Princeton school board members are considering having a smaller facilities referendum worth roughly $82 million as a “compromise” that would mean temporarily postponing major renovations of Princeton High School, according to board President Patrick Sullivan.
“We don’t want this referendum to divide the town,” he said on Sept. 21. “It should unite the town. It’s about our kids.”
Sullivan said there would still be a two-question referendum, potentially on Dec. 11, but for less than the $129.6 million that was originally on the table.
The ballot’s first question would consist of $27 million for security, maintenance and other improvements at district schools and provide four extra classrooms at the high school, Sullivan said.
The second question, for approximately $55 million, would call for building a new school for fifth and sixth graders, making athletic fields improvements and acquiring 15 acres on Thanet Circle for current and future facilities needs.
The leaner referendum would forestall about $47 million worth of work at the high school. Sullivan said that with demographic data showing flat enrollment for the next three years at the school, the district should have more time to explore what a bigger referendum for the high school should look like.
The added tax impact would be $164 at the average assessed home if both questions passed starting in 2020. That compares to the original referendum, that would have increased school taxes by about $300 for the average household.
“We’ve heard from people in the community that the expense in one fell swoop is too great and, therefore, we need to do this in phases and make it affordable,” he said.
He added that officials have heard “a lot” of support for the new school.
“Again, I think it’s tentative,” said Sullivan, who noted that the board has yet to approve any referendum proposal.
Sullivan said Superintendent of Schools Stephen C. Cochrane supports the compromise proposal.
The board is due to discuss, but not vote on, the proposal at its meeting on Sept. 25.