Voorhees opens Early Childhood Development Center; district outlines costs, funding and operations

Voorhees Township School District formally opened its Voorhees Early Childhood Development Center (ECDC) on June 2, and district officials at the June board meeting presented the timeline, funding and initial enrollment for the new preschool facility.

District leaders told the board the district closed on a former commercial building at 250 Haddonfield Berlin Road in Gibbsboro after state and local planning approvals, then renovated it into a 24-classroom preschool center. “On June 2, the students arrived, and it was an amazing day,” said the board secretary (board secretary report). The district reported 93 preschool students attended during the first week of operation.

The project’s budget and financing were a major focus. The district said the overall project estimate used in long-range planning was $18,000,000. The construction contract awarded in June 2024 to Weatherby Construction and Renovation Corp. was $14,598,000, which included a $300,000 allowance for unforeseen items. After three change orders — one involving a scope modification from a warming kitchen to a full-service kitchen and two other code-related and required modifications — the contract total rose to $15,244,003.76, the board was told. The district said separating the full-service kitchen change from the other adjustments would make the change order portion equal to about $72,007.85, or less than 1% of the contract value.

Funding for the project, the board said, did not require a bond referendum. The district reported the roughly $18 million total was comprised of $12,000,000 from capital reserve and a $6,000,000 preschool facilities expansion grant awarded by the state. “A bond referendum was not needed for this project,” the board secretary said, noting the grant and capital reserves covered the cost and avoided new debt service and a tax increase.

Officials explained the decision to convert the originally planned warming kitchen to a full-service kitchen. The district cited meal logistics and expected enrollment: ECDC will serve breakfast and lunch to students and the district expects its October 15 enrollment count next year may qualify the site for meal programs. The district also cited increased enrollment at ET Hamilton and the logistical difficulty of preparing and transporting meals from that building. To preserve classroom space, district staff said the new kitchen is relatively small and includes an external walk-in freezer. The district estimated kitchen completion in July 2025; until then, lunches for ECDC are being prepared and delivered from Signal Hill School.

District staff described other operational items tied to the site. A shared-services agreement with the Voorhees Township Police Department will supply a school resource officer (SRO) for ECDC beginning in September; the neighboring borough of Gibbsboro will share 21% of the SRO cost because Gibbsboro students occupy five of the center’s classrooms while Voorhees occupies 19. The district also noted a shared-services agreement with Camden County will cover solar-powered advanced school-warning beacon signs on County Route 561 (Haddonfield Berlin Road); the county requires the agreement because the signs sit in the county right-of-way. The district said the signs were already included in the construction contract and will not create additional cost beyond that contract.

Board members and administrators emphasized the facility’s features and community value. “This center is more than a new building. It is a promise kept,” Board President Watson said, noting the site will expand access for Voorhees preschoolers. Director of Buildings and Grounds Mr. Mathis summarized the site-selection process and planning-board approvals required because the building’s previous uses required a change of use and traffic study.

District officials also provided enrollment context: the preschool “universe” the district plans to serve is roughly 500 students, with the district using a multi-year plan to grow to that number. Administrators said the district will continue to add classrooms through private provider partnerships and district capacity to meet the projected enrollment within the five-year preschool expansion aid (PIA) timeframe.

Why it matters: The ECDC expands full-day preschool access in Voorhees without a local bond referendum, using capital reserve funds and a state grant. The project’s cost, change orders and shared-service arrangements affect operating budgets and interlocal relationships with Gibbsboro and Camden County.

What comes next: The district said it expects continued enrollment growth for 2025–26, completion of the kitchen in July 2025, and to bill Gibbsboro for its 21% share of operating costs tied to the classrooms it occupies.