HILLSDALE—School board members are expected to vote, Feb. 12, to approve a $61 million question that they hope to put before voters in a Sept. 24 referendum to renovate and upgrade George G. White Middle School.
The move comes after voters in March 2023 rejected an $82.7 million referendum to replace the 100-year-old school.
The Feb. 12, 7 p.m. meeting at Ann Blanche Smith Elementary School will be livestreamed. Public comments must be made in-person at the meeting.
Following public forums in October, November, and January, school officials said that there appeared to be a public consensus for the lowest cost option (Option 3) of three renovation options proposed, which is a $61 million proposal.
All three forums were recorded and posted, along with Superintendent Robert Lombardy presentations, on the district website. Lombardy’s Jan. 11 slideshow has a chart with estimated annual tax impacts on homes assessed $300,000 to $600,000.
The other two options discussed, Option 1 at $65,702,000, and Option 2, at $71,216,000, included similar items to Option 3, and also add construction of new space at both elementary schools to house fifth graders that would return to their respective schools.
No trailers would be necessary during that construction. Fifth graders stay at the middle school under the lowest cost Option 3.
Due to cost increases since the $82.7 million referendum’s March 2023 defeat, Lombardy said he did not include construction of a new artificial turf field, which he estimated at $2 million.
In addition to increases, the district was told in November that they must bond for 20 years on school renovation projects, not 30 years, which increased annual property tax costs of the three proposed options.
The least costly option, Option 3 at $61,258,000, includes full renovation of the middle school, reconstruction of the multipurpose room with two classrooms, temporary classrooms (i.e. onsite trailers for two years or more), additional classrooms for enhanced programming and additional classrooms for a projected enrollment increase.
“Full renovation” includes new windows, doors, HVAC, roofing, asbestos abatement, new multipurpose room, new music classroom/stage, kitchen, storage, and added restrooms, states the proposal. Fifth graders remain at the middle school under this option.
Moreover, school officials said a public consensus had emerged for a two-part referendum ballot question.This breaks the low-cost Option 3 renovations into two questions that voters can decide on.
The proposed $61 million public question offers Question A, which costs $54,114,000 and includes the cost for a full renovation of George White, reconstruction of the multipurpose room with two classrooms, and temporary onsite classrooms (trailers).
The annual average tax impact is $827.98, minus current debt service rolloff, for a yearly tax hit of $724.98, or $60.42 per month.
Question B asks voters to vote on additional classrooms for enhanced programming such as STEM classes, plus additional classrooms for a projected enrollment increase, for $7,143,000. The annual average tax impact of that question is about $142.80, or $12 monthly.
Lombardy has emphasized that the total $61,258,000 Option 3 renovation proposal is needed now but school officials wanted to give voters an option to determine what future tax impacts they can take on.
Following discussions of the proposed referendum question after the Jan. 11 forum, which included suggestions to hold the referendum on General Election Day Nov. 5, rather than a special Sept. 24 school referendum, and suggestions to emphasize the importance of school upgrades to improving local home values, Lombardy wrote us Feb. 5.
“There is some misinformation that we wanted to clarify. First, the referendum we are proposing to voters this fall will be an all-inclusive solution to the challenges raised by the current building. All the identified challenges at George White will be solved in this referendum. “
He said, “The confusion is rooted to the fact that we are likely going to ask a two-part question on the referendum; providing voters the most transparency and options. Voter approval of both questions will allow the Hillsdale Public Schools to access approximately $16 million in New Jersey state aid.”
He said, “Saving George White, maximizing state aid and keeping tax impact low were key learnings from the first referendum. Those that have attended our meetings all agree that updating George White is a priority. This was the consensus of those that voted down the first referendum, and those that supported it. The need to update this precariously out-of-date facility before the children in our community fall further behind neighboring towns and their facilities is upon us.”
Following a vote on the referendum question on Feb. 12, the district will submit the renovation plan to the state education department for approval; by June the district will receive a PEC (preliminary eligible costs) letter stating the exact amount of state aid to be awarded; by July, the district must submit the referendum question to the county Board of Elections; after that, the district prepares for referendum vote on Tuesday, Sept. 24.
The three public forums have provided feedback on the options, though final taxpayer costs on the renovation options were only revealed at the Jan. 11 forum, taking into account the 20-year bond term required for renovation projects. New construction costs can be bonded over 30 years, note state education officials.
While a few residents have questioned what they perceived as high renovation costs at the three public forums, most residents have supported the need for repairs at the middle school. Architect DiCara Rubino, who prepared schematics and cost estimates on the three options, has not offered details at any of the forums.
Prior to the first referendum, Lombardy presented a referendum slide show to the Borough Council, 50+ Club, and offered several in-person middle school tours for residents.
Also, a public relations firm specializing in school referendums was hired to handle some communications and create a website and video about the referendum.
Lombardy told Pascack Press he would continue public outreach efforts following the board’s vote on a final question Feb. 12.
On March 14, 2023, voters snubbed an $82.7 million school bond referendum to replace the century-old George G. White Middle School, which would have cost $1,140 annually on an average $474,172 home.
The referendum was defeated 2,001 to 1,180, a nearly 2:1 margin, with 37% of local voters casting ballots; the question was defeated in all six polling districts.