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P.O. Box 909 ● Trenton, NJ 08605-0909 ● Phone: 609.695.7600 ● Fax: 609.695.0413 ● Web: www.njsba.org/PI |
NEWS RELEASE CONTACT: Frank Belluscio (fbelluscio@njsba.org) FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Mike Yaple (myaple@njsba.org) (609) 278-5202 VOTERS APPROVE $401.5 MILLION IN SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION
Approximately $109.4 Million Eligible for State Funds A number of communities had multiple questions on the ballot yesterday. In total, voters acted on 49 construction questions and approved 27, or 55.1%, of the proposals—the lowest rate of approval for construction plans since enactment of the facilities act in July 2000. Until yesterday’s results, voters had approved 72% of the construction plans presented previously this year. The $837.8 million proposed on the September 27 ballot represented the largest number of construction proposals ever presented to voters on a single day and, by far, the largest dollar amount, according to NJSBA. [September 27 election results are listed at the end of this news release.] For local school districts, a major question that remains is how the state plans to address its responsibility, under the facilities act, to fund its share of approved school costs, according to NJSBA. That decision will have an impact on the size of the bonds (that is, the amount of money school districts borrow) needed to finance the construction projects. Only $60 million remains in the facilities act fund for grants to non-Abbott districts, the New Jersey Schools Construction Corporation reported recently. (Those grants, provided up front, have enabled school districts to reduce the amount of money they needed to borrow for construction projects.) In comparison, more than $109.3 million of the $401.5 million authorized by voters on September 27 is eligible for state funds. Additionally, in Summit—one of 20 school districts where voters do not act on school finance proposals—a five-member Board of School Estimate yesterday approved a $16.9 million plan for additions and renovations, of which $4.3 million would be eligible for state funds. To date, the SCC has not indicated how the remaining $60 million in grants will be distributed to school districts where voters approved construction projects yesterday. Therefore, a large share of the state funding is expected to come to districts through debt service aid, instead of grants. Debt service aid is funded through the state budget and is provided to districts to help offset their bond payments. Debt service aid entitlements are determined by a formula. However, the actual amount appropriated each year is determined by the state Legislature through the appropriations process. State construction grants The Educational Facilities Construction and Financing Act of 2000 provided $8.6 billion of state funds for school construction—$6 billion for the 31 special needs, or Abbott districts, and the remaining $2.6 billion to fund at least 40% of state-determined eligible costs in all other districts. However, the New Jersey Schools Construction Corporation, the unit created by the McGreevey administration to oversee the funds and manage the Abbott projects, recently said there is approximately $60 million remaining for non-Abbott projects. At this point, it is unclear which projects approved on Tuesday will receive up-front grants—and which districts will receive their state funding through debt service payments over the life of the borrowing. In July, the New Jersey State Department of Education recommended that school boards include language in their ballot questions informing voters that the state’s share of the project could paid through either a grant or debt-service aid installments. Up to now, all school boards with successful bond referendums had requested the cash grants, although they had the option of receiving state funds through debt service payments. [Tuesday’s school construction election results follow.] ******** 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. ***** Tuesday, September 27, 2005
STATEWIDE TOTAL APPROVED - $401,587,152 (Amount requested – $837,889,778) Amount eligible for state grant or state debt service aid – $109,389,845 Buena Regional - APPROVED Construction of a new middle school and various renovations $22,534,969 – total cost $14,412,222 – amount eligible for state grant or state debt service aid Allendale - APPROVED Alterations and renovations at Brookside and $4,977,774 – total cost $1,991,109 – amount eligible for state grant or state debt service aid Addition and renovations to School No. 2 and acquire land. $17,063,601 – total cost $4,299,126 – amount eligible for state grant or state debt service aid Renovations to the physical education and health facilities at the $2,235,000 – total cost $352,850 – amount eligible for state grant or state debt service aid Northvale - APPROVED Replace roofs, install an intercom system, and drainage and other site improvements at the $1,534,500 – total cost $613,800 – amount eligible for state grant or state debt service aid Additions and renovations to the $5,813,427 – total cost $1,065,886 – amount eligible for state grant or state debt service aid Construction of a new intermediate school; additions and renovations to the Valley Middle School, and renovations to the Dogwood Hill Elementary School, Heights Elementary School and Manito Elementary School. $33,837,029 – total cost $7,986,256 – amount eligible for state grant or state debt service aid Additions and renovations to three schools $49,731,936 – total cost $14,483,239 – amount eligible for state grant or state debt service aid River Edge – APPROVED (all three questions) Proposal 1: Addition and renovations at the $16,341,385 – total cost $3,599,336 – amount eligible for state grant or state debt service aid Proposal 2 (contingent upon passage of Proposal 1): To construct four additional classrooms at the $1,184,400 – total cost $197,340 – amount eligible for state grant or state debt service aid Proposal 3 (contingent upon passage of Proposal 1): To construct an elevator at the $1,330,153 – total cost $532,061 – amount eligible for state grant or state debt service aid Tenafly – PROPOSAL 1 APPROVED/proposal 2 defeated Proposal 1: Additions and renovations the high school and middle school. APPROVED $33,400,000 – total cost $7,510,887 – amount eligible for state grant or state debt service aid Proposal 2 (contingent upon passage of Proposal 1): Install artificial turf at Geissinger Field and at the play areas at Maugham Elementary. defeated $960,000 – total cost Westwood Regional – defeated (all three questions) Proposal 1: Renovations and additions to all schools. $23,810,969 – total cost $6,052,409 – amount eligible for state grant or state debt service aid Proposal 2 (contingent upon passage of Proposal 1): Additional renovations at all schools $ 4,520,484 – total cost $1,365,348 – amount eligible for state grant or state debt service aid Proposal 3 (contingent upon passage of Proposal 1): Additional renovations at all school district school facilities $2,143,334 – total cost $857,334 – amount eligible for state grant or state debt service aid Additions and renovations to the Delran High School, Delran Middle School and the Delran Intermediate School, as well other improvements. $22,790,041– total cost $4,670,960 – amount eligible for state grant or state debt service aid To clean up mold and perform other improvements at three township schools, including video security systems at two middle schools. $15,486,140– total cost $6,066,912 – amount eligible for state grant or state debt service aid Westampton - APPROVED Construction of an addition and completion of other renovations to the $10,132,553 – total cost $3,588,548 – amount eligible for state grant or state debt service aid To resurface an all-weather track, and various parking and transportation facilities at the $800,000 – total cost $204,080 – amount eligible for state grant or state debt service aid Proposal 1: Additions and renovations at the $47,308,248 – total cost $16,716,573 – amount eligible for state grant or state debt service aid $105,000 – $840,000 – NJ Department of Community Affairs for the Park Oval field renovations Proposal 2: Additions and renovations at the Radcliffe and $24,603,756 – total cost $9,315,092 – amount eligible for state grant or state debt service aid Proposal 1: Additions and renovations to $33,971,450 – total cost $8,678,725 – amount eligible for state grant or state debt service aid Proposal 2 (Contingent upon passage of Proposal 1): Improvements to the athletic fields and field lighting at Sellitto Field - defeated $1,450,000 – total cost Renovations to the Edison and $6,954,051 – total cost $2,911,692 – amount eligible for state grant or state debt service aid Pitman - APPROVED Renovations to the Kindle School, Memorial School, Pitman Middle School, Pitman High School and Walls School $4,229,741 – total cost $2,170,499 – amount eligible for state grant or state debt service aid Additions and renovations to the $12,672,604 – total cost $2,870,794 – amount eligible for state grant or state debt service aid Califon - APPROVED Addition and renovations to the $1,935,710 – total cost $583,680 – amount eligible for state grant or state debt service aid South Hunterdon Regional – APPROVED (both questions) Proposal 1: Additions and renovations to the middle/high School $16,239,342 – total cost $4,713,908 – amount eligible for state grant or state debt service aid Proposal 2 (contingent upon passage of Proposal 1): Construct an auditorium at the middle/high school. $4,653,002 – total cost $685,828 – amount eligible for state grant or state debt service aid Additions and renovations to 11 schools $51,064,589 – total cost $11,593,206 – amount eligible for state grant or state debt service aid To complete the $6,500,000 – total cost Renovations to all the district’s school facilities $45,920,275 – total cost $11,084,708 – amount eligible for state grant or state debt service aid Additions and/or renovations to seven schools $47,633,499 – total cost $9,494,580 – amount eligible for state grant or state debt service aid West Morris Regional - APPROVED Additional funds to cover expansion and renovation at two high schools for project approved by voters in 2004 $2,000,000 – total cost $2,000,000 – Transfer of funds from Capital Reserve Account Jackson Township – Proposal 1 defeated/PROPOSAL 2 APPROVED Proposal 1: Construction of a new elementary school $32,500,000 – total cost $9,197,860 – amount eligible for state grant or state debt service aid Proposal 2: Renovations to the $11,721,132 – total cost $6,282,595 – amount eligible for state grant or state debt service aid Renovations to four schools, and renovations and additions to one school $42,214,273 – total cost $15,342,988 – amount eligible for state grant or state debt service aid Little Construction of an early childhood facility; addition and renovations to the $26,849,826 – total cost $7,087,778 – amount eligible for state grant or state debt service aid Construction of a new school; additions and renovations to the $30,342,558 – total cost $6,507,275 – amount eligible for state grant or state debt service aid Proposal 1: To replace the heating system at the $1,654,688 – total cost $656,645 – amount eligible for state grant or state debt service aid Proposal 2 (Contingent on passage of Proposal 1): Security, electrical, public-address and other renovations to the $563,708 – total cost $230,713 – amount eligible for state grant or state debt service aid Addition or renovations to six schools and administrative offices $54,145,091 – total cost $9,496,452 – amount eligible for state grant or state debt service aid Renovations to eight schools $9,957,805 – total cost $3,412,650 – amount eligible for state grant or state debt service aid Proposal 1: Renovations to existing offices and classrooms $5,361,420 – total cost $1,625,366 – amount eligible for state grant or state debt service aid Proposal 2 (contingent upon passage of Proposal 1): Construction of additional classrooms and other facilities to the $2,321,269 – total cost $669,782 – amount eligible for state grant or state debt service aid Additions and renovations at the $10,241,201 – total cost $3,247,302 – amount eligible for state grant or state debt service aid Additions and renovations to three school facilities and to acquire two buses, a truck and band equipment $13,415,000– total cost $3,239,570– amount eligible for state grant or state debt service aid Blairstown – defeated Renovations to the $18,837,845 – total cost $2,944,085 – amount eligible for state grant or state debt service aid ###
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