Five Central Jersey school districts will hold referendums on Tuesday, March 11, to seek voter approval on facility improvements and a sixth will ask voters to exceed the state-mandated budget cap.
The polls will be open 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. in Flemington, Raritan Township, Manville, Somerville and Warren. In North Brunswick, the polls will be open 2 to 8 p.m. and in South Amboy, the polls will be open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Statewide there will be 16 school districts with construction proposals or other questions on Tuesday's ballot.
Statewide bonding amount proposed is $742,693,445 with state funds covering $241,271,538.72
Under the Educational Facilities and Construction and Financing Act of 2000, the state will fund at least 40% of eligible school construction costs through annual debt service aid.
Flemington-Raritan school referendum
Voters in Flemington and Raritan Township will decide whether to exceed the state's budget cap by $2.38 million to keep 30 teachers on staff and hire Class III security officers.
The additional money would fund:
If the referendum passes, the school property tax for the two towns in the K-8 district could rise by 6%.
In Flemington, on a house assessed at $400,000, annual school taxes could rise from $3,948 to $4,413, about $5 a month.
In Raritan Township, on a house assessed at $600,000, annual school taxes could rise from $8,069 to $8,455, about $32 a month.
Manville school referendum
The school board is asking borough residents to approve $7.74 million for improvements, alterations, renovations and upgrades at Manville High School, Alexander Batcho Intermediate School, Roosevelt School and Weston School.
The cost of the projects at each school:
The state will fund $4.49 million with the rest coming from the school district's capital account.
School officials say passage of the referendum will result in no school tax increase to fund the work.
North Brunswick school referendum
North Brunswick residents will be voting on two bond proposals.
In the first proposal, the school district is seeking approval for $52.5 million for the following projects:
The cost for each school:
State funds will pay for $21 million of the cost.
The second question, which can only pass if voters approve the first question, proposes $11.28 million for replacement of windows and doors at John Adams, Arthur Judd, Livingston Park, Parsons, Linwood and the high school.
The amount for each school in the second question:
The state will fund $4.51 million of the cost of this part of the project.
School officials say passage of the referendum questions will result in no school tax increase to fund the work.
Somerville school referendum
Borough residents will vote on two bond proposals.
In the first question, the Board of Education is asking for $23.2 million for the following projects:
The cost for each school:
State funding is $8.36 million.
The second question, which can only pass if voters approve the first question, proposes $20.8 million for:
State funding would be $198,655 for this part of the project.
If the first question is approved by voters, the owner of an average assessed home in Somerville ($275,734) would see a net property school tax decrease of $12 per month. If both questions are approved, the owner of an average assessed home in Somerville would see a net property school tax increase of $14 per month.
South Amboy school referendum
The school board is asking voters to approve $35.65 million for the following projects:
The amount for each school is:
State funding will be $10.65 million.
School officials say if the referendum passes, the annual school property tax increase to pay for the work would be $474.48 for a home with an average assessment of $274,817.
Warren school referendum
The Board of Education is asking township voters to approve $8.54 million for:
The cost for each school:
State funding would be $3.4 million.
School officials say passage of the referendum questions will result in no school tax increase to fund the work.
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