Fanwood and Scotch Plains officials outline Jan. 28 referendum to buy La Grande School and fund upgrades

Colleen Marr, mayor of Fanwood, sat down with Scotch Plains Mayor Josh Losarto and members of the Scotch Plains-Fanwood Board of Education on a community video to explain a two-question referendum that will appear on the Jan. 28 ballot.

Dr. Joan Mass, who leads the Board of Education, said the district’s elementary schools are ‘‘at capacity and beyond’’ and that ‘‘there isn't 1 extra classroom in any of our elementary schools,’’ forcing the district to use multipurpose spaces and stagger lunches. She said moving preschool programs into the La Grande School would free nine classrooms across the district.

‘‘The La Grande School would allow us to take our current preschool classes … and it would open up nine classroom spaces,’’ Dr. Mass said, describing how the purchase would create room for dedicated music rooms and normal classroom schedules.

The Jan. 28 ballot will include two questions, officials said. The first question covers acquisition of the La Grande School plus HVAC, electrical and fire-alarm upgrades; Dr. Mass said the district expects to receive about $11.4 million in state facilities aid that would offset much of the purchase and upgrade cost. ‘‘We will get $11,400,000 back from the state fund for putting in the HVAC, the fire alarms, and the electrical,’’ she said. The building price was given as roughly $10.4 million.

Officials gave cost estimates for taxpayers: Dr. Mass said the first question totals about $44.8 million and would cost the average taxpayer roughly $150 a year if approved. The second question would fund initial staffing and operations for La Grande — an annual increase of about $1.1 million that she said would translate to about $108 a year for the average taxpayer.

Officials emphasized why the district is pursuing a referendum rather than funding work through the operating budget. Dr. Mass said state facilities aid is only available when voters approve a referendum; relying on the annual operating budget would mean piecemeal work and would be slower and less efficient. "You really need the voter support," she said.

Speakers also outlined tradeoffs if the referendum fails. Dr. Mass warned the district would still need to address safety and infrastructure needs but without the state aid, and that doing so under the district’s 2% operating cap would stretch projects over many years. She said possible responses could include larger class sizes or even reversing full-day kindergarten, though she called that a ‘‘last resort.’’ Mayor Marr said the La Grande property is likely to be sold for residential development if not acquired, which could itself increase future enrollment pressures.

Officials contrasted buying La Grande with adding space to existing campuses, arguing that construction on single-story schools would be disruptive, require temporary trailers and cost more per classroom than purchasing and refitting the existing building.

The district has posted background and FAQs at spfk12.org/future, and officials urged voters to attend an informational open-mic session on Jan. 16 at 7 p.m. at Terrell Middle School. Dr. Mass said polls on Jan. 28 will be open from 2 to 8 p.m.; voters may also use mail-in ballots or drop them off at the Union County office.

Mayor Losarto and Mayor Marr closed by encouraging eligible voters in Fanwood and Scotch Plains to review the materials, attend outreach events and vote on Jan. 28. The board and administration said they will be available at public sessions to answer questions until ‘‘the last question is asked.’’