The West Long Branch Board of Education will try again in March to gain voter approval of an $8.9 million referendum to fund facilities upgrades.
In December, residents rejected the referendum that proposed funding for new energy efficient HVAC systems in both the Frank Antonides and Betty McElmon elementary schools. Improvements would include a new computerized building management system at Antonides, the replacement of two science labs in the school, and the installation of corridor doors that are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
“The boiler went down over Christmas break. One of them had to be replaced and we fixed the panel on the other one, but now this project needs to be done. The parts we would need to really fix the boiler are just not available anymore,” Board of Education President Erin Hegglin said at the Jan. 21 Borough Council meeting.
Hegglin told council that the school’s current HVAC system is more than 30 years old, the ceiling tiles have been in place since 1957, and neither the doors nor the science labs in the building are ADA-compliant.
“The corridor doors in [Antonides] are not ADA-approved. The glass is not shatterproof. They are the original doors, and they are not up to security standards anymore,” she said.
“The science labs are also not ADAcompliant. They do not allow for the technology and programs we want to offer to keep up with today’s world. Those are about 60 years old now.”
The referendum will take place on March 10.
Hegglin said the total cost of the project is estimated to be around $8.9 million, with the New Jersey Department of Education offering to provide 40 percent, or $3.59 million.
“If the state covers the 40 percent, then that would mean … the tax increase would be about $3.83 for the average-assessed home in town. We feel as though it is an investment in our kids’ futures and in our schools, and we want to take advantage of the state’s offer right now,” she said.
West Long Branch School District Business Administrator Dennis Kotch said the $8.9 million cost is a worst-case-scenario estimate.
“Once this referendum hopefully is passed, then we will do the bid specifications and go out to bid. Once the actual bids come in, then we will see, but we do anticipate them to be lower than $8.99 million. That is the architect’s estimate,” he said. “The taxpayers will only be billed for the actual cost of the project. … And if it comes in at over $8.99 million, then we will go back to the drawing board.”
Hegglin said there would be public meetings, fliers and social media outreach in the weeks leading up to the referendum to inform the public about the proposal.
Both Hegglin and Kotch said they felt the referendum failed in December because the public was not properly informed.
If the referendum is approved, work could begin this summer.
“We aim to get the work done hopefully over summer if we get passed in March. We will get the bids, get started and get done so we will not interfere with school, which will be up and running in September,” Hegglin said.