FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

A school bond referendum is a vote that asks the community’s permission to finance improvements through the sale of bonds. If voters approve the referendum, the district benefits from: 

• Millions of dollars in state aid toward debt service for the project costs  

• Upfront funding to complete large-scale projects within a few years  

The needs that drove the September 2024 bond referendum have not gone away and, in fact, building issues have only grown more urgent. For example, the heat pumps at Toll Gate included in last year’s referendum required emergency replacement over the winter.

Meanwhile, space shortages continue to impact Bear Tavern and Toll Gate, where we need more classrooms and areas for small-group instruction to help students catch up or keep up. Aside from these needs, building expansions would also:  

• Preserve the small class sizes that our community values  

• Reduce the level of redistricting 

• Move students from aging modular trailers into school classrooms 

• Prepare for growth 

These large-scale improvements cannot fit into the annual budget, which must prioritize regular educational expenses. 

We listened to community feedback after the 2024 referendum. We heard that voters preferred to focus on the most urgent building needs, so we removed the $5.8 million synthetic turf field project from the proposal in favor of additional critical HVAC projects. 

Voters also had questions about how the district could make up the loss of property taxes when developers enter a PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) agreement with a municipality. Earlier this year, HVRSD secured a commitment from Hopewell Township to use $16.1 million in PILOT funding toward the Bear Tavern Elementary School expansion.  

That funding is in addition to the $20.2 million in state aid that a voter-approved referendum would secure. Once HVRSD receives the contribution from PILOT revenue, it will be used to pay down the debt service, resulting in lower taxes. 

Maintaining the quality of our schools is essential to the continued appeal and value of the communities we serve. Our highly regarded school district is an important – and sometimes deciding - factor for homebuyers. 

There is also a strategic financial benefit: When projects are addressed through a bond referendum, the state funds a portion of the costs, offsetting the amount required from local taxes. 

School districts across the state, including right here in Mercer County, have obtained state funding for building improvements through voter-approved bond referenda. 

Princeton Public Schools has addressed evolving educational and building needs through a series of referenda over the last several years. Princeton passed its most recent referendum in January 2025 for $89.1 million, and Lawrence Township voters approved a $94.9 million referendum in March 2025. Both of those referenda include building system upgrades and school expansions, similar to what HVRSD is proposing. 

Without the upfront funding to expand our schools and replace end-of-life infrastructure, the pressures on our buildings and budget would intensify.  

Class sizes already are growing with enrollment. If the referendum does not pass, we will see increases in class sizes and the level of redistricting. Also, students would remain learning in cramped trailers at Bear Tavern and Toll Gate schools.  

The roof leaks and HVAC breakdowns that disrupt instruction would become more frequent. We would have to drain more of our annual budget to address needs on a piecemeal basis. And we would have to use our capital reserve (district savings) for emergencies rather than strategically planned projects. If we replace outdated equipment through the referendum, we will increase efficiency and get significant state aid toward the costs. 

A voter-approved bond referendum is the only certain path for HVRSD to obtain upfront funding to make large-scale improvements – with the bonus of around $20 million in state aid.

This website, hvrsd.org/vote, will be a comprehensive source of information and will be frequently updated.  

The district also is posting referendum-related content on its Facebook, X and Instagram accounts.  

Watch the website and social media for details on informational events where you can ask questions and learn more.  

Improvements are proposed for each of the district’s six schools to address the most critical needs for system/equipment upgrades and instructional space:   

Central High School  

• Replace remaining roof areas that are beyond their useful life

• 400 Wing HVAC system replacement  

• Paving restoration at the “solar” parking lot  

• Renovate student bathrooms in 400 wing

Timberlane Middle School  

• Replace remaining roof areas that are beyond their useful life 

• Replacement of deteriorated exterior doors 

• Replacement of obsolete classroom HVAC equipment in Blocks C and D

• Replace obsolete HVAC units in art room, gym and computer lab

• Replace obsolete HVAC units and add air conditioning to auxiliary gym (only district gym without A/C)

