Moorestown board approves submission of $110.3 million-plus school project applications to state ahead of March referendum

The Moorestown Township Board of Education on July 31 approved a resolution authorizing district architects to submit a portfolio of referendum project documents to the New Jersey Department of Education, a step officials said is required to determine the state’s share of reimbursement before a possible March 11, 2025 public vote.

Board President Mr. Villan read the resolution and the board approved it by roll-call vote. The submissions will let the state evaluate eligibility and preliminary funding amounts; the district is not yet placing a final referendum package before voters, officials said.

The package presented to the board and the public includes a broad slate of upgrades and additions across district facilities. According to the architects’ presentation, the total cost of projects being submitted is about $110.3 million, broken down roughly as $71.5 million for space and student-oriented additions (including a two-story sixth-grade wing and classroom additions), about $17.5 million for infrastructure (HVAC, boilers, partial roof replacements), $8.1 million for safety and security upgrades (fire alarms, PA/clock systems and messaging), and about $13.3 million for campus expansion items such as parking, traffic-flow improvements and relocation of the bus depot.

"We are not voting on a referendum here tonight — we're voting on an application to the state to determine what monies the state will reimburse us for," Mr. Bandorf, a district official, told the board and public. He and the architects stressed that the state’s preliminary eligibility letters will inform what is ultimately presented to voters and the district’s local share.

George Duthy, a principal with FHD Architects, said some projects are likely to qualify for significant state aid — up to approximately 40% of certain eligible costs — and explained the district will submit multiple building-level applications to maximize flexibility. "There's a lot of room to work with on these sites," Duthy said, describing proposed work at the high school, middle school, three elementary schools and the Upper Elementary School site.

Major elements highlighted in the presentation included: a two-story middle-school wing to house sixth grade (12 classrooms) and a full-size gym with bleachers; reconfigurations at the three elementary schools to create flex classroom space for full-day kindergarten; renovations to high-school cafeteria and technology spaces; replacement or upgrades to aging HVAC and boiler systems; fire alarm and PA system replacements; playground and perimeter-security improvements; and a plan to relocate the district bus depot to the Upper Elementary School parcel to free space and improve on-campus parking and traffic circulation.

The architects also discussed athletic upgrades, including proposed synthetic-turf fields (two at Bridge Barrow Road and one behind the high school). Duthy noted the state often treats drainage costs associated with turf as eligible components, which can make turf fields worth pursuing in the applications.

Officials said the district will submit the applications to the New Jersey Department of Education in early August, expect preliminary eligibility and cost letters by the end of 2024, and — if the board finalizes a locally funded share to present to voters — hold a referendum on March 11, 2025. Construction phasing will be driven by design approvals and the need for swing space; architects estimated some additions might be ready for occupancy as early as the 2027–28 school year, while a full multi-year phased program is likely to span roughly three to four years.

During the single public-comment period, residents raised questions about operating and staffing impacts, construction phasing and debt service timing. Cameron Ravenue asked how a larger facility would affect the operating budget; officials said some operational costs (for example, maintenance of grass fields) could be offset by new systems or synthetic turf while other costs (custodial, utilities) could rise, and that the district would manage staffing and operating impacts through future budgets. Resident Cely Coleman asked about completion timing; architects said early occupancy could be 2027–28 but cautioned that procurement and lead-time issues could extend phasing. Kate Wilson asked about application strategy and the debt schedule; officials confirmed debt service currently scheduled to roll off in 2029 could be used strategically to mitigate near-term local tax impacts.

The resolution authorizes the architect to submit the district’s listed project documents to the New Jersey Department of Education and states the district will seek debt-service aid for the submitted projects. The board approved the measure by roll-call vote and adjourned the special meeting. Next steps include the state’s review of the submitted applications and continued community engagement (public meetings were scheduled for Aug. 22 and Aug. 29), followed by additional board sessions this fall to refine which projects the board will place on a referendum ballot.