On Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2019, voters in five school districts will act on five school construction ballot questions totaling nearly $333.7 million.
Meanwhile, as voters in five communities will be asked if they want to build something, voters in Lafayette, Sussex County, will be asked to break something – a 63-63 tie from the general election between two school board write-in candidates, Erin J. Vogler and Todd S. Deming.
The Hackensack Board of Education in Bergen County is asking voters to approve a new school building for grades seven through nine, and a new parking garage with 350 parking spaces.
Logan Township in Gloucester County is looking to make improvements to the Center Square School and the Logan Elementary/Middle School. Toms River wants to make upgrades throughout the district, while Warren Township in Somerset County would undertake boiler and roof repairs. Oxford in Warren County is seeking approval to improve security, and heating and cooling systems.
Jan. 22 is one of five dates during the year when school boards may ask voters to approve school construction proposals. Under the Educational Facilities Construction and Financing Act, the state will fund at least 40 percent of eligible school construction costs through annual debt service aid. Construction projects in all five districts are at least partially eligible for state funds.
Here are the statewide figures gathered by the New Jersey School Boards Association from the offices of the county clerks:
Statewide amount proposed – $333,654,933
State funding proposed– $103,764,027 (State reimbursement through annual debt service aid equaling at least 40 percent of eligible costs)
A synopsis of proposed construction projects follows:
Hackensack (Bergen County)
Construction of a new school building for grades seven through nine; construction of a new parking garage with 350 parking spaces; renovations and upgrades at existing schools throughout the district to accommodate expansion of full day Pre-K in neighborhood schools, and improvements to increase capacity across the district.
Total amount: $169,904,226
State funds: $41,388,670
Logan Township (Gloucester County)
Repairs and improvements to Center Square School and Logan Elementary/Middle School with no additional increase in taxes. Projects include roof replacement and exterior window replacement; site improvements including paving, additional parking spaces, and playgrounds. Upgrades include security vestibules, doors and a glass partition wall, conversion of showers to storage, and HVAC chiller replacement.
Total amount: $7,870,750
State funds: $3,148,300
Toms River, Ocean County
Repair and restore facilities at 18 school buildings, including safety and security upgrades; improving accessibility through the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA); heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) units and controls; door and window replacements; renovating and upgrading high-wear and high-use areas such as science labs and playgrounds, and repair and repaving of parking lots and driveways.
Total amount: $147,148,269
State funds: $55,625,404
Warren Township, Somerset County
Repairs and improvements including boiler and pump replacements at A. L. Tomaso School, Mt. Horeb School and the Middle School; window replacement at the Central School; roof replacement at the Middle School; and HVAC upgrades at the A. L. Tomaso School and the Central School.
Total amount: $6,446,588
State funds: $2,578,635
Oxford Township, Warren County
Planned improvements include security vestibule renovations, exterior door and window upgrades and exterior lighting and camera upgrades in the Pre-School-8th grade school. HVAC upgrades are also planned to replace the aging HVAC units and outdated operating system.
Total amount: $2,285,100
State funds: $1,023,018
Lafayette, Sussex County: Special Tie-Breaker Election
During the Nov. 6 general election, two school board write-in candidates tied with 63 votes each. The election will determine the winner between Erin J. Vogler and Todd S. Deming.