• Replace obsolete chiller

• Flooring replacement and other renovations in auxiliary gym

• Refurbish front entrance walkway

• Install additional water well system as backup to existing system

• Renovate student bathrooms in Block A
  
  

Bear Tavern Elementary School   

• Roofing in areas where warranties expired or will expire in 2026 

• Building addition with room for 8 to 10 classrooms, including small-group instruction rooms that can expand to full-size rooms 

• Additional HVAC work - classrooms, media center, main office and music rooms

• Installation of additional water well system as backup to existing system

• Upgraded classroom doors for improved safety 

• Replacement of deteriorated exterior doors and deteriorated storefront system

• Refurbishment of covered walkway at staff entrance

• Replacement/upgrade of sewer pumping station equipment  

• Renovations of existing modular buildings for district storage 

• Renovations of cafeteria and student bathrooms adjacent to gym  

Hopewell Elementary School  

• Replacement of obsolete shingle roofing areas that are in poor condition

• Replacement of deteriorated exterior doors   

• Replacement of remaining obsolete HVAC equipment   

• Upgraded classroom doors for safety in the primary wing

• Expansion of two kindergarten bathrooms for ADA accessibility
  
  

Stony Brook Elementary School   

• Replacement of low slope roofing that has exceeded its useful life and correct failed flashing conditions 

• Replacement of deteriorated exterior doors    

• Drainage improvements to prevent flooding risk   

• Replacement of two cafeteria rooftop HVAC units that are beyond their useful life

• New cooling tower
  
  

Toll Gate Grammar School  

• Building addition for six classrooms   

• Renovations to create a larger nurse’s suite with an accessible bathroom, add a physical education office with a student bathroom, and convert the existing nurse’s suite to a small-group instruction room 

• Replace low slope and shingle roofing areas that are beyond useful life

• Replacement of deteriorated exterior doors   

• Replace steam boiler with high-efficiency hot water boiler

• HVAC improvements at third floor of original building

• Replace obsolete HVAC units in the media center 

• Driveway improvements for safer passageway for pedestrians and emergency vehicles, additional parking, pavement restoration

Bear Tavern Elementary School and Toll Gate Grammar School are already short on space. More instructional space is needed to maintain small class sizes, move students out of cramped, aging modular classrooms at each school, and reduce the level of redistricting.   

The schools also need more flexible space for small-group instruction that has become increasingly in demand. The Bear Tavern addition would accommodate 8 to 10 classrooms, including small-group instruction rooms that could expand to full-size rooms The Toll Gate addition would include six new classrooms, and renovations at the school would create another small-group instruction room. 

We worked carefully and diligently with our professional consultants, including demographers, to develop this referendum, which is subject to extensive state scrutiny.  

We cannot be speculative in our proposal; we have to plan for developments that are confirmed at this time and have made enrollment projections based on current information.

We take care of our buildings through routine maintenance. While we have regularly been patching roofs, HVAC systems, and concrete, we’re at the point where these items are too worn out due to their old age. They are now in need of replacement. 

All of our elementary schools are impacted by the spillover from enrollment growth – we already have to redirect students to other schools when grades fill up at one building. That will continue at a higher rate if we don’t expand Bear Tavern and Toll Gate.

When we need to find space for students, every school is in play.

So, if we are able to build at Bear Tavern and Toll Gate, that will also take pressure off Stony Book and Hopewell. 

Without the additional space, we will need widespread redistricting across all the elementary schools.

Bear Tavern and Stony Brook are seeing spikes in enrollment this school year. We are looking at all spaces to evaluate where we can best accommodate students. We are doing targeted redistricting to relieve the pressure when we see increases in different grade levels. However, the district is currently doing a study to see what larger-scale redistricting will need to take place moving forward, based on current trends. 

We currently factor upkeep and repairs of aging, inefficient building systems into the regular budget.  

Recent work has included water and sanitary line repairs, new electrical installations, and various HVAC-related replacements. Emergency repairs are always a risk with end-of-life equipment. This winter, for example, the heat pumps at Toll Gate failed before they could be addressed in the new referendum. The funds – $23,000 - had to come out of the annual budget.  

