Restore - Expand - Protect
HVRSD Bond Referendum
The plan for a bond referendum is driven by budget concerns and focused on the future.
Hopewell Valley Regional School District unites our communities. Together, we engage students to reach their fullest potential, and we foster excellence in education so they can make positive impacts in the world.
Upholding this standard requires providing well-maintained, financially efficient, and optimally sized schools. Our children learn in these spaces daily, and they deserve adequate and flexible areas to grow and succeed.
On Tuesday, September 17, the HVRSD Board of Education plans to ask the community to vote on a bond referendum that proposes restoring, expanding, and protecting our schools.
WHAT IS THIS VOTE?
A bond referendum is a public vote. This type of vote asks the community whether a school district can sell bonds to finance large-scale projects that do not fit into the annual operating budget. School districts in New Jersey pursue this financial strategy for several reasons:
Help spread the cost of maintenance projects over time and make it more affordable for taxpayers
Tap into a type of state aid that is only available to districts with approved bond proposals
HVRSD hosted an online presentation on May 16 to provide additional information about the proposal to community members and answer questions. Watch the recording to get an overview.
A second community forum is being planned for early September.
WHAT IS BEING PROPOSED?
The district’s administration and facilities department thoroughly researched HVRSD's pressing needs. As we strive to maintain our schools, we are also welcoming more students.
Aging buildings due for restoration are a leading factor in this plan. Stony Brook Elementary School, the high school’s gym, and the Performing Arts Center are “the new parts” of the district, but both are over 20 years old.
Building systems need improvements. The last referendum process (2016) identified $65 million in needs, but only half were eventually included in the ballot proposal. That cost-cutting measure left old heating, cooling, and ventilation systems in place.
Space expansions are needed for today's teaching methods and enrollment levels. Bear Tavern Elementary and Toll Gate Grammar schools struggle for space now, and more families are attracted to our communities. Additionally, education requires more space to meet individualized student needs.
With a vote on September 17, the Board of Education plans to restore, expand, and protect our schools – and get state aid for some of the costs.
Improvements are proposed at all six schools that make up Hopewell Valley Regional School District.
Restore building integrity: roof repairs and exterior door enhancements
Improve HVAC: heating, ventilation and cooling system replacements
Protect with security: interior door and fire alarm replacements
Expand and renovate: more appropriate instructional space to relieve crowding
Enhance outdoor areas: paving repairs, front entrance refurbishments, and a turf field addition
Read the specific improvements and expansions proposed at each school.
WHY NOW?
Voter approval in September would offer an optimal timeline for construction.
It would begin the process of developing more detailed plans, advertising the projects to contractors, receiving competitive bids for that work, ordering supplies, and scheduling crews.
It would set up HVRSD for work in the summer of 2025, causing the least disruption to the educational environment.
Delaying projects could result in higher future costs as the district continues to patch roofs, pay more for energy inefficiencies, and repair modular classrooms.
A bond referendum is a planning opportunity to maximize state aid for the kinds of restorations and improvements our buildings need, with or without that helpful funding.
Explore the complete list of Frequently Asked Questions!