I am extremely disappointed with the Marlboro K-8 School District Board of Education’s referendum proposal scheduled for a vote on Election Day. Like many residents, I am interested in a full-day kindergarten program to enhance our school system — provided it is implemented with transparency and responsibility.
Unfortunately, the board’s fiscally irresponsible referendum seeks tens of millions of dollars, adds decades of debt payments, and will continue to crush property taxes despite more feasible options.
With current bonds set to end in a few years, residents are in a position to see some property tax relief. A day after the informational meeting, I received a robo-call from the school district informing me that for an “$80 one-time increase” the district will have full-day kindergarten and make capital improvements.
The message fails to mention that this $80 is on top of the hundreds of dollars we are already paying in bond debt, which will be extended if the referendum passes.
We should also remember this is in addition to the regular school tax increase that seems to be the norm.
Therefore, residents should brace themselves for no tax relief, the additional payment, and future costs (to be announced) because the referendum calls for millions of borrowed dollars on capital improvements unrelated to full-day kindergarten.
Other school districts, such as Manalapan, have implemented a full-day program using existing infrastructure and resources. Toms River implemented a full-day program by freeing up classrooms and teachers. They also received waivers from the state for kindergarten classrooms that were not equipped with restrooms, but used existing facilities.
Marlboro’s K-8 enrollment has steadily declined over the past few years — building facilities with shrinking enrollment is premature, to say the least. It appears the strategic plan of the board is to borrow, spend, build and hammer the tax burden on its residents — for children who may or may not come — all while ignoring our mirror image Manalapan.
After reviewing the school district website and attending an informational session, I could not find any reference to the extra costs that will arise once construction is completed in 2017. Ostensibly, there will be a need for additional staff, maintenance, transportation, energy and supplies.
With a cap on school tax increases, I don’t see how a program of this magnitude can be implemented without the school budget being stretched thin and other programs in the district suffering.
I asked Dr. Eric Hibbs, the superintendent of schools, about the plan for these costs and the answer was that we, as a community, are going to have to pay more, perhaps through the use of a “banked cap,” or move funds from other programs to pay for this new one.
This response revealed that 2017 was too far in advance for the school district to plan. Are we to borrow and spend tens of millions of dollars building classrooms without a clear plan for the instructional costs? Is this a fiscally sound plan? It sounds like a case of if you build it, they will come.
The board has decided that the only option is to mortgage our future and ask the residents to borrow tens of millions of dollars. I urge the voting residents of Marlboro to reject this referendum, sending a message to the board that we want a new plan that is educationally and financially responsible.
Elliot Cohen
Marlboro