READINGTON, NJ - On Nov. 4, Readington Township passed the proposed Readington Township school bond referendum, 5,233 to 2,771, and with it the construction of 83 different projects across the district.
Those projects will cost $38 million, $12.4 million of which comes from the state because the referendum passed, and the remaining $25.6 million from the district.
Board president David Rizza, at the board meeting following the election, thanked the public for voting to pass the referendum.
“I’d like to thank all voters for taking the time to learn about the referendum and vote,” Rizza said. “We had over 8,000 votes on this key initiative. Over the past year, the district and the board have been transparent about the referendum to ensure that the community can make an informed decision. Now that the vote has completed and the referendum has passed, the BOE will continue to be transparent as we move forward with next steps. Thank you for your trust in the BOE and the district. We take this responsibility seriously, and will continue to communicate with you clearly and often.”
Superintendent Jonathan Hart said he appreciates the work the district put in to inform the public about the referendum.
“It’s an incredible victory and I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to our amazing board of education, our dedicated staff, countless parents and community members who made this moment possible,” Hart said. “It wasn’t just a campaign, it was a powerful moment driven by our entire community coming together as one. When I think about this time last year, we were just beginning to plan and engage with stakeholders. And I’m overwhelmed really to think about what we’ve accomplished together in really just a short year. It’s the careful planning, every conversation we had, every connection we made that really has led us to this moment.”
Since approving the referendum in March, the district has been working to raise awareness. This includes sending out mailers to residents, hanging banners at schools, handing out materials at school events and hosting walkthroughs of each school outlining the proposed projects.
Rizza said the board and administration will work together to complete the referendum projects.
“In our 2025–2026 board goals, we stated for the referendum and strategic plan, the board will collaborate with the administration to launch enhanced communications to inform community members about the referendum,” he said. “The board will empower the finance committee, with the administration, to create a capital project plan regardless of the referendum outcome. The board will facilitate implementation of the strategic planning process in coordination with the administration.”
Hart said he was proud of the margin of victory the referendum passed by, showing the support from the community.
“A 2:1 ratio is something we should really be proud of when it comes to a referendum vote,” Hart said. “The grand total is most surprising too to me. 8,057 votes. That says to me that we really engaged our community in this endeavor. They showed up and they voted regardless of how their vote was. I feel like our community really had information about the referendum and we really did accomplish this, yes, together. And now the real fun begins.”
Next, Hart said, they will schedule meetings with the bond council, planning sessions with the architect and, in the finance committee meetings, schedule projects for the summer and beyond.
In the interest of transparency, Rizza said the website they’d been using to provide information about the referendum will be changed to one that provides updates about the referendum projects.
Hart thanked the various community organizations for their support that helped pass the referendum.
“The thoughtful community engagement we invested in wasn’t just about spreading the word, it was about really igniting the vision, and the vision for the future of Readington,” he said. “I’m very grateful to the individuals who stepped up, who took leadership roles, who passionately shared information and marketing materials about the referendum. These folks include the HSA, the key communicators group, members of the township committee, the parent volunteers who help make signs, local businesses like Sorella's, the Good Days Cafe, and others, the green committee members, the staff and the RTEA, preschool providers and so many others.”
In that same vein, Hart said he hopes that the district can put on a thank you event for the people that helped pass the referendum, either at the next board meeting or at some other point.
“But I think that really should be on a letter to the community, maybe do some invitations and talk with key communicators groups about where we want to go from now, from this point forward,” Hart said. “Maybe get balloons, you know, something fun, something to celebrate. So let's think about that. No decisions have to be made tonight, but let's think about how we want to celebrate this before we have to put pen to paper and get to doing some real work that's coming.”
Board member Pamela Cassidy said she was glad to have been a part of approving these projects.
“We played a significant part in funding the district for the next 20 years,” Cassidy said. “And I’m really excited to be a part of that and take this moment to really appreciate what this district has done and what Dr. Hart and your administration has been able to spearhead. I appreciate it.”
908-484-1600
Service Areas
