RIVER VALE, N.J.—District officials and voters are waiting to learn the results of the April 20 schools referendum, questions that proposed $35.7 million in new debt on facility improvements at Holdrum Middle and Roberge and Woodside Elementary schools.
With state aid and capital reserves, the total project amount pending is approximately $42.5 million.
Many residents who voted did so at two polling stations, and those ballots are counted first. After that is the tally of mail-in and provisional votes.
County elections officials anticipated final results by either Monday, April 26, or Tuesday, April 27.
River Vale Public Schools interim Superintendent Frank Alvarez told Pascack Press on April 21, “We appreciate all the community members who took the time to learn about the bond proposal and who voted. No matter the ultimate results of this referendum, we will pursue strategies that maintain the high quality of the River Vale district.”
The district said on its website, “We will share election results from the Bergen County Clerk as soon as they are available. The election must be certified by May 3, but we hope to have final numbers much sooner than that.”
Alvarez and incoming superintendent Melissa Signore—currently Woodside’s principal—have been making strong cases for improvements to serve students.
As the district explains, the vote was arranged into three questions:
- Question 1: Addressing the buildings’ physical needs.
- Question 2: Focusing on the addition of air conditioning in classrooms and other areas where it is lacking at all three schools.
- Question 3: Includes wellness-focused areas at the elementary schools.
Question 1 must pass for either of the other questions to be valid. If voters approve Question 1, then either Questions 2 or 3 could pass independently of each other.
District officials said the question on adding mental health wellness centers at the elementary schools likely was defeated, losing by 100-plus votes.
Approximately 15% of the borough’s 8,561 registered voters cast ballots, with 1,313 votes cast on Question 1; 1,309 votes cast on Question 2; and 1,306 votes cast on Question 3.
According to unofficial results, Question 1 was up by seven votes; should that question not pass, the other two referendum questions cannot be undertaken.
If Questions 1 and 2 are certified as passing following final vote tallies, that would cost an average homeowner $123 in annual property taxes over a 25-year bonding period. If all three questions pass, property taxes will increase $148 on an average home.
Elections officials stressed that vote-by-mail ballots, postmarked by April 20, must be received by the county by April 26 to count. Provisional ballots cast by voters must be vetted by county elections officials before being tallied.
An official with the county Superintendent of Elections told Pascack Press on April 21 that 36 provisional ballots had been received and were yet to be vetted for count.
An unofficial county Board of Elections chart provided to Pascack Press showed a breakdown of mail-in ballots received by April 20. On Question 1, absentee (or mail-in) ballots showed 123 voted yes and 111 voted no. On Question 2, 129 voted yes and 104 voted no. On Question 3, 114 voted yes and 118 voted no.
The results posted online by the Bergen County Clerk’s Office included mail-in ballots received up to April 20, a county official said.
However, those figures did not include provisional ballot totals, generally paper ballots filled out and cast by a voter due to a possible glitch in voter registration, eligibility or other problem. Those ballots must be vetted by county officials to authenticate a voter’s identification and prevent double-voting.
Preliminary election results posted on the Bergen County Clerk website April 21, following compilation by River Vale municipal clerk Karen Campanelli, showed Question 1 narrowly passing by seven votes, 660 to 653 votes.
That question addressed improving school facilities by adding new roofs, new corridors, and sheltered entryways at all three schools. Question 1 addressed the schools’ physical needs and requested voters’ permission to borrow up to approximately $25 million. That borrowing would add $34 to an average homeowner’s annual property taxes, district officials said.
Officials said often that by the district holding a bond referendum, the state would pay about one-third of the project cost, about $10 million, to lower the impact on property taxes.
Moreover, the district was contributing $6.7 million in capital reserves to the multi-year school improvement upgrades, making the total project amount about $42.5 million.
Preliminary results on Question 2 showed it being approved 669 votes to 640 votes.
Question 2 focused on adding air conditioning in all classrooms and common areas in the middle school and two elementary schools. Over the decades, this question has been a sensitive topic but it appears to have more support.
Question 2 asked voters to approve slightly over $9 million for air conditioning upgrades, and would add $89 per year to the average homeowner’s tax bill.
Preliminary results on Question 3 showed it rejected, with 715 voters against and 591 voting in favor of creating mental health wellness centers in the two elementary schools. That question asked voters to approve borrowing slightly over $1.7 million , which would have added $25 to an average property tax bill.
During an April 6 virtual forum on the referendum, administrators said this was the best time to bond for needed improvements as a previous 20-year school bond was being paid off this year and local schools needed upgrades now.
Also, officials noted that the annual property tax increases would likely be reduced once the under-construction 249-unit Fairways at Edgewood townhouse development joins municipal tax rolls.