A special election March 11 should determine whether Willingboro Township Public Schools can go ahead with a total of $67.9 million in renovations and new construction.
New Jersey is to pick up $21 million of that cost. The remainder, a majority of the total, is to be covered by local taxpayers.
District officials' efforts to brief voters on the proposals continue Feb. 12 with a virtual town hall meeting. Visit willingboroschools.org/reimagine for the Zoom link.
A recording of the town hall is also to be posted to the website.
What would the Willingboro referendum accomplish?
The main stated goals are increasing classroom space, plus adding modern academic and physical education facilities.
What does Question 1 on the Willingboro ballot propose?
The question proposes repairing or replacing roofs at Willingboro High School, Memorial Middle School, James A. Cotten Intermediate School, Twin Hills and W.R. James Sr. elementary schools, and also at Garfield East and J. Cresswell Stuart early childhood development centers.
Other list items are: renovating middle school and high school science labs; transforming elementary school libraries into modern media centers; building gym annexes at the elementary schools; installing bathrooms in each preschool/kindergarten classroom; and improving safety and traffic flow for the parking lot at Garfield East Early Childhood Development Center.
The cost for these Question 1 projects combined would be about $49.7 million. School officials have said, however, that the district would expect $21 million in state aid to offset the total.
What does Question 2 on the Willingboro ballot propose?
District officials want to build an indoor track/basketball complex at Windover Lane, next to the Country Club Administration building. Its estimated cost is $18.2 million. No state aid is involved in this proposal.
The venue would include: a six-lane banked track with additional lanes for sprints; areas for jumping and pole-vault events, as well as other amenities; and two indoor basketball courts. School officials hope to use it to raise money as well through rental fees and sponsorships, with the revenue supporting academic programs.
Are the two Willingboro ballot questions linked?
Question 2 can not pass unless Question 1 is passed.
What would the school property tax impacts be from the projects?
The tax impact for Question 1 would be $14 per month for a home assessed at the average, which is $161,022. The tax impact for Questions 1 and 2 together would be approximately $23 per month for the same home.
If the referendum passes, the public should expect to see it reflected in their tax bills in August 2026.
Joe Smith is a N.E. Philly native transplanted to South Jersey 36 years ago, keeping an eye now on government in South Jersey. He is a former editor and current senior staff writer for The Daily Journal in Vineland, Courier-Post in Cherry Hill, and the Burlington County Times.
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