It’s offical. In early 2006, Plainsboro and West Windsor voters will be faced with the $25 million question — a referendum on repairs and capital improvements in West Windsor-Plainsboro District schools.##M:[more]##
After years of discussion about some of the district’s older buildings being in a state of disrepair — especially High School South — the school board voted unanimously on June 28 to hold the referendum. If the special election is approved by the state Department of Education, the vote will likely be held on January 24 or March 14.
But after first saying last month that it was likely to seek a $25 million capital improvement referendum, then upping that possibility to $30 to $35 million, the school board finally settled on its original $25.195 million at its meeting on June 28. “The board was just considering various numbers before finally settling on one figure,” says Gerri Hutner, the district’s public information officer.
Although the amount of the referendum has been agreed upon, a final list of projects has not yet been determined. “I was very concerned about the doing something about the concept of open classrooms at High School South,” says Liyou Yang, board member from Plainsboro. “But surveys of students and teachers at South indicated that it wasn’t a very serious issue.” Nonetheless, it was a serious issue with parents. “When parents would go to parents’ night that would experience first hand,” says Yang. “They said it wasn’t the most desirable way to provide the best teaching.”
In addition, the chronic shortage of classroom space at South was another problem. “South routinely has about 98 percent of its rooms being used and it should be at about 80 percent,” says Yang.
The district had initially considered idea of purchasing dividers between classrooms — at a cost of $400,”000 — in order to make open classrooms less open. While this was something that Yang said was a viable option, it was not a part of the project presentation at the June 28 meeting. Nor was the issue of the shortage of classroom space. “I, along with Pat Bocarsly and Henry Wieck felt not enough was being done to alleviate the classroom problem at South,” says Yang.
The plan did include $7.6 million allotted for a gymnasium at South. Wieck made a compromise proposal to reduce some of the gymnasium costs and instead provide at least two and perhaps four additional classrooms at South. “This will allow the flexibility to put the most sensitive classroom space separate from the open classrooms,” says Yang.
Despite the added burden of capital improvements, district officials say that if a referendum is approved by voters, they are still not likely to see an increase in taxes because two earlier bonds will be retiring in the fall: the 1986 building of Community Middle School and the 1988 bonds for Millstone River School.
Although some members of the Village Grande Civic Association, an influential watchdog group of West Windsor residents, have expressed concern over the referendum’s impact on taxpayers, board member Richard Kaye — also a member of the association — has no such qualms. “I think it brings some important needs to the public and right now we are working through the final list of projects that will be covered,” says Kaye.
In addition to the $25 million referendum, the board will also present a second question to the public in hopes of raising the total available for capital improvements by $2.3 million ($1.15 million each) to install synthetic turf fields at High School North and High School South that could be used year-round for such activities as soccer, football, lacrosse, and field hockey.
Voters will have an opportunity to vote on both the referendum and the second question. But the ballot will be worded in such a way that voters can approve the referendum without approving the second question, but not approve the second question and defeat the referendum.
While many big-ticket capital improvement projects are set to be covered by the referendum — such as a $7.6 million performing arts center at South — others were set on the back-burner, including cafeteria and kitchen renovation at Wicoff Elementary School and Dutch Neck Elementary School. But a $2.1 million proposal for an addition with six classrooms at the Dutch Neck Elementary School will be covered.
High School South is set to receive the bulk of the money, totaling almost $19 million including $100,”000 for open area renovation, $280,”000 for paving repair, and $100,”000 for expansion of the parking lots.
Dutch Neck School is the second highest referendum expense, totaling over $4 million. Among the needed repairs — in addition to the addition — are $350,”000 for construction support and $780,”000 for renovation of small group spaces.
Maurice Hawk Elementary School is expected to receive about $1.2 million to build a modular addition ($850,”000) and $385,”000 for guidance, ESL, and speech rooms.
Wicoff Elementary is ear-marked to receive $680,”000 that includes $150,”000 for second floor repairs, and $480,”000 for HVAC. High School North is in line to receive $400,”000 for a multi-science lab.
In addition, district officials are hoping that the state may contribute 40 percent of the cost, but state officials have recently been bemoaning the fact that state funding for capital improvements has begun to dry up.
“We are still hoping that the state will contribute, but we are not counting on it,” says Yang. “There has been some indication that the state funds are on the verge of drying up. But this is one reason why we want to get our paperwork in as quickly as possible.” n
