By Donald Gilpin

Princeton voters passed a $26.9 million Princeton Public Schools facilities referendum bond yesterday by a vote of 2,186 to 1,613, according to unofficial results at press time. Provisional ballots have not yet been counted.

Though fewer voters turned out for this one-question, “yes” or “no” vote than for the November 6 election, there has been a significant show of interest in the community over the much-debated proposed renovations and upgrades to the Princeton Public Schools (PPS).

Polls at Community Park Elementary School, Riverside Elementary, Johnson Park Elementary, and Littlebrook Elementary were open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

School officials have noted that this $26.9 million bond, scaled down from an original proposal of almost $130 million, will address the district’s most immediate and urgent needs, including safety, security, and HVAC upgrades in all the schools, as well as the creation of four additional classrooms at Princeton High School (PHS), along with a new dining center on the main floor, increased space for athletics, and improved space for student counseling.

The Princeton Board of Education (BOE) has described this referendum as an initial step in addressing the challenges of aging buildings and growing student population, with the youngest building, John Witherspoon Middle School, built in 1965 and the oldest, PHS, dating back to 1927.  None were designed to address today’s security concerns or HVAC needs.

The BOE has planned for ongoing discussion with the community in the coming year, looking to another referendum on the ballot next fall, possibly seeking funding for expansion of the PHS building and a new 5/6 school.

Anticipated impact on property taxes of this new bond is approximately $57 additional in the first year, 2020, for an average assessed home of $837,074, according to the PPS website. Subsequent year estimated additional costs would be about $61 in 2021, about $106 in 2022, then sizable reductions in 2023 and beyond after debt from a previous bond has been retired. The BOE anticipates debt service aid from the state of New Jersey to cover 27 percent of the cost of the bond.

Construction on the proposed upgrades and renovations in the schools are scheduled to begin in the spring of 2019.