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Bad economy may kill vote
(by David Jimenez - November 26, 2008)
The economic free-fall gripping the nation is likely to soon claim another victim; this one closer to home. Influenced by a bad economy and dwindling support, Denville school officials will decide next month whether to hold a referendum vote in March to build a new middle school or abandon the idea entirely for less ambitious plans.
The decision as to whether or not to proceed with a $69 million school referendum or develop an alternative approach will be discussed at a Dec. 1 meeting of the Denville Board of Education. The original plan of building a fourth school for the district to relieve overcrowding has had its critics from the start, more so lately as the economy worsens.
“The bond market today is not what it was in 2005 when we began the project,” said Michael Bertram, school board president. “The cost of purchasing bonds is higher, the economy is weaker and more people are unsure of employment.”
Bertram said that officials would “need to start planning for other ways to relive overcrowding in the event that the board decides not to proceed with the referendum.”
Agreeing, Seth Yen Johnson, Board vice president and Buildings and Grounds Committee chairperson, said, “Though the economic landscape has changed, the one constant is that all three Denville schools are overcrowded and are in need of major repairs.”
Bertram said he has heard from parents and concerned residents caught in the economic squeeze, “who understand the need for a fourth school but do not have the confidence to vote in favor of the idea.”
Similar comments have been voiced to Bob Grant, who was recently elected to the town council, and who also served as a School Board member from 2002 to 2005. According to Grant, when he campaigned in the third ward, going door to door, “The people I spoke with did not express a favorable point of view for the school project.”
The School Board meeting is set for Dec. 1 at 7:30 p.m. in the all-purpose room of the Riverview Elementary School, 33 St. Mary’s Place.
According to the Board, the Denville school district is in need of more classroom space, particularly since the projected school population indicates a sustained growth rate. Under the school district’s initial plan, a new middle school is needed to house grades six to eight on a 22-acre parcel of land located on Nicole Drive. The estimated cost for the project is $69 million.
If the referendum is passed, the School Board calculates that the annual impact to Denville homeowners, whose residences are valued at $310,000, would be taxed $609 to $700 more per year.
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