Moorestown board delays March referendum as residents oppose proposed bus depot near elementary school

The Moorestown Township Public School District board said at the start of the meeting that it will not place referendum questions on the March ballot because the district received required state materials only hours earlier and cannot meet the county’s 60-day filing deadline. The chair said, “We are going to not have a referendum vote in March,” and indicated the next likely date is September 2025.

The board opened a public-comment period during which multiple residents urged the district to drop a plan to relocate the bus depot adjacent to the Upper Elementary School (UES). A resident speaker warned that “benzene and gas is known to cause leukemia in kids” and asked the board to consult medical professionals before proceeding. Several commenters said placing buses nearer classrooms and playgrounds would heighten diesel and gasoline fume exposure and pose safety risks to children who currently walk or bike to school.

Irfan Majeed, who said he lives in Moorestown Hunt, told the board the neighborhood includes about 300 residents whose children use a trail to reach UES and that a depot beside that route would likely reduce biking: “If you guys decide that that bus depot gets put in beside our home, my wife and I just don't feel comfortable having our children, you know, bike to school anymore.” He urged the district to consider shared-service options or sites outside the township.

Brandon Pugh, who said he previously served on the board, said he supports the concept of a facilities referendum but opposed including the bus-depot relocation, warning it could become a “lightning rod” that risks broader referendum support. Pugh reported a petition and said, “Our petition we sent you is over 2 270 signatures,” later adding, “I think it'll round out probably over 500,” comments the transcript records but that appear inconsistent; the exact petition count was not specified by the speakers.

Amy Carney and other residents emphasized loss of playing fields and increased traffic. Carney said the plan would take “about a third of that field away from play” and urged the district to find an alternative site, inside or outside Moorestown. Rob Barr, a first-time attendee, said residents needed a clearer case for the relocation’s benefits. Michael Bridal warned of political consequences if the depot remained on a ballot, saying, “You lost it in 2019,” and urging removal of the depot proposal.

Board members framed the immediate decision as procedural: because required materials arrived only hours before the meeting, staff and the board do not have sufficient time to prepare referendum questions and to meet county filing deadlines. The board closed public comment and adjourned; members noted a reorganization meeting scheduled for the next night. The district did not take a formal vote on any referendum question or site selection at this meeting.