The Hopewell Valley Board of Education voted to hold a Nov. 4 bond referendum to replace aging infrastructure and expand instructional space.
The board approved the resolution at its Aug. 11 meeting, less than a year after voters denied the last referendum.
The district is eligible for $20.2 million in state aid toward $84.2 million in project costs with voter approval.
Board and district leaders made key changes since the last referendum by dropping a proposed turf field, including more critical HVAC projects that qualify for the maximum amount of state aid, and separating the referendum into two questions.
“We know that the community values Hopewell Valley schools and we, in turn, value their input in the plan to improve our district,” said Dr. Rosetta Treece, superintendent of the Hopewell Valley Regional School District. “We considered community feedback when we updated the bond referendum. This is a practical proposal to continue Hopewell Valley’s high quality of education in buildings that reliably meet students’ basic needs.”
The two ballot questions each address a different HVRSD priority. Question 1 covers building infrastructure, while Question 2 addresses additional classroom space to manage class sizes, move students out of aging modular classrooms and prepare for enrollment growth from new housing. Question 2 can only pass if Question 1 is also approved.
Question 1 projects include:
Replacing roofing that is beyond its useful life; replacing obsolete HVAC equipment; adding A/C to Timberlane Middle School gym; installing new classroom doors with enhanced fire resistance and security features; replacing deteriorated exterior doors; renovating the Bear Tavern cafeteria; modifying the Toll Gate driveway for improved access; repaving the Central High School solar lot; refurbishing entrance walkways at Timberlane and Bear Tavern; and improving drainage at Stony Brook
Cost: $58.4 millionState aid: $19.9 million
The school district’s estimated annual tax impact: $248 for Hopewell Borough; $284 for Hopewell Township; $294 for Pennington Borough.
Question 2 projects include:
Building a Bear Tavern addition with room for eight to 10 classrooms; building a Toll Gate addition for six classrooms; renovating nurse’s and physical education offices at Toll Gate and converting the existing nurse’s suite to a small-group instruction room
Cost: $25.8 millionState aid: $333,321
The school district’s estimated annual tax impact: $164 for Hopewell Borough; $188 for Hopewell Township; $194 for Pennington Borough. Tax impact is based on the average assessed value of $408,445 in Hopewell Borough, $477,718 in Hopewell Township and $488,135 in Pennington Borough.
Hopewell Township has committed $16.1 million from PILOT (Payment in Lieu of Taxes) funding for the expansion of Bear Tavern.
However, because the PILOT funding is inaccessible during ongoing litigation, the district says it included the Bear Tavern expansion in the referendum and would use the township funds when available to pay down the debt service.
“We have a responsibility to provide our students with properly functioning buildings and sufficient space to learn,” said board president Anita Williams. “These needs will not go away if we do not address them. We believe a bond referendum is the best strategy to make these improvements — not only for students, but for the taxpayers who would benefit from state aid covering some of the costs.”
For more on the bond referendum, including a list of projects by school, the funding strategy and FAQs, see hvrsd.org/vote.
