FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Frank Belluscio (fbelluscio@njsba.org)
Mike Yaple (myaple@njsba.org)
(609) 278-5202
TRENTON, September 25, 2002—Voters approved more than 85% of the school construction proposals that appeared on the ballot yesterday, according to the New Jersey School Boards Association. Construction referenda took place in 27 school districts where voters acted on one or more proposals.
The approved construction plans amount to $427.6 million—or 75.4% of the total spending proposed in yesterday’s elections. Of the approved amount, 25.4% will be funded by state grants under the Educational Facilities Construction and Financing Act of 2000. Locally financed bonds will underwrite the remainder of the costs.
Construction plans approved on Tuesday will be financed by state and local sources as follows:
Total project costs -- $427,685,871.54
State grants -- $117,226,565
Locally financed bonds -- $310,459,306.54
“The election results show that, even in a flagging economy, New Jersey’s citizens understand the education needs of their communities and support their schools,” said Edwina M. Lee, NJSBA’s executive director. “Local boards of education make every effort to communicate these needs to the community in an objective way so that voters can make informed decisions.”
Impact of Facility Act NJSBA statistics also show that the state grants, available under New Jersey’s 2000 facilities act, have made a significant impact on the success of school construction proposals. Voter-approval rates increased from 53% in 1997 to approximately 75% after enactment of the facilities act, according to NJSBA.
Lee explained that the facility act increased state funding eligibility for all school districts, reducing the amount of debt communities had to incur.
“Before the 2000 facilities act went into effect, 240 school districts were not eligible to receive any state aid for school construction; another 108 districts had less than one-fourth of their project costs covered by the state,” Lee noted. The facilities act provides a minimum of 40% state funding for “eligible” school construction costs.
Previous Election Results. Yesterday’s election was the fourth of five “Super Tuesdays” set aside by state law for school construction referenda. In elections held in 51 school districts in January, March and April of 2002, voters authorized $708.45 million in construction projects—approximately three-quarters of the $949.3 million placed on the ballot. State grants will cover almost $219 million of the approved amount.
In 2001, New Jersey voters approved three-quarters of the 67 construction proposals placed on the ballot. The proposals approved in 2001 represent $970.1 million in construction spending, of which $272.6 million will be supported by state grants.
[A district-by-district listing of September 24, 2002 election results follows.]
SEPTEMBER 24, 2002
New Jersey School Boards Association
Voters approved school construction projects totaling more than $427.6 million in on Tuesday, September 24. Elections took place in 27 school districts. Below is the list of the school districts holding elections and details about the construction proposals.
Bogota
Proposal: APPROVED Additions and renovations to the E. Roy Bixby Elementary School and the Lillian M. Steen Elementary School.
Amount: $13,127,686.50 – total cost
$3,885,548 – state grant
$9,242,138.50 – locally financed bonds (unspent proceeds from bond issue approved in 1998)
South Hackensack
Proposal: APPROVED Addition, renovations and repairs to the Memorial School (new science labs and prep rooms, new classrooms and other upgrades).
Amount: $8,306,877 – total cost
$2,015,395 – state grant
$6,291,482 – locally financed bonds
(A potential grant from the Port Authority of NY/NJ for noise abatement—estimated at $1,180,629—may reduce the actual amount of the local bond and may alter the state grant.)
Northern Highlands Regional
Proposal I: APPROVED Addition and renovations to high school, including science labs, prep rooms, new classrooms, expanded fitness center for school and community, TV studio, upgraded music facilities, computer aided design lab.
Amount: $17,418,000 – total cost (Proposal I)
$2,984,005 – state grant
$14,433,995 – local bonds
Proposal II: APPROVED Expansion of cafeteria and addition to parking lot.
Amount: $1,029,000 – total cost (Proposal II)
$1,029,000 – locally financed bonds
Rutherford
Proposal: APPROVED Additions and renovations to the High School and Lincoln, Union and Washington Elementary Schools; renovation to Pierrepont and Sylvan Schools. Project will enable grade reconfiguration of school district to K-3, 4-8 and 9-12 schools.
