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Seaside Heights board authorizes design steps for bond referendum to upgrade HVAC, generator and IT at Hugh J. Boyd
Summary
The Seaside Heights Board of Education directed architects to prepare schematic plans and authorized submissions to the New Jersey Department of Education as initial steps toward a possible bond referendum to fund HVAC, a building generator and IT upgrades at Hugh J. Boyd Jr. Elementary; the resolution identifies March 10, 2026 as a potential election date.
The Seaside Heights Board of Education on Aug. 4, 2025 authorized Settembrino Architects to prepare schematic plans and educational specifications and directed district officials to pursue approvals and debt-service aid as initial steps toward a bond referendum to pay for facilities work at Hugh J. Boyd Jr. Elementary School.
The written resolution lists three projects for Hugh J. Boyd — HVAC system upgrades, installation of a building generator and IT infrastructure upgrades — and directs Settembrino to submit plans to the New Jersey Department of Education and the Ocean County superintendent for review. It also authorizes submission to municipal planning and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection "to the extent required by law," and instructs district officers to preserve the opportunity to present the projects to voters at a School District election on March 10, 2026, or another available date.
Board President Dr. Marko framed the facilities work as a response to ongoing mechanical problems at the school and raised questions about voter support. "It is no secret that the HVAC systems in the building have been problematic lately," Marko said, asking whether the proposals "will be a net-saving of taxpayer money, not just today but in the long-term future of Hugh J. Boyd" and whether the referendum would be supported by voters following a recent property-tax reassessment.
Public commenters pressed for technical detail. Miriam Schneider asked the board for clarification on what "HVAC Option 4" would include, and John Skinner provided an update on the current status of the building's HVAC system; both remarks were recorded during the public discussion on agenda items.
The resolution directs district leaders — the board president, superintendent and business administrator/board secretary — and Settembrino, with Wilentz, Goldman & Spitzer, P.A., as bond counsel, to take actions necessary to submit required documents and preserve the option of a referendum. The resolution text states it will take effect immediately; the meeting minutes include the resolution language but do not record a separate roll-call vote for this item in the transcripted text.
Why it matters: The work targets critical building systems at Hugh J. Boyd, a single-site elementary school in the Seaside Heights School District. If the district secures debt-service aid from the state and voters approve a bond, the projects would change campus infrastructure and could affect taxpayers depending on the referendum's scope and the level of state aid.
Next steps: The architects will prepare schematic plans and related documents for submission to the New Jersey Department of Education and other required agencies; the board and district staff will pursue debt-service aid applications and schedule any referendum in accordance with applicable timelines and approvals.
