HILLSDALE—The borough’s 8,000-plus registered voters may head to polling stations at Anne Blanche Smith School and Pascack Valley High School on Tuesday, March 14 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. to vote yes or no on approving an $82.7 million school bond to replace the century-old George G. White Middle School.
District officials estimate the bond’s tax impacts will average approximately $1,140 annually, or $95 per month on Hillsdale’s average home assessed at $474,172, and said the tax impacts would likely be in the 2024–2025 tax year.
District finance officials have also said bond costs are likely to be refinanced over its 30-year term, reducing the burden on local taxpayers. If the bond referendum is approved, the district will receive $5.4 million in state aid to construct a new middle school.
School district officials, including superintendent Robert Lombardy and school board president Nicole Klas, spoke to Pascack Press March 7 and urged undecided voters to visit the district’s Road To Referendum portal (hillsdaleschools.com/referendum).
Both emphasized that the 100-year-old middle school is past the point where renovations will be able to keep the school functioning for modern-day learning needs.
At recent middle school walk-throughs and an online question-and-answer forum in January (archived on the Road To Referendum website for residents), Lombardy said the top question asked was what will happen if the referendum fails.
Lombardy said that there are no short-term fixes, and that should the bond referendum be defeated, the district will need to start preparing again for another bond referendum, likely to be held in the next two to three years, with costs for replacing the school only likely to increase.
Both Lombardy and Klas stressed that the best answer was to replace the middle school now rather than try to put additional “Band-Aids” on the school’s many mechanical, physical and educational deficits.
Following consideration of several lower-cost options to renovate existing facilities, the school board voted unanimously last June to support replacing the middle school with a new state-of-the-art facility, rather than renovate the aged facility and relocate students for up to two years in temporary trailers that would be located on a nearby recreational field.
On its website, the district addresses why it chose not to expand and renovate the middle school.
“During the Board’s process, the cost of building a new school was compared to a ball-parked cost of $72 per month to expand and renovate. That included about $3.7 million (in 2021 pricing) to rent modular trailers for a minimum of two years. It would have disrupted the middle school experience for students. After that, Hillsdale would be left with the many unknown factors that come from renovating a 100-year-old school, and some architectural constraints could not be overcome. A survey of people who learned about the options showed very strong support for the proposal to invest in a new middle school,” notes the district website.
Recently, both Lombardy and Klas, along with board member Justin Saxon, were featured in a 4-minute-plus video — available on the Road To Referendum site — that shows the middle school’s problems and why a new middle school is the smart choice now and for future students.
Klas told Pascack Press on March 7 that the middle school needed major investments, and rather than doing maintenance “Band-Aids” the board considered all options and found that a new middle school would be the best choice moving forward. She said investing major dollars for upkeep in a 100-year-old building “is not worthwhile now.”
Lombardy said most residents who recently toured the 100-year-old middle school during two Saturdays in February and March saw how outdated the school is and how run down are its classrooms, heating and electrical systems, bathrooms, and an undersized gym/cafeteria.
Laura Bishop Communications, a public relations firm hired by the district to assist public outreach and communications, provided Pascack Press with a list of most-asked questions by residents at the referendum’s email address.
District answers questions
“As of March 6, we have received emailed inquiries from more than 30 citizens, and some of those posed as many as 12 questions. Several called for input from the district’s architect, and we sought and shared that information. Questions that were asked multiple times were added to the website, either on the “FAQs” page or the “Process” page that covers what brought Hillsdale Public Schools to this point,” said the press statement.
Selected resident questions and district answers:
Question: If the building was renovated, how much state aid can be utilized?
District Response: “The district’s architect, who specializes in school construction, estimated the potential state aid that could be awarded if we renovated George White, as well as the much lower percentage of aid that could be expected for building that additional (new) space that is needed. Those estimated costs and state aid projected a tax impact of per-month tax impact of $72 per month, including an estimate for state aid — compared to the $95 per month cost of building a new school.”
Question: I was told that the school board is trying to obtain the church property next to George White School. How would that property be paid for?
District Response: “The Board of Education did inquire about potentially buying that land, because having more land would give us more options for expansion. However, the current GW property has enough space for the expansion that the district needs. The Board of Education considered all the implications of a renovate/expand option and determined that building a new school was a better option for Hillsdale students and community.”
“If voters reject this referendum, the BOE would step back to the point of determining how to meet Hillsdale’s needs for additional instructional space and efficient building systems. Those costs cannot fit in the operating budget; another referendum would be required and it would take another year to plan for that and get state approval. If the BOE pursued the purchase of additional land, the cost for that would come on top of the cost of renovations and additions.”
Question: As the town grows, the two elementary schools may also enroll more students. Where would money come from if those schools need an addition or improvement over the next 30 years?
District Response: “Enrollment in the elementary grades is projected to rise by about 60 students over the next few years. The most immediate concern is that those elementary students would eventually be middle school students at George White, which is already cramped.”
“Less pressing is the forecast for the elementary schools. Right now, we have projections that are 4 to 5 years out. If those come to fruition, it is possible that our elementary schools will also begin to feel tighter. However, we have the ability to adjust the boundary lines that determine which homes are assigned to Meadowbrook or Smith, and that gives us some flexibility. With just one middle school, we don’t have that kind of flexibility.”
“Regarding where future funding would come from for capital improvements: One funding avenue that is open to the district is to apply for special state grants offered for school renovations.
Another funding avenue would be the district’s capital reserve account, which is specifically set aside for capital projects aligned with its Long-Range Facility Plan.
Furthermore, should an additional funding vehicle be needed, another option could be a lease-purchase in the amount of the proposed addition.”