news release

New Jersey School Boards Association, 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

CONTACT:        Frank Belluscio (fbelluscio@njsba.org)
                        Mike Yaple (myaple@njsba.org)

VOTERS APPROVE $191 MILLION IN SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION FUNDING

TRENTON, January 26, 2005—Voters on Tuesday approved school construction projects in five out of nine school districts, the New Jersey School Boards Association reported today. The amount of school construction authorized on Tuesday totaled $191 million.

More than $110 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 on Tuesday’s ballot would be funded by state and local sources as follows:

    Total project costs —$191,672,402  ($241,179,985proposed)

    State grants — $110,122,497   ($119,890,894 proposed)

    Locally financed bonds —$81,549,905  ($121,289,091 proposed)

     

Tuesday was the first date for school construction referendums in 2005. State law limits school bond elections to five specific dates; the next one is March 8. 

Non-construction question In addition to the nine bond referendums on Tuesday’s ballot, voters in the Lenape Valley Regional School District ( Sussex and Morris counties) voted against changing the manner through which its constituent municipalities are charged for their share of the regional district’s operating costs

The results of Tuesday's bond referendums are listed below.

New Jersey School Construction Referendum Results
Tuesday, January 25, 2005

ATLANTIC COUNTY

 Egg Harbor Township—Passed
Construct new elementary schools on C. J. Davenport Campus and the E. H. Slaybaugh Campus; additions and renovations to the Egg Harbor Township High School.
$55,095,913 – total
$32,043,397 – state grant
$23,052,516 – local bonds

BERGEN COUNTY

 Cresskill Borough—Passed
Addition and renovations to the Junior-Senior High School and renovations to two elementary schools.
$31,005,310 – total
$20,383,373 – state grant
$10,621,937 – local bonds

CAMDEN COUNTY

 Brooklawn Borough—Passed
Replace boilers and windows in the Alice Costello School
$1,072,595 – total
$668,681 – state grant
$403,914 – local bonds

GLOUCESTER COUNTY

Greenwich Township—Defeated
Addition to the Nehaunsey Middle School and various renovations to existing building.
$18,271,455 – total
$6,112,691 – state grant
12,158,764 – local bonds

MIDDLESEX COUNTY

North Brunswick Township—Passed
Additions and renovations to five elementary and middle schools.
$32,433,000 – total
$7,651,162 – state grant
$24,781,838 – local bonds

Piscataway Township—Defeated
Complete the construction of additions and renovations to 11 schools for a referendum previously approved by voters in March 2002.
$14,600,000 – total
$14,600,000 – local bonds

MONMOUTH COUNTY

Marlboro Township—Defeated
Additions and renovations to the Marlboro Early Learning Center
$8,953,439 – total
$1,318,288 – state grant
$7,635,151 – local bonds

OCEAN COUNTY

Barnegat Township—Passed
Additions and renovations five schools; construct a new Barnegat Elementary School
$72,065,584 – total
$49,375,884 – state grant
$22,689,700 – local bonds

SUSSEX COUNTY

Fredon Township—Defeated
Additions and renovations to the Fredon School
$7,682,689 – total
$2,337,418 – state grant
$5,345,271 – local bonds