questions & answers

Public schools can sell bonds to borrow money, but only after a vote (referendum) to get permission from the public. Bonds are like securities, like a stock certificate, and they are bought back over time with interest. It’s similar to the way a homeowner uses a loan to replace a roof or renovate a kitchen. That long payoff is one reason schools use a bond referendum to ask for permission to borrow for projects that would be hard to fit in the regular budget. The other important reason is state aid. When voters approve a bond referendum, state funding pays a share of the cost.

Some consumers might think of debt as a sign of poor planning. The opposite is true for school districts because of the state aid system. Districts plan to accomplish specific projects with bond funding because state aid covers as much as 40% of the cost. For school districts, this form of borrowing is not a more costly safety net. Instead, it is a thought-out strategy to save local tax money. The state uses tax revenue from across New Jersey to pay for school projects where voters approved a bond referendum. State aid means local taxes take on much less of the total cost. For Clifton, the state has committed to contributing almost $55 million toward the costs of proposed projects if voters approve the April 20 bond referendum. That’s like getting an extra $2.2 million per year in state funding for projects the district needs to complete.

A school district’s operating budget is for day-to-day costs, which mostly means salaries, supplies and utilities. In New Jersey, the law sets a 2% cap on the amount those budgets can rise each year. Districts like Clifton typically use some operating funds for upgrading equipment and maintaining facilities. They also use a separate Capital Reserve Account for purchases that aren’t for day-to-day operations. For more costly repairs, improvements and expansions, school districts can also use bond borrowing. A strong advantage is the state aid that is available when voters approve a bond proposal: Those projects can qualify for state aid of up to 40% of costs. While improvement costs that are absorbed by the operating budget or Capital Reserve Account 100% paid for by local taxes, bond-funded projects can reduce that local impact.

The administration and Board of Education went into this planning process with consideration of the entire Clifton community. What do our students need to learn? What do our facilities need to be safe, modern, and financially efficient? What kind of school quality does our community want? This proposal is about One Clifton, with all of its parts working together. The Board of Education knew that meeting all those needs would take several years of work. COVID postponed the original vote date of September 2020, but the district still faces the same needs. Waiting for COVID to be completely resolved is not an ideal option because there is so much important work to be done. From a public vote in April 2021, to the detailed plans, to shovels in the ground, to project completion is a timeline of about 2.5 years. The Board decided not to postpone that timeline any later.

The newly approved American Rescue Plan will distribute federal funding with a focus on providing PPE, addressing "learning loss," student mental health and hybrid/remote instructional needs, and potentially ventilation system repairs. The April 20 referendum is an opportunity for Clifton to control its future and plan for its specific needs, without waiting for the rules that will be developed for this federal funding. However, past funding programs like this have allowed school districts to apply future funding to past purchases, when the expenses qualified for the program. It is also possible that future federal funding will cancel out any of the state aid that would come from a local, voter-approved bond borrowing. As the rules are developed, the district will explore how the American Rescue Plan funding -- and any other funding source -- could reduce the property tax cost of these improvements.

Security is already a top priority in Clifton Public Schools, and there is a continual effort to use some of our operating budget to improve it. The proposed bond funding would speed up the timeline for improving security that would include more cameras, integrated communications systems, upgraded doors for remote control, and entry vestibules to screen visitors. Security vestibules would be added to nearly every school in the district through referendum funding. School 17, one of the district’s newer schools, already has a security vestibule but would gain additional security cameras.

In addition to installing/improving security cameras and panic buttons, the proposal also would link new phone, public address, and lighting systems with video surveillance and lockdown systems. It would expand remote access controls to nearly every door in the district.

The April 20 referendum includes projects to improve heating and cooling at the High School, and to modernize the building’s bathrooms and security equipment. The proposal would make climate control more effective by installing units that provide air conditioning as well as heat, and replacing existing boilers with new energy-efficient units. Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) upgrades would be made in all classrooms, the upper and lower gymnasiums, and cafeteria.

Bathroom renovations would ensure the facilities are fully accessible. Clifton Stadium’s weight room also is in line for much-needed upgrades that would give student-athletes more space, replace old equipment and modernize the locker room. The High School’s entrance would be modified to include a security vestibule, allowing visitor screenings to increase safety students and staff.

While all of the upgrades in the bond proposal are essential, the improvements at the High School will have added value for the community. Modernized schools with the latest security technology will give families incentive to move to Clifton, and remain in the city at least throughout their children’s educational careers.

The security enhancements, bathroom renovations and HVAC upgrades that would benefit the High School are also planned for the district’s two middle schools.

