Voters approved a $35 million school bond referendum on Tuesday.
The Hopewell Valley Regional School District reported that 1,825 voted to approve while 995 voted against the plan. Voters in all districts approved the referendum, except District 2, which votes at the Union Fire Co. in Titusville. There, voters against the plan won by 142-141.
Complete results are available on the school district’s website at http://www.hvrsd.org/apps/pages/refresults .
Voters in Hopewell Borough, Pennington Borough and Hopewell Township were asked to fund repair work, construction, alterations and other capital improvements at several schools in the district.
Among the proposed capital improvement projects is more than $7 million worth of roof replacement work and repairs for heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems (HVAC), especially at the Hopewell Valley Central High School and Timberlane Middle School.
Plans also call for the cafeteria at the high school, and the planned construction of a $5.2 million, 10,500-square-foot arts and wellness addition to the high school to include a new gymnasium and space for students enrolled in performing arts courses.
Hopewell Elementary and Toll Gate Grammar schools are slated to receive window replacements and roof work, according to the district. Heating and ventilation work is also due to be performed in the Toll Gate gym.
Along with building-specific projects, district officials said the referendum will pay for an updated fire alarm system and a new communications system for all of the district’s schools.
Plans also include the implementation of a new alert system that would quickly relay information to parents in the event of an emergency.
And the district plans to upgrade all of the media centers at the schools.
According to Superintendent Thomas Smith, about $26 million worth of planned projects are eligible under the state’s debt service aid program, while part of the Educational Facilities Construction and Financing Act allows for up to 40 percent reimbursement for eligible projects.
For each individual property taxpayer, he said, it will mean a $13 increase per $100,000 of assessed property value per year.
A complete list of projects at each school, as well as an informational video about the referendum as a whole, is currently available for viewing at the district’s website, www.hvrsd.org.
