The head of the Princeton Public Schools Board of Education has floated the prospect of having a smaller bond referendum than the current $129.6 million proposal after receiving skepticism from some residents worried about a mounting tax burden.
“I think all options are on the table,” board President Patrick Sullivan said on Sept. 17, ahead of a Sept. 25 board meeting. “I think there will probably be a robust discussion at the board about which options we would like to present to the public.”
In its current iteration, a $129.6 million proposal calls for the construction of a new school for fifth- and sixth-graders, buying 15 acres of property, renovating Princeton High School and improving other schools.
But mostly older residents, at a board meeting earlier this month, raised concerns about the cost of living in Princeton. Based on data the district has released, school taxes would jump by nearly $290 if the referendum package, at the moment planned for two questions, is approved.
“We’ve been getting a lot of feedback from, I think, a certain section of our community,” Sullivan said. “I don’t think we’ve gotten feedback from the families of children who use the schools. We would like to hear from them.”
One official could not put a dollar amount on how much the proposal realistically could shrink to, from $129.6 million.
“We’re still talking about it,” Dafna Kendal, a board member and chairwoman of the facilities committee, said on Sept. 17.
She said officials have “always been listening to the community and adjusting our plans based on feedback” they have received.
District administrators have said enrollment is forecast to grow in the upcoming years, in a district where schools already are at or over capacity.
Sullivan said 180 students at the high school were denied the opportunity to take an entry level computer class because there was not enough space.
In a related step, officials still have to decide on a date for the referendum. They intended to have it on Nov. 6, but that was postponed because the state Department of Education was not finished with its review of the referendum proposal. The next available date for a referendum is Dec. 11.
“We expect the approvals from the state will come back either this week or next week,” Sullivan said. “Then, in early October, we would probably be ready to have a discussion about whether to put anything on the ballot for this year.”
Asked if she wanted to see a referendum in December, Kendal said she “didn’t want to say anything until we receive approvals from the Department of Education.”