But the proposal also addresses needs that are specific to each school. At Woodrow Wilson Middle School, where a light rain can cause an event to be postponed, a new turf field would resolve long-standing flooding issues. Other improvements would include the addition of seating and a simple field house for bathrooms, storage and concessions, all of which would make the field a complete facility for physical education classes and school sports. These improvements would also have far-reaching community benefits for the youth leagues that use the field.

An elevator proposed for Christopher Columbus Middle School would allow those with temporary and permanent disabilities to fully access that 4-level building.

The auditoriums at both middle schools need upgrades to be in proper working order. Projects at the schools would replace broken seats, ceiling and lighting fixtures; improve acoustics; and renovate floors and walls. These changes would benefit the wider community, which visits the auditorium for plays, concerts and other events.

Most of our elementary schools have building needs in common, based on aging equipment and facilities. Almost all of the schools would receive bathroom renovations, along with security vestibules and HVAC upgrades. The exceptions for restroom work are School 17 and CELA B (Clifton Early Learning Academy Brighton), which are newer buildings that already have more modern bathrooms. CELA B and School 14, which is heavily used for summer programs and serves a number of students with special needs, already have updated air conditioning in place.

Several buildings - Schools 2, 3, 12 and 15 -- would receive new boilers. At School 3, the auditorium seating, ceiling, lighting, floors, walls and acoustics would be replaced or upgraded. The proposal also would add new security cameras and remote control access doors for School 17.

Some components of our heating systems are 60 years old, and replacing them with centralized, all-purpose equipment would save energy and repair costs. In some cases, window units wouldn’t be an option (such as large auditoriums or gyms), or would be much less cost- and energy- efficient. In fact, using a combination of high-efficiency central units in some areas and low-efficiency window units in others could actually erase the overall benefit. Beyond the desire to keep students in a temperature-controlled learning environment, air conditioning is essential to the health of children and staff members who suffer from seasonal allergies and asthma.

A voter-approved bond referendum has the advantage of bringing new state aid to Clifton. Without a bond referendum, the district’s regular budget would be responsible for 100% of the funds for projects that some might consider “extras.” Having state aid cover about one third of the costs is a compelling reason to include those projects in a bond referendum.

It’s also important to note that the proposed projects contribute to, or support, the school experience and the One Clifton community. For instance, the Stadium's Weight Room is used by some student-athletes now, but an expansion would accommodate the needs of all students, as well as all of the athletic programs. Sorely needed repairs to the boys’ and girls’ locker rooms would also be part of this project. The estimated cost of the CHS weight room is $540,000, and state aid would cover $183,600 of that.

The turf field proposed for WWMS would be designed for multi-sport use and intended for community use. In fact, the state’s Department of Education typically authorizes no state aid for districts that propose turf for schools, but not in Clifton’s case. The state agreed that the turf field proposed for Woodrow met a strong need for outdoor educational space, and pledged state aid for that project. The cost of the WWMS turf field is about $1 million, and state aid would cover about $272,000. Together, those two projects are less than 1% of the project costs that make up this bond referendum.

Athletic fields took on more use as new sports were added and practice times grew. Dirt fields cannot recover quickly enough for today’s heavy demands, and the loss of grass cover can lead to rain-collecting mud pits and uneven playing surfaces. At WWMS, where Clifton’s freshman, junior varsity and varsity baseball teams and boys and girls jv and freshmen teams practice and play, an overnight/morning rain often leaves the field unsafe for use in the afternoon. The safety of our students and the availability of that space makes turf an attractive option for WWMS. While district workers currently spend countless hours grooming/lining the fields and trying to clear puddles, turf requires much less maintenance and would be installed with proper drainage. Animals like cats and geese aren’t as attracted to it. It can withstand the demands of heavy use by our students and our community organizations, such as youth recreation. For all of these reasons, the school district already uses turf fields at the High School and CCMS. Installing turf at Woodrow would give its 1,200+ students the same physical education opportunities -- leveling the playing fields in more ways than one.

Most often, the state’s Department of Education authorizes no state aid for districts that propose turf for schools, but not in Clifton’s case. The state agreed that the turf field proposed for Woodrow met a strong need for outdoor educational space, and pledged state aid for that project. The cost of the WWMS turf field is about $1 million, and state aid would cover about $272,000. That’s about 0.6% of the total costs of projects proposed in this referendum.

Successes by our athletic teams have attracted more players, and currently about 100 football players, 100 winter track athletes and 120 spring track athletes can use the Clifton Stadium Weight Room all year round. The district has outgrown the current space, which was carved out of an old locker room. Some of the equipment is positioned inside a hard-tiled shower room with a floor that slopes to drain and water control fixtures extending from the walls. The room is cramped, and more square footage would increase spacing between athletes and improve safety during workouts. An expanded weight room would accommodate the needs of all students, as well as all of the athletic programs that help fuel student engagement and community pride. The current space does not have air conditioning or proper ventilation. The estimated cost of the weight room is $540,000, and state aid would cover $183,600 of that. It makes up about 0.3% of the total costs of projects proposed in this referendum.

