Interim superintendent lays out facilities referendum plan to cut class sizes, upgrade HVAC and add preschool capacity

Interim Superintendent Joe Bandorf told the Morristown Township Board of Education on Tuesday that the district is preparing a facilities referral package aimed at reducing class sizes and modernizing aging school buildings.

Bandorf said a district survey drew more than 1,000 responses and showed parents’ top priorities were academic excellence, STEM and arts, mental‑health supports and smaller class sizes. He outlined a plan that would move third graders into the Upper Elementary School, shift sixth graders into a reconfigured middle school, expand full‑day kindergarten and create space for preschool and additional programming.

"The district received those recommendations and they were lengthy," Bandorf said, describing work with an architect to assess building needs. He added that the state typically funds roughly 40% of eligible projects and that the district expects to forward a plan to the state by the end of July, but cautioned: "We don't know the answer to that question yet" when asked how much the local taxpayer share will be.

Bandorf stressed several infrastructure needs as drivers for the plan. He pointed to aging HVAC equipment in elementary buildings that use R‑22 refrigerant — parts and refrigerant are increasingly unavailable — and said modern systems would be more energy efficient and lower long‑term operating costs. The package would also address parking, traffic flow and playground and athletic facility upgrades, including plans for a full‑size middle‑school gym and improved fields.

On school design, Bandorf described the district's goal of creating "flexible learning spaces" with modular furniture and rooms that can be adapted year to year for changing grade populations and curricular needs. He said the reconfiguration is presented as a fiscally responsible alternative to building an entirely new early‑childhood center, which the district concluded would be less affordable and require property the district does not currently own.

Members of the public pressed administration for more detail on costs and enrollment trends. Cely Coleman, a resident who spoke during public comment, said she had reviewed county enrollment figures and asked whether the district was proposing a permanent solution to what some see as a temporary enrollment spike.

"I went back and did my research... I saw from what's posted online from 2017 that our enrollment has increased," Coleman said, asking for data the district could share to justify long‑term construction.

Bandorf responded that the district must consider preschool and full‑day kindergarten needs not currently accommodated in existing buildings and reiterated the timeline: if approved locally, construction would be expected to begin only after state review and typically takes about two years to phase in; the district still needs to finalize which projects the state will deem eligible and the dollar amounts involved.

Board members asked about interim solutions while the district awaits state decisions; Bandorf said the referendum—if approved—would not immediately produce construction but that planning and community engagement will continue, including office hours for board members and ongoing outreach with Home and School and other community partners.

Next steps: the board discussed and signaled support to continue preparing a state submission and further public information sessions; a final proposal, budget and timetable will depend on the architect's prioritized recommendations and the state's determination of eligible aid.