Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the School Referendum topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
School officials ask Egg Harbor Township voters to approve $36M referendum to fund HVAC, classroom projects
Summary
District leaders told the township committee the March 10 referendum would finance $36 million in capital work — including HVAC replacements and classroom expansions — while keeping the debt-service levy steady and capturing roughly $8 million in state aid.
District leaders told the Egg Harbor Township Committee on Monday that a March 10 referendum would let the district complete major facilities work without raising the debt-service tax levy in the near term.
Dan Smith, the district’s business administrator, said the referendum would allow the district to issue bonds and capture about $8,000,000 in state debt-service aid toward a $36,000,000 program that includes HVAC replacements and added classroom space at Fernwood and Miller. “Our current debt service tax levy is about 5,400,000,” Smith said, adding the district’s goal is to keep that levy steady for the next three years then reduce it by 2031.
The proposal, presented by Dr. Guccio and business administrator Dan Smith, aims to finance rooftop-unit and chiller replacements, improvements to aging systems and future expansion. Smith used the chiller at Fernwood as an example of work that cannot be deferred: he said that project alone is roughly $4,000,000. He warned that a no vote would force the district to piecemeal projects, likely increasing long-term costs and shifting expenses to the general fund.
School officials also described outreach and logistics for voters. Smith told the committee the district has published details and an FAQ on the board website, mailed information to residents and is using digital channels to reach parents. He said a yes vote would allow the district to issue bonds “roughly in May” and start receiving state debt-service aid on a schedule tied to budget cycles. A no vote, he said, would make the district find alternate funding and could raise the general-fund levy to cover large projects.
Committee members and residents pressed for voting logistics. Officials said the district will rely on a consolidated set of polling places (10 locations) and mail-in ballots will be available; if results are close, final tallies may depend on mail-in returns and could take several days to be complete. Voters were directed to the Atlantic County Board of Elections website for assigned polling locations and times.
The committee took no formal vote on the referendum at the meeting. The district reiterated that the public hearing process and online materials are intended to help residents decide when they cast ballots on March 10.
