Residents in the Hopewell Valley Regional School District were asked to decide the fate of a $35.8 million bond referendum to fund renovations at the district's six schools. Watch video
Residents in Hopewell Township, Hopewell Borough and Pennington Borough, the towns that make up Hopewell Valley Regional School District, were asked to dig deeper into their wallets to pay for upgrades at aging school buildings.
Voters on Tuesday said yes to a $35.8 million bond referendum to fund renovations at the district's six schools.
District officials have made the case that the aging schools, some of which are more than a half-century old, are past the point where routine maintenance can keep them up to snuff.
The borrowed money will be used to replace rooftops, windows, heating and air conditioning units, lighting, fire alarm and intercom systems and the upgrading of playgrounds, restrooms and media centers.
Additional upgrades are planned for the high school to make it ADA compliant and bolster security that would limit access to the school.
Voters to decide on $35.8M school referendum
The district estimated that if the referendum was approved, it would add an extra $13 for every $100,000 of assessed value of a property owner's tax bill. For the owner of a home assessed at $400,000, that's an increase of $52 per year.
Ouch! That's a good hit for taxpayers who have seen their school tax rate rise inextricably year after year.
But as we all know, a well-regarded school district such as Hopewell Valley does not come cheap. And parents who have the wherewithal are more than willing to pay higher taxes so that their kids can get a good education.
The school board and administration are taking prudent steps to make sure school buildings are safe, up to code and in good order. To do otherwise would be a dereliction of their responsibilities.
On the plus side, the school district can take advantage of help from the state to pay for the school upgrades.
The district will receive as much as $12.3 million in state aid to cover a portion of the costs, bringing the total cost for taxpayers down to $23.5 million.
Since the repairs need to be done, the district would be foolish not to take advantage of the financial help from the state.
But to do that, voters had to approve the referendum. We congratulate them for doing so.