey School Boards Association

BERGEN COUNTY

Closter

Proposal 1: Addition and renovations to two schools.

$6,024,250 -- total

$1,423,560 -- state

$4,600,690 -- locally financed bonds

Proposal 2: Construction of a multipurpose room addition to an elementary school (Requires approval of Proposal 1)

$1,650,000 -- total

$373,516 -- state

$1,276,484 -- locally financed bonds

Dumont

Proposal 1: Additions and renovations to five schools.

$26,420,000 -- total

$8,169,399 -- state

$18,250,601 -- locally financed bonds

Proposal 2: Renovations to three schools including windows, HVAC, industrial arts, lockers and athletic fields (Requires approval of Proposal 1)

$7,260,000 -- total

$1,179,627 -- state

$6,080,373 -- locally financed bonds

Haworth

Addition and renovations to Haworth Public School; purchase of land.

$3,172,756 -- total

$490,335 -- state

$2,682,421 -- locally financed bonds

Ho-Ho-Kus

Proposal 1: Additions and renovations to the K-8 school, including science and technology labs, media center expansion, boiler replacement, electrical upgrades.

$12,292,000 -- total

$3,340,344 -- state

$8,951,656 -- locally financed bonds

Proposal 2: Install air conditioning in the K-8 school (Requires approval of Proposal 1)

$270,000 -- total

$108,000 -- state

$162,000 -- locally financed bonds

River Dell Regional

Addition and renovations to the middle and high school; reconstruction of athletic fields at the high school.

$28,950,000 -- total

$6,967,392 -- state

$21,982,608 -- locally financed bonds

Ramsey

Additions and renovations to four schools.

$29,197,520 -- total

$5,763,295 -- state

$23,434,225 -- locally financed bonds

Woodcliff Lake

Proposal 1: Addition and renovations to middle school, including gym and classrooms; renovations to Dorchester Elementary School.

$8,993,000 -- total

$1,942,605 -- state

$7,050,395 -- locally financed bonds

Proposal 2: Addition and renovation to Dorchester Elementary School (Requires approval of Proposal 1)

$4,109,000 -- total

$1,145,278 -- state

$2,963,722 -- locally financed bonds

BURLINGTON COUNTY

Burlington City

Construction of auditorium at Wilbur Watts Intermediate School; renovations and upgrades to high school athletic complex.

$3,288,694 -- total

$499,694 -- transfer from capital reserve account

$2,789,000 -- locally financed bonds

Delran Township

Proposal 1: Additions and renovations to high, middle and intermediate schools.

$26,189,331 -- total

$26,189,331 -- locally financed bonds

(District has opted to receive its money through $5,226,465 in debt service aid over 20 years, rather than through an up-front state grant.)

Proposal 2: Install air conditioning in two schools (Requires approval of Proposal 1)

$4,403,324 -- total

$0 -- state

$4,403,324 -- locally financed bonds

Moorestown Township

Additions and renovations to high school; land acquisition; renovations to four other schools.

$38,080,136 -- total

$8,978,276 -- state

$29,101,860 -- locally financed bonds

Mount Laurel Township

Renovations to 10 district buildings, including security systems, telecommunications, electrical, HVAC, windows and floors.

$27,054,393.40 -- total

$9,965,414 -- state

$17,088,979.40 -- locally financed bonds

CAMDEN COUNTY

Mount Ephraim

Renovations and additions to two schools.

$9,434,429 -- total

$2,480,247 -- state

$6,954,182 -- locally financed bonds

CUMBERLAND COUNTY

Fairfield Township

Renovations and additions to two schools.

$15,505,245 -- total

$10,023,347 -- state

$500,000 -- transfer from capital reserve account

$4,981,898 -- locally financed bonds

GLOUCESTER COUNTY

Kingsway Regional

Acquire land for and construct a new middle school; renovations to the high school.

$24,817,305 -- total

$7,903,286 -- state

$16,914,019 -- locally financed bonds

Wenonah

Renovations and additions to the Wenonah Elementary School.

$3,899,011 -- total

$1,162,834 -- state

$2,736,177 -- locally financed bonds

HUNTERDON COUNTY

Clinton Township

Acquire land and construct a new middle school; renovations to existing schools.

$39,522,182.48 -- total

$7,262,867 -- state

$32,259,315.48 -- locally financed bonds

Delaware Valley Regional

Renovations and additions to the high school.

$9,809,342 -- total

$3,089,693 -- state

$6,719,649 -- locally financed bonds

Tewksbury

Additional funds required to proceed with a new school project that voters approved in September 2000.

$1,200,000 -- total

$0 -- state

$1,200,000 -- locally financed bonds

MONMOUTH COUNTY

Manalapan-Englishtown Regional

Additions and renovations to an elementary and middle school; renovations to four other elementary schools.

$48,826,316 -- total

$14,326,316 -- state

$34,500,000 -- locally financed bonds

Millstone Township

Construct a new middle school; addition and renovations to the existing middle school; renovations to the elementary school; and build a transportation facility.

$46,518,647 -- total

$6,618,647 -- state

$39,900,000 -- locally financed bonds

West Long Branch

Proposal 1: Construct a connecting building between two schools to house media center, computer labs and classrooms; renovations to a second school.

$7,645,999 -- total

$2,107,537 -- state

$5,538,462 -- locally financed bonds

Proposal 2: Refinancing of an outstanding 1994 lease-purchase.

MORRIS COUNTY

Mountain Lakes

Renovations and an addition to the Mountain Lakes High School.

$15,609,596.74 -- total

$4,689,404 -- state

$10,920,192.74 - locally financed bonds

SALEM COUNTY

Upper Pittsgrove Township

Repair and renovate the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system at Upper Pittsgrove Elementary School.

$1,314,126 -- total

$688,183 -- state

$625,943 -- locally financed bonds

SOMERSET COUNTY

Somerset Hills Regional

Construct expansion and renovate the elementary school, middle school and the high school.

$51,313,333 -- total

$10,175, 692 -- state

$41,137,641 -- locally financed bonds

SUSSEX COUNTY

Sparta Township

Construct a new elementary school and additions and alterations to Sparta High School.

$24,855,396 -- total

$5,714,215 -- state

$19,141,181 -- locally financed bonds