A Mercer County school district is asking voters to approve its fourth school construction bond referendum in eight years.
The K-12 Princeton Public Schools district is asking voters Tuesday to approve three ballot questions that would allocate $89.1 million for renovations and improvements at four schools, according to the New Jersey School Boards Association.
The proposals include adding a gym and library to an elementary school, building an addition on another elementary school, adding science classrooms to a middle school and overhauling the heating and air conditioning system at Princeton High School.
If all three questions are approved, Princeton would receive $14.8 million in state aid to help fund the projects, the school boards association said.
Princeton has the costliest school construction bond referendum on the ballot Tuesday, the first of six days throughout the year when New Jersey school boards can hold local elections and put bond questions before voters. (See the ballot questions for each town below.)
The others school districts asking voters to approve referendums Tuesday are in Mendham Borough in Morris County and Pitman in Gloucester County, the school boards association said. The school construction questions in Princeton, Mendham Borough and Pitman are asking voters to approve a total of $129.6 million in school improvements.
Voters in Princeton — which has some of the highest property tax bills in New Jersey — approved school construction bond referendums in 2018, 2022 and 2023. The most recent referendum, totaling $12.9 million, was approved in November 2023, with 4,458 voting in favor and 1,831 voting against it.
Due to the way Tuesday’s referendum is structured, approval of the second ballot question in Princeton would not count unless voters also approve the first question. Approval of the third question hinges on voter approval of the first two questions.
Approval of all three ballot questions would result in an estimated $532 annual school tax increase on the average assessed home, which in Princeton is $853,136, the school district said. If only the first question totaling $37.9 million is approved, the average homeowner would pay an addition $222 in annual school taxes.
“Student enrollment growth is imminent. The planning, approval and execution of school renovations take years to complete, and we need a definitive plan in place as we welcome more students and maintain our model of neighborhood schools and strong programming,” the school district said in an overview of the referendum on its website.
Princeton’s referendum does not involve the former Westminster Choir College site, which has been discussed for several years as a possible location for school district expansion. While the borough council in September approved an ordinance that would enable it to buy the 23-acre site, no sale has been approved and the “timeline for availability” is uncertain, the district said.
Here is an overview of the bond referendums in three school districts that will be decided on Tuesday, based on information provided by the New Jersey School Boards Association and Princeton Public Schools:
Princeton
Question 1
Total cost: $37,905,000
State funding: $8,805,765
HVAC — heating, ventilation and air conditioning — systems would be replaced at Princeton High School. Community Park Elementary School would get additional classrooms, a new multipurpose room/gym and a larger cafeteria, library and music room.
Question 2
Total cost: $38,300,000
State funding: $5,044,358
Princeton Middle School would receive additional science classrooms and flexible instruction space. A connecting outdoor hallway would reduce crowding and improve the flow of students through the building. The cafeteria, vocal music and band rooms would be expanded and a multipurpose room would be added. There would be renovations at Princeton High School.
Question 3
Total cost: $12,915,000
State funding: $1,003,996
Littlebrook Elementary School would receive additional classrooms and a vocal music room as part of a building addition. The student support services area and small-group instruction areas would be renovated.
Mendham Borough
Question 1
Total cost: $9,964,305
State funding: $3,985,722
Mountain View Middle School and Hilltop Elementary School would receive renovations and improvements.
Question 2 (would only take effect if Question 1 is also approved)
Total cost: $9,317,520
State funding: None
An auditorium would be built at Mountain View Middle School.
Pitman
Question 1
Total cost: $14,220,000
State funding: $5,688,000
Pitman Elementary School would upgrade its boiler and heat infrastructure, among other improvements. Pitman Jr./Sr. High School would receive a partial roof replacement, the parking lot would be repaved and regraded, and the existing running track would be reconstructed.
Question 2 (would only take effect if Question 1 is also approved)
Total cost: $7,032,000
State funding: $2,812,800
Pitman Elementary School would receive HVAC upgrades and Pitman Jr./Sr. High School would receive furniture and equipment, among other improvements.
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Rob Jennings may be reached at rjennings@njadvancemedia.com.
