NEWS RELEASE
CONTACT: Frank Belluscio (fbelluscio@njsba.org) FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Mike Yaple (myaple@njsba.org)
(609) 278-5202
Voters to Decide $347 Million in School Construction Tuesday
Trenton, December 6, 2007 - Voters in 14 school districts will go to the polls Tuesday to decide $347.7 million in proposed school construction, the New Jersey School Boards Association reported today.
Dec. 11 is the last of five days this year on which school boards could schedule referendum questions. So far in 2007, voters have approved 23 of 35 school-construction proposals for a total of $195.7 million. The next date that a school board can schedule a referendum question is March 11.
Of the $347.7 million that is being requested on Tuesday, more than $90 million would qualify for state aid. The state's share of school-construction costs is reimbursed through annual payments of debt service aid, which the state funds through its annual budget.
In addition to the 14 school construction proposals, voters in Great Meadows Regional School District, Warren County, will decide whether to change the method of apportionment, which calculates each community's cost of the school system. Currently, each community's share is based entirely on student enrollment. The ballot question would phase in over five years an apportionment system based 50 percent on pupil enrollment and 50 percent equalized property valuation.
A list of Tuesday's school construction proposals is below.
State total of proposed school construction: $347,722,201
Amount eligible for state facilities grant or state debt service: $90,074,797
ATLANTIC COUNTY
Egg Harbor City
Construct a new middle school, renovate and expand an elementary school
$26,626,330 – Total cost
$17,755,996 – Amount eligible for state reimbursement
BERGEN COUNTY
Westwood Regional
Renovations and additions to six schools
$16,672,075 – Total cost
$5,539,297 – Amount eligible for state reimbursement
BURLINGTON COUNTY
Chesterfield
Proposal 1: Construct a new school
$37,685,024 – Total cost
$6,493,172 – Amount eligible for state reimbursement
Proposal 2 (contingent upon passage of Proposal 1): Enlarge gymnasium in Proposal 1
$1,014,976 – Total cost
CAMDEN COUNTY
Oaklyn
Renovations and improvements to the Oaklyn School
$5,951,301 – Total cost
$2,380,520 – Amount eligible for state reimbursement
Voorhees Township
The completion of improvement projects which includes renovations to five schools
$10,199,428 – Total cost
$3,981,995 – Amount eligible for state reimbursement
ESSEX COUNTY
Caldwell-West Caldwell
Proposal 1: Renovations to seven schools
$14,765,222 – Total Cost
$5,586,566 – Amount eligible for state reimbursement
Proposal 2 (contingent upon passage of Proposal 1): Install synthetic turf and lighting at high school field
$2,443,466 – Total cost
GLOUCESTER COUNTY
Elk Township
Renovations and improvements to Aura School
$1,750,578 – Total cost
$863,728 – Amount eligible for state reimbursement
Delsea Regional
Renovations and improvements to middle school, high school, and bus garage area
$6,657,975 – Total cost
$4,175,153 – Amount eligible for state reimbursement
Deptford Township
Proposal 1: Renovations and additions to high school, middle school and six other schools
$69,374,545 – Total cost
$17,586,310 – Amount eligible for state reimbursement
Proposal 2 (contingent upon passage of Proposal 1): Various renovations including air conditioning to specialized instructional areas, stadium lighting, wireless Internet, upgrades to music rooms
$6,177,188 – Total cost
$2,359,155 – Amount eligible for state reimbursement
HUNTERDON COUNTY
Hampton Borough
Renovations and upgrades to elementary school
$3,368,656 – Total cost
$1,714,009 – Amount eligible for state reimbursement
MERCER COUNTY
Hamilton Township
Construct a new upper elementary school; renovations and additions to 24 schools and other district facilities
$80,970,000 – Total cost
$14,836,139 – Amount eligible for state reimbursement
MIDDLESEX COUNTY
Milltown
Renovations and/or additions to two schools
$7,207,668 – Total cost
$2,394,820 – Amount eligible for state reimbursement
Monroe Township
Additional funds necessary to construct the new high school approved by voters in December 2003
$41,900,000 – Total cost
OCEAN COUNTY
Toms River Regional
Renovations and/or additions to five schools
$14,957,769 – Total cost
$4,407,937 – Amount eligible for state reimbursement
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The New Jersey School Boards Association, a federation of district boards of education, advocates the interests of school districts, trains local school board members, and provides resources for the advancement of public education.
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