By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
LAWRENCE — Calling on Lawrence Township to follow Princeton’s lead in its battle with Princeton University, township resident Peter Radice Jr. wants Township Council to seek money from The Lawrenceville School.
After several Princeton residents challenged Princeton University’s tax-exempt status recently, the two sides agreed to a negotiated settlement. The university agreed to contribute $18 million to the Town of Princeton over several years, and to provide property tax relief to income-eligible property owners.
If Princeton University can contribute $18 million, Mr. Radice said, then perhaps The Lawrenceville School can pay a couple of million dollars to Lawrence Township. He acknowledged that the township has negotiated a slight fee from the private school, but “it is like peanuts. It does not do much good for real estate taxes.”
The Lawrenceville School donated $35,000 to Lawrence Township in 2013, but nothing for 2014, 2015 or 2016. However, the private, co-educational boarding school paid more than $148,000 in property taxes for off-campus properties between August 2015 and April 2016, said Lisa Gillard, the school’s public relations director.
In addition, Ms. Gillard said, The Lawrenceville School also donated $10,000 to the Lawrence Township Community Foundation and $5,000 to Lawrenceville Main Street this year.
The Lawrence Township Community Foundation offers grants to non-profit organizations that serve Lawrence Township residents, while Lawrenceville Main Street is a volunteer-led non-profit group that spearheaded the revitalization of the Main Street business district in the historic Village of Lawrenceville.
And The Lawrenceville School also donated $65,000 to the Lawrence Township Education Foundation this year, Ms. Gillard said. The non-profit foundation funds grants and special requests from Lawrence Township Public School District teachers. Since 1995, it has donated $1.3 million to the LTEF.
The Lawrenceville School is sending 31 Lawrenceville faculty children to the Lawrence Township public school district, which benefits from the private school’s donation to the LTEF. Those children live in on-campus housing, which is not assessed for property tax purposes.
Ms. Gillard also noted that The Lawrenceville School is an important educational resource in the region.
“We are pleased to have 163 students from Mercer County, including 23 from Lawrence Township, attending the school this year. The families of those students pay local property taxes, although their children do not attend public schools,” she said.
Mr. Radice acknowledged that The Lawrenceville School donates money to the Lawrence Township Education Foundation, but “they have been freeloaders for 200 years.” The school was founded in 1810.
“They have to realize that in this day and age, people can only afford to pay so much (in property taxes). Can they afford (to contribute more)? Yes. It’s time for them to pay their fair share. They know what they owe,” he said.
Mayor David Maffei said Township Council “knows this is a very serious situation.” He said Township Council would take up the matter with Municipal Attorney David Roskos.
Councilwoman Cathleen Lewis said her preference would be to address the matter legislatively — by changing state law that grants tax-exempt status to schools — rather than to sue The Lawrenceville School, as Princeton residents sued Princeton University.
Ms. Lewis said the New Jersey State League of Municipalities has formed a committee to address property tax reform, adding that “we need to (find) a comprehensive solution” for the issue of tax-exempt properties.”
“We need to find a way to acknowledge the public service they provide (as an educational institution), but not to use loopholes (to avoid paying property taxes),” Ms. Lewis said.
