At the Board of Education meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 16, Robert Garrison Jr. of Garrison Architects gave a presentation on the Building Excellence Referendum, which will be voted upon on Tuesday, Sept 30.
The referendum, created by the board, is asking local voters to authorize the district to raise funds through the sale of bonds to finance improvements to all six of the district’s school buildings.
According to Garrison, letters were sent to the district in February stating the state would pledge $13.7 million for improvements to all of the district facilities. Garrison along with a team of architects and some school members came together to present a long range facility plan for the 2013 grant program, part of the ROD Grant program, and were approved for the $13.7 million.
However the district doesn’t have it yet. The Board of Education must have this money approved by voters for it to be accepted; otherwise it goes back to the state.
The referendum is in two parts. Question 1 asks for the approval of work that includes $37.6 million of improvements to aging infrastructures at schools for exterior renovations, interior renovations, HVAC upgrades, and electrical/security and technology upgrades.
Question 2, which can only be considered if Question 1 is approved, is asking for an additional $5.2 million of work. This includes patching and paving of drives and parking lots at the schools, cafeteria table replacements at George C. Baker School, carpeting and flooring replacements at UES, theatre improvements and athletic fields improvements.
“The assets that we’re replacing, renovating are all assets that have served us very well that are at their, or are nearly at the end of their useful life,” said BOE President Don D. Mishler. “It’s getting to be unsafe.”
Some members of the public felt that the board was asking for renovations and improvements on items that didn’t need improvements. Rather, they suggested improvements to other things within the schools.
“I don’t think we should be focused on the new stuff that needs updating. Other things need to be replaced or done,” Bob Zieniuk, a Moorestown resident, said.
A full list of improvements, along with pictures of what is being improved, is available on the school district website.
The school board plans to take advantage of the ROD Grant programs from the NJ Department of Education. Under the ROD Grant program the district will get 37 percent aid reimbursement on Question 1, but no aid on Question 2 projects.
The district’s financial advisors made an estimate of tax impact, based on NJDOE approval of ROD Grants for the Referendum.
The tax impact for Question 1 is approximately $183 on a home of the average assessed value of $445,716, but due to a reduction of $185 on the average assessed home from debt retirement, the net impact would be a savings of $2.55 per household.
Approval of Question 2 will increase local taxes by $37.08 a year for the average property.
On the district website there is a Tax Impact Calculator so residents can see how the Questions would affect their personal taxes.
Voting will take place on Tuesday, Sept. 30 from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the following voting places: New Albany Road Recreation Center, Mary E. Roberts School, George C. Baker School, South Valley School and Upper Elementary School.
For more information, a question and answer document, and the taxes calculator please go the township schools website at www.mtps.com and go to Building Excellence Referendum the under the Board of Education tab.
In other news:
• After a delayed delivery, 130 of 140 smart boards were delivered to the schools. The smart boards should be installed throughout the district by mid-October.
• An obstacle run was held on Sept. 7, and it was a success. There were 320 runners participating in the obstacle run plus a mini-festival area. The run was collaboration between MTPS staff, parents, and local businesses. They are hoping to make it an annual event.