Upgrading our building systems would allow more predictability in planning annual expenses and would maximize our budget for educational needs.  Newer equipment would run more efficiently.

NJDOE capacity models are more than 20 years old, and don’t reflect how space is currently used for teaching and learning.  

When determining space needs for the referendum, the district accounted for programs such as small group instruction and special education, which vary from a traditional classroom set-up. 

Also, while the NJDOE considers the aging trailers at Bear Tavern and Toll Gate to be instructional space, our students’ needs would be better served inside school buildings. Proposed expansions at those schools would move students out of trailers, provide flexibility and manage class sizes as enrollment grows, and reduce the level of redistricting.  

• As shown in architects’ presentations, only roof areas with warranty expiration years of 2026 or earlier are being replaced. Much of this roofing is in poor condition and at the end of its useful life.  

• Roofing warranties primarily cover material defects and workmanship, not wear and tear.  

• In addition, the existing roofing warranties are prorated, meaning they provide less coverage as roofs age.  

• All the work proposed in the referendum is beyond the scope of what a warranty would address. The targeted roofing areas need to be replaced, not repaired.  

• Replacement roofing would address disruptions caused by regular leaks in classrooms and other instructional spaces. 

All sections of roofs included in the referendum have warranty expiration dates of 2026 or earlier. The district's architects created floor plans showing the roofing areas that would be replaced at Hopewell Valley Central High School, Timberlane Middle School, Bear Tavern, Hopewell, Stony Brook and Toll Gate. 

Like other infrastructure projects in the referendum, paving work qualifies for state aid with voter approval. That assistance is not available for projects that are completed through the annual budget. While routine maintenance is included in the annual budget, the board and district aim to preserve most of the budget to support educational needs.  

The proposed paving projects target specific areas where work is now needed. 

The paving improvements are bundled in with many other projects that would be financed through a 20-year bond. The American Society of Civil Engineers indicates the life cycle of full reconstruction asphalt surfacing as 15 to 25 years. While a top surface may require milling and topping sooner, the underlying pavement should remain sound.  

The Board of Education balances its mission to provide high-quality schools with its responsibility to taxpayers. Identifying funding streams beyond the annual budget is an ideal way to achieve both goals. 

The board’s newly created Government Relations Committee recently secured the district’s first-ever state budget appropriation of $125,000 toward a fully ADA-accessible playground at Bear Tavern. 

The district also used a state grant toward 40% of a boiler project at Central High School and purchased high-efficiency lighting at a fraction of market cost through a Board of Public Utilities program.   

A bond referendum would continue our model of responsible fiscal planning. We propose replacing inefficient or repair-prone building systems, with the help of state aid to cover a chunk of the cost.

The annual budget has a specific and separate purpose from the bond referendum.  

The budget funds all the regular costs of operating our schools, such as payroll, transportation, utilities, and supplies.  Any year-over-year changes in that budget reflect increases in costs. While maintenance costs are included, the scale of these projects cannot fit in the annual budget without having to divert funding from educational programming.

The NJ Department of Education incentivizes districts to pursue bond borrowing for projects by subsidizing costs when voters approve. This makes a bond referendum a viable strategy to address large-scale improvements while reducing the local share of the costs.  

State aid accounts for just 7% of HVRSD’s annual budget in the 2025-26 fiscal year. The bond referendum is an opportunity to bring home more of our state tax dollars.  

Hopewell Township approved a resolution to direct $16.1 million in PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) funding toward the Bear Tavern expansion.  

Pennington Borough sued to stop the PILOT-funded development, and is currently appealing an appellate court decision in Hopewell Township's favor. Pending further developments, Hopewell Township remains committed to contributing the funds. The money, when available, will be used for tax relief by paying down debt service for the Bear Tavern project over the 20-year life of the loan.

Hopewell Township pledged $16.1 million from PILOT funding toward the Bear Tavern expansion. This funding would be applied in addition to - not in place of - the state aid that  comes with a voter-approved  referendum.

