MONTVALE—An average district taxpayer will have to pay about $325 more per year for “likely” 25 years under a $29.4 million school bond referendum that aims to add classrooms and upgrade facilities at the borough’s elementary and middle school.
That’s according to district officials at the Sept. 27 board meeting, in which a unanimous school board approved a $29.4 million bond issue referendum for Dec. 14.
That said, the state Commissioner of Education lowered the amount eligible for state debt service aid to 40% of that amount — or approximately $21 million of the proposed referendum.
That means, according to school officials, state aid will contribute about 24% to reduce the local share of bonding costs.
“The plan for our schools is well-thought out, takes into consideration the future needs of the district and we’re trying to be as responsible as we can with this,” Board President Ernie DiFiore told Pascack Press at the Sept. 27 school board meeting.
He said the proposed referendum renovation and building plans “only really adding square footage to one building and [are] repurposing a lot of square footage in this building… the reason why that’s important is because we get more money back from the state on renovations versus new construction,” DiFiore added.
When residents visit the district’s referendum website, “Montvale Cares About Its Future,” they will find the what, why, when and how much on the referendum, plus a brief look at the proposed projects for Memorial Elementary School and Fieldstone Middle School.
The website can be accessed at montvalek8.org/future or via the school website’s Quick Links drop-down menu under Dec. 14 Bond Referendum.
“The Montvale Board of Education will ask residents to vote on Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2021 on funding for facility improvements and the construction of additional classrooms. In the months leading up to the vote, the district will offer many opportunities for residents to learn about the proposal and to hear and see firsthand what the improvements would mean for the schools and community,” reads the site copy in part.
It says, “The tax impact of this bond referendum is estimated to be about $325 per year for a home assessed at Montvale’s average. Compared to 2020’s tax rate, the net impact is about $225 per year for that same home.”
And it says, “If approved by voters, the bond referendum will result in a property tax increase in fall 2022. The first building work would begin in the summer.”
The site went live following the Sept. 27 school board meeting. The slide show that members saw on the referendum was yet to be added to the website as of Sept. 29.
The site was designed by Laura Bishop Communications LLC of Cherry Hill, which plans additional engagement.
School officials explained that the state only offers debt service aid, or financial assistance with bond payments, on school renovations or repurposing of school facilities, but not on new construction.
School officials previously told Pascack Press that approximately one-third of referendum funds would be for new construction; one-third for safety, security and new classrooms and STEAM labs; and one-third for building systems including new boilers, and replacement of inefficient heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems.
Although specific dollar amounts were not yet publicly available, the referendum funds will go toward:
Safety and security
- Upgrade security with replaced classroom doors, enhanced locking mechanisms, and new fire alarms;
- Improve the front of Fieldstone to be ADA-compliant with a ramp, and create a separate entrance (better security) for when large events happen at the school.
Education
- Montvale is seeing significant development as previous commercial property is being converted into residential property. Planning for five new classrooms at Memorial Elementary School to keep class sizes small;
- At Memorial, create a STEAM Lab;
- At Fieldstone, create a STEAM Lab;
- At Fieldstone, convert the existing wood shop into two modern art and music classrooms;
- The existing art and music rooms would be repurposed into additional classrooms plus a wellness center.
Building system functioning
- Replace old boilers; replace old heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems;
- Add air conditioning to all spaces that don’t have it now or rely on inefficient window units.
Restrooms (inside and out)
- Build a restroom facility that is easily accessible from the Fieldstone athletic fields;
- Renovate restrooms at both schools.