Lacey Township School District

Bond Referendum

Lacey Township School District has a tradition of pride and excellence.

Our buildings should reflect this pride – and need to support our high quality of education.

The Board of Education is moving toward a bond referendum – or vote - to fund long-lasting facilities improvements that would enhance safety and energy efficiency. With voter approval, the district will receive state aid to ease the local tax impact of paying for building upgrades.

This referendum would give the community a voice in the future of the district, and is anticipated for Tuesday, March 11, 2025.

Why a Bond Referendum?

Bonds would generate up-front funds to address needs quickly.
This strategy opens the door to a special type of state funding that would offset the amount required from property taxes.
A voter-approved referendum is only way to secure this state aid. Taxpayers across New Jersey pay into this fund, but only districts with approved referenda can bring that money back home.

Budget constraints have put large-ticket maintenance items on hold. Now key infrastructure items are at risk of needing costly emergency repairs.

State aid would not be available if these improvements were included in the annual budget.

Three Ballot
Questions

The Board of Education anticipates organizing the referendum into three ballot questions.

The Board is committed to structuring a “Question 1” with no tax increase.

How? The last major investment in our schools will be paid off by the time the new investment begins. Completing major improvements with the help of state aid and good timing allows us to keep the tax rate steady over time.

Questions 2 and 3 would each come with a school tax increase, and multiple questions give the community the ability to choose the level of investment. Question 2 and Question 3 would not go into effect unless voters approve Question 1.

Proposed projects
could include:

Roofing replacements at every school to eliminate the risk of repair costs and increase energy efficiency
HVAC replacements to boost energy efficiency and improve functionality
Lighting, electrical equipment updates and plumbing to increase efficiency
Interior areas such as restrooms, locker rooms, a library and a gym floor would be renovated and modernized
Exterior areas like parking lots, driveways, curbs and basketball courts would be repaired to improve safety
A synthetic turf field that could be used by students from multiple sports and activities