With buildings as old as Clifton’s, some areas involve asbestos that will have to be removed by an experienced and licensed company. The project cost estimates label those as environmental costs.

Every property is “assessed” a value, and that is used to calculate property taxes. It is usually much lower than the “market” value, the price someone might list a home for sale. To understand your home’s assessed value, use this website to search for your property, or look on the postcard sent by the City of Clifton in mid-February and look for “Net Taxable Value.” In Clifton, the average assessed value is $178,252. Some homes have higher assessments and some have lower assessments; that’s the mathematical average in the city. Over time, assessments can be adjusted up or down. For a home assessed at that current average, the estimated cost of the proposed school improvements would be about $17 per month, based on a 25-year bond pay-off schedule.

If voters approve the bond referendum on April 20, the current plan would put the increase on property tax bills in 2022. The process of selling bonds on the competitive, open market can take about two months. Meanwhile, the district's financial advisor will monitor the bond market -- which has been providing historically low interest rates while the economy recovers from the pandemic. Selling bonds as soon as possible might capture a lower rate, while waiting might lead to a higher rate. The process of selling bonds cannot start unless voters give permission to borrow, and after that, the financial advisor will suggest the best timing for the lowest cost to taxpayers.

For public school districts, bond borrowing doesn’t work the same way that consumers use to “lock in” a mortgage or car loan rate. The only way to secure a bond rate is to sell the bonds, and that process is done by welcoming bids on the open market. That level of competition assures taxpayers of a public process that requires the Board of Education to accept the lowest bid. Bond rates are at historic lows right now, but the Board cannot start the process unless there is voter approval to borrow the funds. Clifton relies on financial advisors that have expert experience in this process, and their complex forecasts consider many factors to make an estimate of the tax impact. But without voter approval, the bond borrowing plan cannot be put into action.

The total cost of the projects covered in the proposal is $168,282,735. If voters approve bond borrowing, state aid would reduce the cost by $54,894,060 -- meaning state funding would cover about one third of the costs to improve local schools. For a home assessed at Clifton’s average of $178,252, the estimated cost would be about $17 per month, based on a 25-year bond pay-off schedule.

Thank you for your question. New Jersey has a property tax reimbursement program known as "Senior Freeze," designed to exempt seniors and people with disabilities from having to pay higher taxes on their homes. You can learn more about that on the state's website. We do appreciate the consideration of people who do not have children at all, or who do not have students currently enrolled. We say we are "One Clifton" because the quality of the schools impacts the quality of the community.

Approval in April 2021 would let the district enter the planning phase with bond financing, detailed drawings, and competitive construction bids. The process of getting those bids requires a time period of advertising and allowing eager contractors to submit their cost estimates. A preliminary timeline is at the bottom of the Projects page. Actual construction work could start for some projects in April 2022 with boiler replacements, interior portions of security vestibules, and restroom renovations. Once summer break starts, the work can ramp up. By fall 2022, some work will be suspended, while other work continues in phases. For instance, work at the elementary schools will take place 3 classrooms at a time to cause the least disruption possible for the learning environment. The timeline includes another burst of work in summer 2023, with all of the projects substantially complete by the end of 2023. The district’s longtime and respected partner of Di Cara Rubino Architects has significant experience with school projects, and they would build a timeline that finishes the work in the most expedient manner while minimizing the impact on student learning. The district’s experience with Di Cara Rubino is an outstanding record of quality work and on-time completions.

The district routinely identifies necessary projects and pays for them through the regular operating budget and through a Capital Reserve Account. For instance, the High School stadium and athletic field, state-of-the-art science labs, and electrical upgrades at numerous schools were the many projects completed within the regular tax rate. A partial list of those accomplishments is here. But current needs are too vast to be covered that way; it would take 20 years to accomplish Clifton’s critical goals. Even more important, projects funded through those budgets miss out on the state aid that comes through bond borrowing. For this April 20 referendum, the district selected projects that best fit the criteria for receiving state aid: specifically, improvements related to student instruction. That method of funding requires voter approval, but opens the door for significant state funding. The state has committed to covering $55 million of Clifton’s proposed projects, if voters approve the bond referendum.

