Citizens Urging A Responsible Bond announced that it has launched a campaign opposed to the Haddonfield Board of Education’s $35.3 million school facilities bond.
CURB is a non-partisan, grassroots organization serving Haddonfield. The group, which is pro-schools and pro-responsible spending, is launching its Vote No campaign ahead of the BOE’s public bond referendum on Tuesday, March 8.
CURB spokesperson Christine Schultz, a Haddonfield resident and former member of the Haddonfield BOE, said that the group opposes the bond for several reasons.
“We are urging rejection of the BOE’s current bond because of its many flaws,” Schultz said. “Those flaws include the various nonessential projects, a lack of public input, and insufficient safeguards, among other things. We are strong supporters of our schools, which is precisely why we don’t want to see any school funding wasted.”
Haddonfield resident Walt Delengowski, a CURB supporter with decades of experience in maintenance engineering, said CURB’s founders include residents who have long advocated fixing the town’s aging school facilities.
“Several of us were instrumental in getting the Haddonfield Public Schools to finally investigate the poor condition of its school buildings this past year,” Delengowski said.
Delengowski believes that the bond is a step in the right direction, but he is concerned that it lacks important safeguards, like a citizens advisory board of professionals, to ensure that the school district’s poor track record on building maintenance will not continue.
CURB plans to inform voters about the bond’s shortcomings ahead of the March 8 vote, through its website at www.haddonfieldcurb.com, and through public presentations and other communications.
If the bond is approved, it will result in the average Haddonfield household paying an additional $7,500 over the term of the bond, just for this one bond. Costlier-than-average homes — essentially half the town — will pay more.
Importantly, CURB is urging the Haddonfield BOE to run one or more smaller bonds over a course of years beginning in September 2016, including an initial bond focused on the essentials only.