When the Township PILOT funding becomes available, it will be applied to school debt service for tax relief. However, because of the bond borrowing structure that ensures investors receive steady returns, the payments toward the debt service would be spread out over the 20-year loan term.

Senior citizens who meet income eligibility criteria and other requirements can apply for three separate senior tax relief programs by submitting one form to the State of New Jersey.   

Senior Tax Freeze: Once applicants are approved, their property tax payments are “frozen” at the current amount, and they will receive a rebate if taxes increase because of public school taxes or any other reason including local/county taxes. The total income limit for 2024 is $168,268.   

Affordable New Jersey Communities for Homeowners and Renters (ANCHOR) Seniors earning a 2024 gross income under $250,000 are eligible to receive a benefit check.   

Stay NJ Applicants with a 2024 income below $500,000 are reimbursed for 50% of their property tax bills, up to $13,000.   

More information is available at bit.ly/njseniortaxfreeze or by calling 1-800-882-6597.

The estimated project costs factor in professional fees, and permit fees and licenses required for the construction and inspection process. The state also requires the budget to include a contingency amount for possible increases in costs when construction begins 1-½ to 2 years into the future.    

Projects are subject to a competitive bidding process to ensure the lowest pricing for the district. 

Voters have convenient options to vote in the general election:  

Vote By Mail: If you wish to apply, send a form to the Mercer County Clerk’s Office to arrive by Oct. 28, or hand-deliver it by 3 p.m. Nov. 3 to receive a mail-in ballot in person. Ballots must be deposited in the mail or designated drop box by Nov. 4. The local drop box is at the Hopewell Township Administration Building, 201 Washington Crossing-Pennington Road. Mail-in ballots cannot be dropped off at in-person polling places.  

Vote early: Early voting will be offered at select locations (the local site is at Pennington Fire Company, 120 Broemel Place). Voters can cast their ballots from Oct. 25-Nov. 2 (10 a.m.-8 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays, and from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on Sundays). 

Vote on Election Day: All regular polling places will be open on Tuesday, Nov. 4, from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. 

If you recently moved or changed your name, you must update your registration to match your current information by Oct. 14. 

You can register to vote online or with a paper form. This New Jersey state webpage explains what documentation is required to register. 

Polling places will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 4. If you are unsure of your assigned polling place, check the sample ballot that arrives in the mail, or use the state's polling place search tool.

Yes, the State of New Jersey offers early voting for the general election, and several Mercer County locations will be available for early voting from Oct. 25-Nov. 2 (10 a.m.-8 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays, and from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on Sundays). 

Mercer County voters can cast their ballots at any early voting site in the county. The Hopewell Vally site is at the Pennington Fire Company, 120 Broemel Place. For other early voting locations, see the county website. 

If you previously applied to vote by mail, your ballot for this election should arrive by late September.  

If you wish to request a mail-in ballot for this election, download and print a Vote By Mail application and mail it back to the Mercer County Clerk’s Office. Mailed applications must be received by Oct. 28. 

Vote By Mail applications also can be hand-delivered to the Mercer County Clerk’s Office in Trenton by 3 p.m. on Nov. 3.

Mail-in ballots cannot be returned to in-person polling locations. To return a Vote By Mail ballot, you can: 

• Mail it no later than Nov. 4 to ensure it is postmarked by the election date.   

• Deposit it in a designated drop box by 8 p.m. Nov. 4. 

• Bring it to the county clerk’s office by 8 p.m. 

Sometimes, voters overlook a mail-in ballot when it arrives at their home and then show up at the polls. That is one of the more common reasons that a voter might be turned away.  

However, voters in this position can request a provisional ballot. That option preserves your right to vote and will be counted if your voter eligibility is confirmed. 

All the projects included in the referendum represent true needs, but they are grouped into two questions that are aligned by category – building improvements and space for students.  

We believe this structure will help voters learn about the projects and give our community members more of a voice in the referendum.