By Stephen Appezzato
WEST LONG BRANCH – Oceanport, Monmouth Beach, West Long Branch and Sea Bright residents will cast their votes March 11 on the Shore Regional High School District’s proposed $51 million bond referendum to fund projects that include a range of infrastructure and facilities improvements.
While Sea Bright could leave the district in the future, Shore Regional superintendent Lisa English assured residents the March referendum will occur.
According to the district, more than 70% of the high school is in the original building, which was constructed in the 1960s.
“Every day we get up we focus on what’s best for the district. Right now, proposing this referendum is best for our kids and for this campus,” English said at a public information session Feb. 19.
The proposal includes a number of renovations, including replacing the auditorium stage, gym floor, and bleachers; a music room and auxiliary gym addition; and upgrades to the science lab, STEAM lab, cafeteria and media center.
Resurfacing the track and tennis courts, building a new multisport turf field and creating a new transportation office, concession stand and restrooms is also part of the proposal.
Other improvements include overhauling the building systems, such as lighting, HVAC, plumbing and brickwork; safety and security upgrades, such as signage, relocating the nurse’s office and creating a security vestibule; and locker room and restroom renovations, among other additions.
The lengthy list of proposed changes was formulated during a long strategic planning process.
“It involved our students, it involved parents, it involved our board of education members, it involved our community members, it involved a good sampling of people,” not just school staff, English said.
According to school officials, about $14 million of the $51 million price tag would be covered by the state.
“Everyone in the state pays towards this type of aid and you can only access it if a referendum is successful in your school district,” explained Danielle Marino of Phoenix Advisors, Shore Regional’s financial advisor. Footing the remaining $37 million of the bill would be the Oceanport, Monmouth Beach, West Long Branch and Sea Bright taxpayers over a 20-year term.
According to projections, the monthly tax impact for homes would vary across each town. The respective tax impact for each borough is estimated based on the total assessed valuation of each town, average home assessment and the regional school district funding allocation formula, which also factors in enrollment. The estimated tax impact for the average home in each town is based on current market interest rates, with a slight cushion. Marino said, in reality, the interest rate may be slightly lower and, like a mortgage, the bonds could be refinanced in seven years if rates fall.
In Monmouth Beach, the owner of a home assessed at the borough average of $1,087,348 could expect to pay $24 per month. In Oceanport, it would be $22 per month for a $767,746 home; in Sea Bright, $34 per month for a $1,027,419 home; and in West Long Branch, $29 per month for a $972,763 home.
Generally, school districts in New Jersey must pursue bond referendums for large projects such as this to obtain state funding. School districts’ operating budgets usually account for expenditures such as salaries, benefits and utility costs – not large capital projects. By using a bond referendum, the district cannot spend a single penny over the amount approved by voters. The bonds would be sold to companies offering the lowest interest rate, while construction and purchasing contracts would be awarded to the lowest bidder, as with many public projects.
If Shore Regional’s project is approved, the first debt service payment would be in July 2026.
In the lead-up to March 11, school officials have circulated detailed project information to keep voters informed.
“You never want to be in a situation where people don’t have accurate or correct information,” ahead of a vote, English noted.
In a letter to the Shore Regional community Feb. 21, English said Sea Bright’s attorney contacted school officials by letter, arguing the referendum could not proceed because of Sea Bright’s efforts to withdraw from the school district and regionalize with Henry Hudson Regional High School District.
In her letter, English said the laws and regulations cited by Sea Bright “do not apply to the upcoming referendum” and Shore Regional’s attorneys “are prepared to defend against any legal action taken by Sea Bright seeking an injunction to stop the referendum.”
Last fall, a lengthy legal battle ended after an appeals court upheld a ruling that confirmed the Borough of Sea Bright has the legal standing to withdraw from the Oceanport and Shore Regional school districts despite the town’s not having its own board of education. To continue pursuing the option of regionalizing with Henry Hudson, Sea Bright must get permission from the Monmouth County Superintendent of Schools for a referendum. At that time, voters from Sea Bright, Atlantic Highlands and Highlands would decide the future of the Shore town’s schooling.
The article originally appeared in the February 27 – March 5, 2025 print edition of The Two River Times.
