HILLSDALE—Following a resounding school bond defeat in March, school officials said recently they hope to offer possible architectural options — including costs and timetables — for moving fifth grade students out of the middle school and back to their respective elementary schools, at a public forum this September.
Moreover, school officials told Pascack Press that they hope the forum will feature a presentation on what needs to be done at each elementary school to allow fifth graders to stay at Meadowbrook School and Anne Blanche Smith School.
“There’s no small fix at George White. It’s a big project,” Lombardy said at the July 17 school board meeting. Lombardy said school officials were using the summertime to discuss options and work with the architect on suggested renovations made by the public at the June 1 forum.
“We want to get all of our ducks in a row and come fall, come back with a plan,” added School Board President Nicole Klas.
Moving fifth graders out of the middle school was one of the most-repeated comments at a lively June 1 public forum held by school officials following the March 14 defeat of an $82.7 million referendum to replace the century-old George G. White middle school with a new middle school and new artificial turf field.
Other options such as updated renovation option costs for the middle school, plus the costs of housing middle school students during renovations, may also be presented for public comment, said officials.
Schools superintendent Robert Lombardy and board president Nicole Klas told Pascack Press on July 17 that the open public forum planned for September was an opportunity to hear from all residents as they move forward following a June 1 public forum. Lombardy called it an “all voices heard format” where any resident can attend and voice their opinion.
Klas said “more people are invested now to know what’s going on” and said that following the June 1 forum, that “It’s all in the works, we’ve heard everybody.”
She added, “A lot of people want to be involved, so why not have all the voices heard at another forum?”
At the June forum, dozens of residents dinged the district for the referendum’s high cost, difficulty in finding posted cost comparisons among renovation options, and what some saw as a lack of transparency in providing information on the referendum.
Some critics said the district did not spread the word about the referendum to all local taxpayers.
The referendum was defeated in all six polling districts, losing by a final vote of 2,001 against and 1,180 in favor, or 63% voting no and 37% voting yes.
Nearly 37% of voters cast ballots, an unusually high number of voters for a typical school election or referendum, which often draw only 10% to 15% of the electorate.
Had voters approved the $82.7 million bond referendum to replace George G. White, a homeowner would have paid $95 monthly, or $1,140 yearly on an average home assessed at $474,172, officials said.
School officials noted that they posted information on costs and renovation options on a “Road To Referendum” portal in late September, months before the March 14 bond referendum.
Moreover, school officials produced a four-minute video describing why a school replacement made the most sense, held a virtual question-and-answer forum, and provided in-person middle school tours for interested residents.
Both Lombardy and Klas said they wanted to seek feedback at the upcoming public forum on the options including moving fifth graders back to their schools, undertaking elementary school renovations, and considering how to repurpose the vacated space at the middle school for remaining 6th through 8th graders.
Klas said the costs for moving the fifth graders back, together with costs for needed renovations at George G. White following the fifth graders move back, all need to be considered.
She said cost estimates for limited renovations and an addition were estimated to be $72 monthly for an average taxpayer only a few years ago. She said estimated costs now for similar renovations may be possibly as high as the original replacement bond costs of $95 monthly.
If a bond referendum is considered, Lombardy said it was unlikely to be on the ballot before September 2024, and possibly later, which would put bonds for sale in 2025 or 2026 if renovations are delayed further.
Klas noted if fifth graders are moved back, that may involve work at both grammar schools and the middle school building.
Lombardy noted any work at George White would require the district to temporarily house at least some students in on-site trailers, possibly costing millions.