"The print version of this article that appears in the January 20 edition of the Sentinel listed an incorrect date for the Edison Township
Board of Education bond referendum. The date, January 26, in the article below is correct."
EDISON — After voting down numerous bond referendums over the past several years, Edison taxpayers will head back to the polls next week to either pass or defeat a $166.8 million school bond referendum.
The vote is scheduled for Jan. 26, with polls open from noon to 9 p.m., and there is some debate as to whether or not the third time will be the charm.
The last time the people had their say on the matter was Dec. 9, 2008, when a $57 million bond was soundly defeated by nearly a 2-to-1 margin (3,620-1,876). The previous vote, in April of that same year, it was barely defeated (3,983-3,644).
The bond referendum is an opportunity for voters to determine if the school district will be authorized to raise funds through the sale of bonds to address the construction of facilities, additions, repairs and renovations within the district.
Two proposals are up for vote this time around. The first one, a $137.7 million bond, is for additions and improvements at 13 of the district’s 17 schools. The additions would add more classroom space, and there would be improvements to other facilities within the district, including classroom expansions, new multipurpose rooms, and cafeteria and gymnasium expansion at two of the district’s middle schools (Adams and Jefferson). If approved, annual property taxes will go up $99.08 for the average township home assessed at $175,800, according to the school district’s business administrator, Dan Michaud.
The second proposal, a $29 million bond, asks for a new 600-student elementary school that would be built on the existing Thomas Jefferson Middle School site. If approved, Michaud said, annual property taxes would increase by $9.85 for the average home assessed at $175,800.
While both proposals are hot topics in town, it’s the second one that has people talking.
“I think it was a smart move to separate the elementary school part of it,” board member Gene Maeroff said, “as I understand there is a very limited egress there, and the traffic patterns are a bit of a problem. There are also some people that raised the issue of draining problems at that site.”
Local resident Gloria Dittman said the Board of Education may be trying to “sneak one by” the taxpayers of Edison with this bond vote.
“There really has been no publicity concerning this upcoming vote, and I think this is the board’s way of trying to catch people off guard and not tell them about all of the issues that are going on with our schools,” Dittman said. “The people have voted against the bond twice now, so really the board has to take a new approach, and it’s unfortunate that this is how they choose to do it. I don’t like one bit of this referendum. They’re hoping against hope, and this is all very insulting. This Board of Education is a disgrace to our country.”
Others, such as Lois Wolke, believe that the bond has a chance to pass (if it does, it would be the first to pass since 2000), but she does acknowledge that it “could be an uphill battle.”
“There is a perception out there that the Board of Education is hiding things,” Wolke said, “and in these hard economic times, it really does give residents a bad taste in their mouths. Money keeps going into this district, yet the schools still have problems. I’m not sure that the Board of Education is listening to the people this time around.”
Wolke also thinks that the board’s previous mismanagement of money could play a large role a week from today.
“The district is still paying [former schools superintendent Carol Toth] a lot of money to stay home,” Wolke said. “People are noticing more and more that the district can’t manage money properly.”
A recent press release put out by the district stated that enrollments have been growing in excess of 200 students per year for the last decade.
“With this referendum, we are allowing the voters a choice to meet all or part of our space needs by voting on two questions,” Board of Education President David Dickinson said.