West Windsor board sets Jan. 24 for $27.5 million bond referendum

Much of the spending is intended to bring High School South on par with the newer High School North

By: Emily Craighead
   Jan. 24 is the date West Windsor and Plainsboro voters will be asked to approve the issuance of $27.5 million in bonds to improve facilities in the regional school district.
   The West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional Board of Education is expected to approve the date of the facilities referendum, along with final wording of the bond proposals and interpretive statements, at its Dec. 6 board meeting.
   "It is definite now from our end," Board of Education President Hemant Marathe said. "We have already submitted what we want (the referendum) to be."
   All of the components of the referendum, with the exception of renovations to the Dutch Neck Elementary School, have received verbal approval from the state Department of Education. Written approval to include the Dutch Neck renovations in the referendum is expected this week.
   Voters in Plainsboro and West Windsor townships will be asked to vote on two proposals.
   The first, for a bond of about $25.2 million, would fund renovations at Dutch Neck, Maurice Hawk and J.V.B Wicoff Elementary Schools and High School North, and a new auditorium and gymnasium at High School South, among other improvements.
   The second proposal, which will go into effect only if the first proposal is passed, asks voters to approve a $2.3 million bond for multi-sport, artificial turf fields at both high schools.
   The cost to taxpayers should the first question pass is not final, because the state has not finished determining the amount of its potential contributions to the projects.
   Preparations for the referendum got under way in 2004, when board members, administrators, building principals and district architects went on tours of the district’s 10 schools. The tours, as well as discussions with the concerned parties, led to a facilities report presented to the board in the spring of 2005.
   Much of the referendum money would go toward projects to put High School South art, music and physical education facilities on par with those at High School North and add five closed classrooms at South. The proposal also calls for a new gymnasium, a new auditorium, various renovations and installing partitions in some of the open-space areas. Proposed projects for High School North include converting the learning center to a science lab.
   The elementary schools would also receive numerous improvements, including six new classrooms and an upgraded air-conditioning system at Dutch Neck, renovations to the air-conditioning system at Maurice Hawk, and renovations to second-floor classrooms and modular classrooms at J.V.B. Wicoff.
   If the referendum is rejected in January, the projects will eventually be included in the annual budget, but would take much longer to accomplish, according to the district.
   One recently-formed group, the Citizens Referendum Committee, is already hard at work selling the referendum to the community.
   The four-member committee has been presenting information about the referendum to Parent Teacher Associations at each of the schools and at other school and community functions. Part of their approach is to inform citizens about registering to vote and obtaining absentee ballots. Committee members include Diane Hasling and Andy Lupo of West Windsor, and Anthony Fleres and Chris Yan of Plainsboro.
   Individuals unconvinced of the need for a referendum have questioned the amount of money being spent on facilities related to the arts and physical education, rather than on improvements directly related to instruction in core subjects, according to Ms. Hasling.
   "The state now has curriculum requirements for fine and performing arts, and we need the facilities to meet those needs," Ms. Hasling tells the skeptics. She also points out that the performing arts and athletic facilities in the school district are often available for use by other community groups.
   The issue of high property taxes is more difficult to explain away, she said — but the district emphasizes that new bonds will be issued as old bonds are retired, keeping debt service payments flat.
   "I’m paying (the taxes), too. I know they’re very high," Ms. Hasling said. "It’s an issue for all of New Jersey."
   In the next several weeks, the Citizens Referendum Committee is planning a public forum where residents can speak to students and committee members about the state of the schools.
   A detailed listing of projects and cost by school is available at the district’s Web site, www.west-windsor-plainsboro.k12.nj.us.