Amount: $30,622,444 – total amount
$8,202,125 – state grant
$22,420,319 – locally financed bonds
Wood-Ridge
Proposal I: APPROVED Addition to the Catherine E. Doyle Elementary School; addition and renovation to the Wood-Ridge Middle/High School, including library addition, boiler replacement, ventilation replacement, and installation of elevator to meet federal Americans with Disabilities Act requirements.
Amount: $8,459,000 – total cost (Proposal I)
$2,746,000 – state grant
$5,713,000 – locally financed bonds
Proposal II: APPROVED Expansion of the multipurpose room at the Catherine E. Doyle Elementary School and the renovation of the Wood-Ridge Middle/High School to convert home economics space to two classrooms and to air condition the auditorium.
Amount: $1,980,000 – total cost (Proposal II)
$672,000 – state grant
$1,308,000 – locally financed bonds
Burlington County
Washington Township
Proposal: REJECTED New elementary school, including community multi-purpose rooms.
Amount: $5,651,707 – total cost
$1,478,646 – state grant
$1,773,061 – locally financed bonds
$2,400,000 – Capital Reserve Account transfer (represents a municipal government contribution toward the construction and use of the proposed multi-purpose room)
Berlin Borough
Proposal: APPROVED Additions and renovations to the Berlin Community School, including classrooms, offices, multi-purpose room, gymnasium and the upgrade, repair and/or replacement of computer lab.
Amount: $7,592,995 – total cost
$2,681,050 – state grant
$4,911,945 – locally financed bonds
Proposal: APPROVED Additions and renovations to Avalon Elementary School
Amount: $7,308,796.73 – total cost
$1,612,071 – state grant
$5,696,725.73 – locally financed bonds
Millburn Township
Proposal I: APPROVED Additions, renovations and rehabilitation of Hartshorn, Wyoming, Deerfield and Glenwood Elementary Schools and Millburn High School; renovation and rehabilitation of South Mountain Elementary School and Millburn Middle School.
Amount: $18,008,655 – total amount (Proposal I)
$5,513,229 – state grant
$12,495,426 – locally financed bonds
Proposal II: REJECTED Installation of a synthetic surface on high school athletic field.
Amount: $1,390,000 – total cost (Proposal II)
$56,000 – state grant
$1,334,000 – locally financed bonds
North Caldwell
Proposal: APPROVED Construction of additions and renovations at the Grandview Elementary School and renovations at Gould Mountain Elementary School.
Amount: $9,951,513.90 – total cost
$1,316,198 – state grant
$8,635,315.90 – locally financed bonds
Proposal I: APPROVED Additions and renovations to West Essex Regional High School; renovations at West Essex Regional Middle School.
Amount: $37,102,501 – total cost (Proposal I)
$8,617,459 – state grant
$28,485,042 – locally financed bonds
Proposal II: REJECTED (Contingent upon voter approval of Proposal I) H.S. athletic field improvements, including installation of synthetic surface, lighting, drainage and grading.
Amount: $4,542,500 – total cost (Proposal II)
$4,542,500 – locally financed bonds
CLEARVIEW REGIONAL
Proposal: APPROVED Additions and renovations to Clearview Regional High School and Clearview Regional Middle School.
Amount: $38,827,814 – total cost
$14,960,583 – state grant
$23,867,231 – locally financed bonds
Proposal: APPROVED Improvements/renovations to the South Harrison Elementary School.
Amount: $1,463,262 – total cost
$576,732 – state grant
$886,530 – locally financed bonds
Proposal I: APPROVED Physical plant improvements and replacements at the Clarendon Elementary School and the Huber Street School and the renovations and additions to the Middle/High School.
Amount: $9,823,448 – total cost (Proposal I)
$3,642,262 – state grant
$6,181,186 – locally financed bonds
Proposal II: APPROVED 1,000-seat auditorium at Middle/High School and reconfiguration of parking lots/access roads to accommodate addition.