The primary way that New Jersey offers funding help for schools is on a per-student basis. But the state does not provide the same level of per-student funding for every district, and has often struggled to meet its own formula for that funding. For instance, in 2014 the state’s formula should have given Clifton Public Schools $82.8 million. But only $26 million was received (about 31% of what was due). State lawmakers have been trying to get closer to the mark, and that has helped Clifton. This school year, the formula pointed to $74 million for Clifton. The state made big news by announcing funding boosts -- including $47.9 million for Clifton (about 65% of what was due) -- but soon after, more quietly, cut that amount by more than $5 million. Despite the rosy-sounding media attention, the district is expected to actually get about 57% of what the per-student funding formula calls for. And that amount still falls quite short of what’s needed for everyday expenses. However, a bond referendum presents an opportunity to see new state funding for Clifton in the form of “Debt Service Aid.” That’s different from the per-student state aid. The state collects tax revenue from across New Jersey and uses it to pay for school projects that voters approved through a bond referendum. Without bond-borrowing, Clifton will not get a share of that state Debt Service Aid.

Clifton Public Schools has paid down debt over the past decade, and now carries about $3 million in bond-funded debt. For a district of Clifton’s size, that is an extraordinary and enviable position -- less than 1% of the debt load than the state would tolerate. It’s been great news for taxpayers, especially because the district has also lived within the state-mandated 2% spending cap for its operating budget. If voters approve the bond referendum on April 20, Clifton Public Schools will still be in strong financial shape, with less than half the state's debt limit. But continued investment is needed to maintain facilities and improve education, and the bond proposal seeks to capitalize on state aid to accomplish those goals in a fiscally advantageous way. A school district is a cornerstone of its community, often serving as a deciding factor for prospective homebuyers. Without periodic investment, the Clifton district may not compare favorably to surrounding communities that have supported school improvements. The National Association of Realtors offers compelling evidence about how neighborhood school districts factor into home buying decisions. “Homes in good school districts sell more quickly than those in lower quality school districts,” notes the Association, which also notes that such homes “typically hold their value more than those in lower quality ones.”

A virtual Community Forum was held on Wednesday, March 3. School staff, architects, and financial advisers reviewed the proposal and answered questions. A recording of that Community Forum is available on the district's YouTube channel. In addition, the bond referendum may be discussed at Board of Education meetings, and those meetings always offer the opportunity for public comment. The Board is scheduled to meet Thursdays: March 25, April 15.

Equally important: Return often to this website, because we continually add new ways to learn more about the proposal, and use the links at the bottom of this page to follow Clifton Public Schools social media for announcements and reminders. If you have a question that is not answered on this website, send it to OneClifton@cliftonschools.net in advance.

Yes, you can! Anyone who is registered to vote with a Clifton address can participate in the April 20 bond referendum to make the schools safer, more efficient, and more modern. If you’re not sure if you are registered, or what address is associated with your registration, find out by entering basic information at this State of New Jersey website.

Voting by mail is always an option for New Jersey residents. If you voted this way in the recent past, you may receive a ballot in your mailbox in early April without having to take any action. Watch Clifton Public Schools social media for a reminder.

In-person polls will be open 1:30 to 8 p.m. at six locations: School 5, School 9, School 12, Christopher Columbus, Woodrow Wilson, and Clifton High School. Those are the same sites that were options in the November 2020 General Election. Find your polling place here.

Voting by mail is an easy, convenient way to make your ballot count! If you voted by mail in a recent election, and your address is still the same, you may receive a Vote By Mail ballot without taking any action; look for that in your mailbox around April 1. In 2020, all active voters were automatically sent Vote By Mail ballots. That is not planned this year. You can ensure that you’ll receive a Vote By Mail ballot by submitting an application. Forms are on the Voting Info page. Pre-pandemic rules say a mailed request for a Vote By Mail ballot must be received a week before the vote, and returned/postmarked by the date of the vote to be valid. However, postal delivery has been slower and the number of mailed ballots has gone up. It’s not too early to request a ballot now, and for best results those should be marked and returned ASAP.

To register for the first time or to update your registration with a Clifton address, your completed form must be received by the county office by Tuesday, March 30. COVID has slowed down some postal or government activities, so act early to be sure you can participate in this referendum! Forms are available on the Voting Info page. To Vote By Mail, it’s wise to send your ballot application by April 1 because of potential delays in the mail system. Pre-pandemic rules say it must be RECEIVED by April 13 and returned/postmarked by April 20 – the same day in-person voting takes place.

Mistakes happen, and sometimes that’s because paperwork hasn’t caught up or records are misread. With the recent increased use of voting by mail in New Jersey, you may receive a Vote By Mail ballot a few weeks in advance, and mistakenly throw it out. If you show up at the poll but are told you cannot vote there because you are registered to vote by mail – or any other reason – ask for a provisional ballot. That system ensures that votes still count, even if some snags have to be sorted out in the days after the election. Provisional ballots have made an impact in recent bond referenda in New Jersey.