By Emily Schopfer
RUMSON – Rumson was quiet this election season, with uncontested races for both its borough council seats and spots on the local and regional school boards. But voters still had an important question on their ballots: a bond referendum for $13.6 million in improvements for Deane-Porter Elementary and Forrestdale schools.
Over 67% of voters approved the bond, which will fund renovations, alterations, improvements and additions at both schools.
Deane-Porter is a public elementary school for preschool through third grade on Black Point Road in Rumson. The Forrestdale School is a public upper-elementary and middle school on Forrest Avenue for fourth through eighth grades.
Unofficial results from the Monmouth County Clerk’s Office show that of the 2,698 Rumson residents who voted, 67.16% were in favor of the bond and 32.84% voted against. The Rumson Board of Education (BOE) is now authorized to move forward on the appropriation of $13,603,291.
The BOE proposed the 2026 referendum in September, explaining that “post-COVID, the demographics of Rumson have changed to include more families, with multiple school-aged children enrolling in our schools,” according to the referendum documents.
The bond would fund “the addition of a new wing of classrooms onto Deane-Porter for music, art, science, and support services, freeing up general classroom space elsewhere, (and) the addition of two general-use classrooms at Forrestdale.” It would also fund the restoration of the roof, entryway and canopy at Deane-Porter; the renovation of multi-student bathroom facilities in both schools; and the relocation of the maintenance facility building.
“On behalf of the students and faculty we are appreciative of the communities support for this referendum,” said John E. Bormann, Superintendent for Rumson School District. “Based on my past 12 years in district, I am appreciative but not surprised by the outcome of this vote in favor of the referendum. The community of Rumson has always been supportive of our schools and has shown it in so many ways! This approval is just one more way they have done so!”
For the average home in Rumson with an assessed value of $2.25 million, this bond will cost an extra $28 per month, according to the BOE’s referendum documents. The New Jersey Department of Education also approved the district to receive debt service aid, state-provided financial assistance given to public school districts or municipalities to help pay off the principal or interest on bonds used for capital projects such as school improvements.
According to a New Jersey School Boards Association (NJSBA) Nov. 4 news release, under the Educational Facilities and Construction and Financing Act of 2000, “the state will fund at least 40% of eligible school construction costs through annual debt service aid.” The final eligible cost of the projects approved by the Commissioner of Education is $5,089,965 ($4,249,213 will be allocated to Deane-Porter Elementary School and $840,752 to Forrestdale School), according to the NJSBA.
The NJSBA also reports that, in unofficial results, the total bonding amount approved statewide for school districts was over $244 million, with $97.6 million in statewide funding approved. In Monmouth County, over $20.59 million in appropriations were approved between Rumson and Neptune City.
Bormann confirmed that the immediate next step is for the project, or projects, to go out for competitive bid. “Based on the work preparing and going to bid in the next few months, we plan to begin specific portions of the project this summer,” he said.
This article originally appeared in the November 12-18, 2026 print edition of The Two River Times.
