By Donald Gilpin

With the last absentee and provisional ballots counted, the Mercer County Clerk’s Office yesterday declared the December 11 Princeton Public Schools (PPS) $26.9 million facilities bond referendum vote official, with a final updated tally of 2,262 (57.1 percent) in favor and 1,671 (42.49 percent) opposed.

In a message sent out to the community last week, PPS Superintendent Steve Cochrane stated that the referendum would be supporting “a variety of critical upgrades” in the schools. “Consistent with the goals of our strategic plan, the projects funded by the referendum will help to ensure safe, secure, and healthy learning environments for all of our students and staff,” he said.

From an original proposal of almost $130 million scaled down in response to significant community concern over the bond’s tax impact, the approved project will include safety, security, and HVAC upgrades in all the schools and 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 counseling. 

It will not include a new 5/6 school and further expansion of the PHS building, which were originally cited as important needs to reduce overcrowding and to accommodate growing enrollment, but were eliminated from the original proposal. (The date of the referendum vote was delayed from Election Day, November 6, to December 11 as the Board of Education (BOE) continued to revise its original plan.)

The approved referendum projects will get underway early in the new year, but as for further construction plans — the possibility has been raised of another facilities referendum next fall — the next steps for the district are not clear. 

The 2,262-1,671 vote margin was certainly a clear affirmation for the proposal, but only 18.67 percent of registered voters turned out, and the opposition to further debt and larger tax increases remains strong.

In his letter, Cochrane called for the referendum to “become a catalyst for continued conversation,” and, with the conflicting challenges of rising enrollments and limited resources, the debate is bound to continue — within the BOE, as well as in the larger community. 

Arguing that another referendum should not take place for at least four years, recently-elected BOE member Daniel Dart (speaking on his own behalf, not that of the BOE) stated, “The referendum results demonstrate that affordability is a major concern of all Princeton residents but particularly economically-vulnerable residents; school spending going forward will be scrutinized very closely as the schools represent 48 percent of our property tax bill; it will be really difficult, if not impossible, for a second referendum prior to years 2022-23 when previously issued debt will be repaid; and taxpayer funds are not unlimited and the school district must prioritize spending on that which is most important to achieve the academic results that we desire for all of our children.”

Brian McDonald, also elected last month and slated to join the BOE in January, emphasized the importance of community engagement, consensus-building, and careful financial planning in the decision-making process going forward. 

“Beginning in January, I am confident that the newly-configured Board will work closely with the administration, the architect, and the community to move forward to the bidding and construction phases of the many projects within the referendum,” he said. “We must do everything possible to make sure that the construction is high quality and the projects are delivered on time and on budget.”

He added, “Looking beyond this referendum, there are additional needs but they need to be re-evaluated and validated, and potential solutions need to be carefully considered with substantive community engagement. This process will take time and we must work hard to forge consensus and keep tax increases as low as possible.”

BOE Facilities Committee Chair Dafna Kendal, in her last month on the BOE, was pleased with the referendum results and emphasized the success of the compromise proposal that won more than 57 percent of the voters’ support.

“This culminates a two-year process,” she pointed out. “It was the right thing to do. We listened to the community. I think the community appreciated our engagement.”

Kendal, who took the lead in crafting the scaled-back proposal that eventually won the BOE’s, then the voters’, approval, acknowledged the challenges ahead in reconciling the schools’ needs and the community’s financial concerns. “There is an enrollment issue that has to be addressed. Costs will continue to be a concern. We made the right decision. We did the right thing, but overcrowding is going to continue to be an issue.”

In concluding his letter to the community, Cochrane emphasized the importance of wide involvement in the process. “We will continue to inform and engage our community as we move forward with transparency in implementing the approved referendum projects. Look to our website and to our Board meetings for regular updates on bond sales, construction schedules, and, beginning next summer, progress at each building.”