North Caldwell Will Vote On School Bond Referendum: What To Know

CALDWELLS, NJ — Voters will head to the polls on Tuesday, Sept. 26 to cast ballots for a $51 million bond referendum that would pay for repairs and expansion in the North Caldwell Public School District.

If voters say “yes” to the referendum, it would pay for 20 new classrooms, security upgrades, and a host of other repairs to aging boilers, HVAC systems and roofs throughout the district. Proposed upgrades also include replacing the patchwork of window air conditioners in classrooms and minimal-output units in a few large spaces.

According to a frequently asked question guide from the North Caldwell Board of Education, the proposed improvements are estimated to cost $50.94 million. Local costs would be offset by just over $10 million in state aid. The district would contribute $5 million from its capital reserve, funds that are set aside in anticipation of capital improvements.

Some of the staffing expenses associated with the expansion could be absorbed into the existing operating budget, administrators added.

The property tax impact is based on the average assessed home value in North Caldwell ($790,000). That is estimated to average $895 per year for the 30-year life of the bond.

School officials held three meetings last year to discuss plans with the public, saying they're educating 710 students in buildings meant for 585. Read More: North Caldwell Takes Another Step Toward School Facilities Expansion

According to Superintendent Linda Freda, both Grandview and Gould schools have used all of their available instructional space. That includes “adjustments” such as using a hallway for kindergarten physical education classes, combining two or three small-group sessions into a single room, and offering music and world language lessons by mobile cart instead of dedicated classrooms.

“In addition to higher enrollment, we use instructional space much differently than we used to," Freda said. “Students with learning challenges used to be separated from their peers, and now small-group instruction helps them keep up. The average classroom is no longer filled with a row of desk-seat combos. Our classrooms are full of activities that support the kind of creative collaboration our students need to succeed.”

“This investment would do more than keep class sizes small, make our schools safer and pay for major maintenance,” North Caldwell Board of Education president Mindy Opper said.

“Using bond funding to pay for it is the only way to bring more state funding to North Caldwell,” Opper added.

According to the board of education:

“The state of New Jersey has a longtime program to help public schools pay for capital projects. It contributes a percentage of the costs when residents agree to pay the remainder through property taxes. Funding for this program comes from taxpayers across the state, but is only distributed to districts that use bond funding. With voter approval, North Caldwell Public Schools would sell bonds to generate up-front funding for as much as $51 million. The state has committed more than $10 million in state aid toward buying back those bonds. The district’s capital reserve – a sort of savings account for capital improvements – would contribute $5 million.”

District administrators and staff made another plea for funds in a video released in August (article continues below).

What is a bond referendum? According to district administrators:

“With this kind of vote (referendum), the school district seeks permission to borrow money (through the sale of bonds) to finance large-scale projects. Funding projects through a bond referendum offers the advantage of more than $10 million in state aid that North Caldwell could not get through its regular property tax. Bond funding is an efficient use of borrowing capacity. This up-front funding can be used to meet our district’s growing need for space, upgrade safety and security, complete infrastructure maintenance, and protect against financial inefficiencies. It is a cornerstone of the Board of Education’s long-term strategic planning for new space ready to meet North Caldwell's needs by fall of 2026.”

The North Caldwell Public School District serves students in pre-kindergarten through sixth grade. North Caldwell is also part of the West Essex Regional School District, which serves grades seven to 12.

HOW TO VOTE

According to the North Caldwell Board of Education, here’s how to vote in the 2023 school bond referendum:

Residents of North Caldwell who were registered to vote as of Sept. 5 can submit ballots in this special referendum. They can vote by mail or in person.

By mail: Some voters previously opted to receive Vote By Mail ballots automatically, and the Essex County Clerk’s Office sent those toward the end of August. Through 3 p.m. Monday, Sept. 25, a registered voter can request a mail-in ballot in person at the County Clerk’s Office (495 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. in Newark).

There are three ways to submit a mail-in ballot. A voter can turn in a marked ballot by 8 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 26 in-person at the County Clerk’s Office or by dropping it in the designated box at Borough Hall (141 Gould Ave. in North Caldwell). A voter can also mail back the marked ballot with a postmark no later than Sept. 26.

Mail-in ballots cannot be submitted at the polling place.

In-person: Voting will take place from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 26 in the lower level of Notre Dame Church (359 Central Ave.)

GREEN BROOK COUNTRY CLUB

School administrators said the upcoming development plans at the Green Brook Country Club – where a 100-year-old golf course is about to be turned into a housing complex – is another reason to start thinking about the future.

“We have been meeting with the town planning board and other borough officials to remain informed of the potential impact that the Green Brook Country Club development could have on our schools,” administrators reported.

“As we continue to monitor that plan, we know that enrollment has already risen, regardless of Green Brook,” school officials continued. “An independent demographic study has projected that enrollment will continue to rise, even without development at Green Brook.”

District administrators added:

“Potential enrollment from the Green Brook development plan cannot yet be factored into the state’s allocation of aid; it’s too far into the future for that. However, the demographer has expressed his knowledgeable opinion about how enrollment could rise, and that need is factored into the architect’s proposal. Our plans put North Caldwell Public School in position to continue serving students with the class sizes our community expects within an enrollment boost that has already happened and within the anticipated increase due to the Green Brook development project.”

According to North Caldwell Mayor Joshua Raymond, a revised agreement has been hammered out that will “drastically limit” the impact of the new development, which will mostly be open to people over the age of 55 and up.

• See Related: North Caldwell Golf Course Will Be Turned Into Housing (See New Plan)

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