Lawrence Township voters approved a $25.1 million referendum to improve facilities at all seven township schools. However, just 7 percent of eligible voters cast their ballot in yesterday’s election.
The school district can now take out loans to install air conditioning in classrooms and other spaces not already air conditioned at all schools, replace boilers at the middle and high schools, install an elevator at Lawrence Middle School, renovate and replace ramps, windows and siding in modular classrooms at the four elementary schools, install or replace security access controls, paging, monitoring and telephone systems at all schools and install security vestibules at the main entrances at Slackwood Elementary, Eldridge Park Elementary, Lawrence Intermediate and Lawrence Middle schools. (Ben Franklin Elementary, Lawrenceville Elementary and Lawrence High already have security vestibules.)
Out of 22,283 eligible voters, only 1,495 cast their ballot in the Jan. 23 special election, according to unofficial results from the Mercer County Clerk’s office. Despite the low voter turnout, 71 percent voted to pass the referendum.
Taxpayers will see their taxes go up $30 for every $100,000 of assessed home value, until the loans were paid off in 15 years. For a house assessed at $250,000, that’d be $75 each year for 15 years. This is separate from any tax increase may decide to include in its annual budgets during that span.
