MONROE Voters will have their say Tuesday on the school district’s proposed $82.9 million high school plan.
By: Rebecca Tokarz
MONROE Voters will have their say Tuesday on the school district’s proposed $82.9 million high school plan.
The plan calls for the construction of a new 365,000- square-foot high school on a tract of county-owned land in Thompson Park near the intersection of Perrineville and School House roads, adjacent to the existing high school and its athletic fields.
The district’s proposal carries a tax increase of 3.83 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. Under that rate, the owner of a home assessed at the township average of $148,485 would pay $56.97 extra a year for 25 years to cover the cost of the new high school.
The current school tax rate is $1.628 per $100 of assessed valuation, with the owner of a home assessed at the township average paying $2,417 a year.
Tuesday, voters will cast their ballots at their designated polling places from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Voters will be asked to decide whether they favor the $67.94 million needed for the local share of the proposed project. The state has promised $15.2 million in state aid.
The proposed high school would house 1,800 students, and would be constructed to accommodate additions that could bring the building’s total capacity to 2,700, school officials have said. If approved, the building could be occupied by fall 2008.
Once built, the current high school on Perrineville Road would become a middle school. The two schools would form a campus-like atmosphere where athletic fields and the Richard P. Marasco Center for Performing Arts at the current high school would be used by both schools. Applegarth Middle School on Applegarth Road would become the district’s fifth elementary school.
Design plans call for the new high school to have 14 science labs and two additional industrial art and industrial technology labs. Robotics and electronics programs would be added to the arts program and a new graphic arts facility would allow for separate classroom space for photography and other graphic art programs.
The business department would be attached to the school store, allowing students to oversee its operations, according to the plans.
The family consumer science program would have additional space with a multipurpose lab.
Additional science labs could be used for chemistry and physics programs and bring more storage space for the programs.
The new high school would expand the physical education program, adding six indoor teaching stations.
The building would have a larger auditorium, equipped with a green room, dressing room and scene shop. Rooms would be located around the auditorium to allow for what school officials said would more closely resemble authentic theater production with the ability to involve more students in the process.
The proposed referendum covers only the costs of the new high school. If renovations or upgrades to Applegarth or the existing high school are needed, they could be included as part of capital improvements in upcoming school budgets, school officials said. The district also could go back to the voters in a future referendum for the upgrades.
A new high school is expected to help the district cope with increasing enrollment throughout the district, school officials said. The district reported a total enrollment of 4,040 as of Oct. 31, up from the 3,757 reported for Oct. 31, 2002. The district expects 5,084 students by the 2006-2007 school year.
The ballot does not ask voters if they approve of a proposed land swap with the county and state Green Acres program to obtain the needed 35-acre tract in Thompson Park for the high school.
The school district has been working with the township to obtain the necessary 35 acres through a land swap with Middlesex County and the state Green Acres program in exchange for dedication of open space elsewhere in the township. The township needs to provide the county with a parcel of equal or greater value or size in return for high school property.
Township Engineer Ernie Feist said he expected the Township Council to introduce an ordinance this week to begin the process of obtaining a 77-acre parcel near the intersection of School House Road and Route 522 from the Renaissance Property developer. The township wants to use the land for the swap.
The township may be in the process of obtaining the land, but school and township officials have said voters must first approve the referendum before the county is approached about the proposal.
The proposal would need to go through the county, state and then finally the State House Commission, which meets quarterly, officials said. Approvals could take between six and nine months.
Votes can be cast at the following polling places:
Applegarth School for Ward 1, Districts 1, 11 and 12;
Rossmoor Clubhouse for Ward 1, Districts 2 through 5;
Clearbrook Cultural Center for Ward 1, Districts 6 through 10;
The Ponds Club for Ward 1, District 13;
Woodland School, 42 Harrison Ave. for Ward 2, District 1; Ward 3, District 4 and District 9;
Brookside School, 370 Buckelew Ave. for Ward 2, District 2; Ward 3, District 6 and District 8;
Whittingham Towne Center for Ward 2, Districts 3, 9, 11 and 12;
Monroe Township Library, 4 Municipal Plaza, for Ward 2, District 4;
Concordia Clubhouse for Ward 2, Districts 5 through 8;
Applegarth Firehouse, 130 Applegarth Road, for Ward 2, District 10;
Monroe First Aid Building, 2 Municipal Plaza, for Ward 3, Districts 1 and 3;
Monroe Township Community, 120 Monmouth Road, Center for Ward 3, Districts 2, 5 and 7.

