By JF Grodeska
SHREWSBURY – On Oct. 6, residents of Shrewsbury Borough will make a special trip to the polls to vote on a school board bond referendum. A bond referendum is a community vote to authorize the borrowing of funds through the sale of bonds to generate upfront funding for projects that would impact the existing operating budget.
In this instance, residents will vote on whether to fund a $22.5 million upgrade to the Shrewsbury Borough School. The project includes upgrades to safety and security, HVAC and air quality systems, a dedicated lunchroom, three new classrooms for pre-K students, and a multipurpose room with a partition. This referendum comes with an “all or nothing” stipulation; residents cannot choose which aspects of the project they think should be included and which should not.
While school construction projects provide much-needed improvements for students, they also often come with a hefty price tag, which can make bond referendums a tough sell to voters, especially in the midst of national inflation. The proposed project would raise $22.5 million but would add approximately $44 per month ($528 per year) to residents’ property taxes for an average home assessed at $580,785.
While school construction projects provide much-needed improvements for students, they also often come with a hefty price tag, which can make bond referendums a tough sell to voters, especially in the midst of national inflation.
On a Shrewsbury residents’ Facebook page, some have complained that only parents of students in the school were notified by mail of bond referendum meetings and the upcoming vote. Some even claim they were barred from a meeting – at an over-55 facility – to discuss the project. Others point out that in uncertain economic times, such an undertaking is ill advised, given that since 2004, student enrollment has steadily declined by approximately 18% overall. The current enrollment is about 460.
In response, Shrewsbury Borough School Board of Education member Michael Galvin posted on the page to explain that outreach efforts went far beyond the building of a bond-specific website (sbs-nj.org/vote) to answer questions and outline the project. To enhance their outreach beyond the website, the BOE formed a referendum committee of parents, school staff, seniors, and others, to ensure people know about the referendum; mailed information on the referendum to each residence in the borough, with the next mailer scheduled for Sept. 29 or 30; opened the school in the morning and in the evening for information sessions and building tour; hosted a Zoom session with professional advisors and posted the recording on YouTube; visited or attempted to visit 55-plus communities and residences; and installed nonpartisan signs throughout the borough to spur discussions and raise awareness.
BOE members also offered to personally drop off information and discuss the program with residents and hosted neighbors in their homes for both planned and ad hoc events.
For those with additional questions about bond referendum and the project it will fund, contact the Shrewsbury Borough Board of Education at referendum@sbs-nj.org, 732-747-0882 or via mail at Shrewsbury Borough Board of Education, 20 Obre Place, Shrewsbury, NJ 07702.
The article originally appeared in the September 29 – October 5, 2022 print edition of The Two River Times.
