Cedar Grove board hears $62 million, two‑question referendum plan; reopening of LRP would depend on first question

The Cedar Grove Board of Education on June 10 heard a detailed presentation on a two‑question, $62 million referendum that would finance roof and HVAC work, high‑school science‑lab restorations, and a conditional reopening of LRP.

"We will be voting on the questions for the referendum," the board president said at the start of the meeting, introducing the presentation. Dr. T. then outlined project scope, financing and timing, saying the total project cost shown on the slides is $62 million and that state aid on the package is shown at just under $25 million.

The presentation said the local share would be about $37 million. Dr. T. identified projected household impacts from the presenter slides: Question 1 was listed with an estimated annual average cost per household of $384 (about $32 per month); Question 2 was listed on the slides as an estimated $249 annually (about $21 per month); Dr. T. said the combined estimated monthly impact if both questions pass is approximately $53. "I want to highlight two numbers up here for you," Dr. T. said while reviewing the slides.

Why it matters: presenters linked the plan to rising enrollment and aging facilities. Dr. T. said registered kindergarteners for September total 165 and that district projections put total enrollment near 640 by 2028–29, which the district presented as a primary driver for seeking classroom and capacity relief.

Project highlights listed by the district include targeted roof restorations across all four schools, replacement or modernization of HVAC units (the presenter noted several units at the middle school were not functioning and portable heaters were used this winter), restored science labs at the high school described as a safety and instructional priority, and AC upgrades for elementary sites. Slides also showed photos comparing current conditions and proposed restorations.

On LRP, Dr. T. said reopening the building as a 3‑4‑5 intermediate school would require classroom and restroom upgrades, campus circulation changes and a new access driveway connecting LRP through Panther Park; the presenter said consultants indicated the driveway is the only viable traffic solution identified to support reopening. The LRP reopening project was shown as contingent on passage of Question 1 and as modeled at roughly 40% state aid on that component.

Next steps: Dr. T. said that full materials and analysis will be posted on the district website and that a summer outreach "road show" of community forums is planned. The presentation listed a referendum vote date of September 15.

What the presentation did not resolve in the meeting: the board did not adopt final tax rates tonight (overlaying assumptions were shown in debt‑service charts), and several slide labels and local‑impact calculations in the transcript were presented in shorthand or were difficult to parse; the district promised fuller written materials on the website.

The board moved on to routine business after the presentation; community forums and posted slide decks were the next steps announced by the district.