10-vote margin will
result in new schools
Jackson voters OK
second high school,
new elementary building
Score one for the Jackson Board of Education. Seventeen hours after the polls closed on a school construction bond referendum, district administrators received word that the referendum passed.
The vote, which took place on Jan. 22, will see a $103 million construction project bring a new high school, a new elementary school and two elementary school gymnasiums to the district.
In the weeks leading up to the vote, opponents and proponents of the plan made their cases to the community. The vote reflected that division, but in the end those who wanted to see the project approved came out on top.
According to the Ocean County Board of Elections, the count as of late Jan. 22 was 3,299 votes in favor of the referendum and 3,289 votes opposed. At the time of the initial count there were 14 provisional ballots outstanding.
Provisional votes are cast by people whose registration is in question at the time of the election. The validity of the provisional ballots is determined after the polls are closed.
"Those 14 provisional ballots were extremely important to the outcome of the referendum," said Allison Garvey, communications specialist for the Jackson school district. "We had to wait until Jan. 23 for the Board of Elections to get back to us."
On Jan. 23, district administrators were told by county officials that of the 14 provisional ballots that had been cast the day before, one was rejected and one remained under consideration. The remaining 12 provisional ballots were split equally, adding six votes to each original tally.
The vote was certified by the Ocean County Board of Elections on Monday and the pending provisional ballot was rejected, leaving the final totals at 3,305 votes in favor of the referendum to 3,295 votes opposed to the building plan.
By a margin of 10 votes, Jackson will get its new schools.
"On behalf of our 8,748 students, I say thank you, thank you, thank you," said Superintendent of Schools Margaret M. Hengel. "This was always about the kids. We can tell them that we will be able to prepare them properly for their futures."
The referendum asked voters to approve the construction of a new high school on North Hope Chapel Road, a new elementary school on Patterson Road near the Goetz Middle School, and gymnasiums at the Holman and Switlik elementary schools. The referendum also includes funding for the purchase of land near the municipal complex to be used as a site for a third middle school.
The total cost of the referendum is $103.1 million.
The breakdown of each project is as follows:
• $70.5 million will be appropriated for the construction of the new high school;
• $24.8 million will be appropriated for the construction of the new elementary school;
• $500,000 will be used to acquire the 13 acres near the municipal justice complex.
• The gym at the Holman school will cost $3.3 million;
• The gym at the Switlik school will cost $ 3.8 million.
"The referendum money will also cover the cost of the land and any environmental studies that need to be conducted, the furniture that will be put into the new buildings, the plumbing and the lighting fixtures," Garvey said. "The referendum will not pay for teacher salaries."
Township taxpayers will pay $70.3 million of the total and the state will fund $32.7 million of the construction costs.
According to information provided by the board, the school tax rate will increase 14.5 cents per $100 of assessed valuation to cover the cost of the construction project. The owner of a home assessed at $100,000 would pay $145 more in school taxes annually; the owner of a home assessed at $140,00 would pay $203 more in school taxes annually; and the owner of a home assessed at $200,000 would pay $290 more in school taxes annually. According to information provided by the school district, it will take 25 years to pay off the referendum.
Hengel said the success of the referendum is the result of the efforts of a tight knit community that dedicated itself to doing what was best for the children of Jackson.
"What a great team we have here in Jackson," Hengel said. "There are so many people who gave their time and energy toward this project. I thank each of them for their amazing work on behalf of all our students."
Although school board President Chuck Murphy was pleased the referendum passed, he said he wanted residents to know that he took the criticism of the board to heart. The board held an information session for the public at which time many residents expressed their concern over the cost, timing and scope of the referendum.
"We will make every effort to ensure the public is provided an opportunity to have input into our future projects," Murphy said in a statement. "Unfortunately, many of our new residents do not know how often we have public meetings and forums. We will do our best to help them become more informed voters."
Current enrollment in Jackson’s K-12 district is 8,748 students. According to a demographic study conducted last year, the projected enrollment five years from now will be 10,377 students. From September 2000 to September 2001, enrollment increased by 508 students. In a two-year span, the district has grown by a total of 752 students, according to information provided by the school district.