Amount: $4,590,552 – total cost (Proposal II)
$486,864 – state grant
$4,103,688 – locally financed bonds
East Amwell Township
Proposal: APPROVED Purchase land for playing field at East Amwell School, potential septic system replacement and/or future school expansion.
Amount: $373,000 – total cost
$373,000 – locally financed bonds
Flemington-Raritan Regional
Proposal: APPROVED New middle school, including acquisition of 40-acre site.
Amount: $39,225,000 – total cost
$5,976,614 – state grant
$33,248,386 – locally financed bonds
Proposal: APPROVED Addition to Kingwood Township School, including new general classrooms, a science lab and adjacent prep room and storage, a large-group instructional space, and lavatory facilities; additional renovations/modernizations of physical plant.
Amount: $4,546,000 – total cost
$1,175,720 – state grant
$3,370,280 – locally financed bonds
Proposal: APPROVED Additions and alterations to Hightstown H.S., Kreps Middle School and the McKnight, Rogers, Drew and Black Elementary Schools.
Amount: $64,468,708 – total cost
$20,609,322 – state grant
$43,859,386 – locally financed bonds
Spotswood
Proposal: APPROVED Additions and renovations to Spotswood High School, Memorial Middle School, Appleby School and Schoenly School.
Amount: $15,964,612 – total cost
$5,445,310 – state grant
$10,519,302 – locally financed bonds
Proposal: REJECTED New high school, including land acquisition; addition and renovations for conversion of Applegarth School to an elementary school; addition and renovations to the Brookside School; renovation of existing Monroe High School for conversion to a middle school.
Amount: $113,261,588.31 – total cost
$15,288,438.00 – state grant
$97,973,150.31 – locally financed bonds
Proposal I: APPROVED Addition, repairs and renovations to the Matawan Avenue Middle School.
Amount: $15,165,646.40 – total cost (Proposal I)
$4,042,559 – state grant
$11,123,087.40 – locally financed bonds
Proposal II: APPROVED Repairs, renovations and improvements to Matawan Regional High School, the Cliffwood Avenue School, the Lloyd Road School, the Ravine Drive School and the Strathmore School.
Amount: $21,701,817.01 – total cost (Proposal II)
$6,864,608 – state grant
$14,837,209.01 – locally financed bonds
Proposal: APPROVED Addition and renovations to the Henry Hudson Regional School.
Amount: $14,600,000 – total cost
$4,259,291 – state grant
$10,340,709 – locally financed bonds
Proposal: REJECTED Addition and alternations to the Manasquan Elementary School. work.
Amount: $14,318,777 – total cost
$4,152,755 – state grant
$10,166,022 – locally financed bonds
Proposal: APPROVED Construction of additions and renovations to the Franklin Elementary School, Jefferson Elementary School, Kennedy Elementary School, Lincoln/Roosevelt Elementary School, Nixon Elementary School, Eisenhower Middle School and Roxbury High School.
Amount: $26,980,000 – total cost
$6,468,636 – state grants
$20,511,364 – locally financed bonds
Proposal: APPROVED Addition and renovations to the Island Heights Elementary School.
Amount: $1,400,000 – total cost
$306,493 – state grant
$1,093,507 – locally financed bonds
Passaic Valley Regional High School District #1
Proposal I: APPROVED Alterations and renovations to the Passaic Valley High School.
Amount: $2,417,774 – total cost (Proposal I)
$787,777 – state grant
$1,629,997 – locally financed bonds
Proposal II: APPROVED Installation of all-weather track at Passaic Valley High School.
Amount: $625,769 – total cost (Proposal II)
$625,769 – locally financed bonds
Washington Borough
Proposal: APPROVED Renovations and additions to the Washington Memorial School (multi-purpose room, conversion of gym to cafeteria, kitchen, new roof); renovations at the Taylor Street School (new boiler and electric system upgrades).
Amount: $4,605,000 – total cost
$1,378,714 – state grant
$3,226,286 – locally financed bonds