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Superintendent Kim Feltry urges Berkeley Heights voters to approve two school-facility referendums on March 10, 2026
Summary
Superintendent Kim Feltry asked Berkeley Heights residents to vote March 10 on two referendums to fund districtwide facility upgrades, saying Question 1 is structured to be tax-neutral while Question 2 would raise local taxes and is contingent on Question 1 passing.
Superintendent Kim Feltry urged Berkeley Heights residents to vote on March 10, 2026, on two referendum questions that would fund upgrades across the district's six schools.
Feltry said Question 1 would cover media center improvements, parking lot and site work, security and technology upgrades at all six schools and a partial roof replacement at Woodruff Elementary School. "Question 1 is structured to be tax neutral because existing debt service payments are ending," she said, adding that Question 1 can pass while Question 2 could fail.
Question 2, Feltry said, would fund science and STEM lab renovations at Governor Livingston High School and Columbia Middle School, major mechanical, electrical and plumbing upgrades across the district, and additional roof replacements. "Question 2 would have a tax increase for residents if approved," she said. "On the average home of $318,947 this tax increase would be $250.37 per year or $20.80 per month." She directed residents to the district's referendum webpage to calculate their specific tax impact.
Feltry explained the two measures are interdependent: Question 2 cannot pass unless Question 1 also passes, though Question 1 may pass on its own. She framed the referendums as a response to urgent facility needs she observed after joining the district in January, citing emergency heating repairs at Governor Livingston High School and a defunct alarm panel at Columbia Middle School.
"These upgrades are critical to providing a safe, modern, and competitive education for our students," Feltry said. "This referendum will ensure those upgrades are made. Please get out and vote on 03/10/2026." The district did not take a formal vote during this announcement; the measures will be decided by voters on March 10.
If residents want more detail on projected tax impacts, Feltry advised using the referendum page on the district website to run household-specific calculations.
