Frequently Asked Questions

A bond referendum is a vote in which a school district asks voters for permission to borrow funds through the sale of bonds. Only after an approved referendum can a district sell bonds to fund large-scale projects, such as building a new school, that are not achievable using the annual budget. That annual budget funds day-to-day operations, such as salaries, supplies and regular maintenance. 

Little Ferry Public Schools has served our community’s families for generations, but 109-year-old Washington School was no longer a safe place to educate our children. Despite repairs over the years to preserve the building, Washington School needed extensive updates to meet building and accessibility codes and bring classrooms and other spaces up to date. 

The Board of Education consulted with district architects and concluded that addressing the extensive needs of the school by making these costly repairs would not be a fiscally responsible option for our community. The decision was made to bring the building down and clear the site to make way for a new school. 

Since Washington School’s closure in 2018, students in kindergarten through second grade are being taught in trailers and sharing the Memorial School multipurpose room (MPR) for physical education and lunch. Scheduling is a challenge to ensure that all students receive the benefits of this space and to appropriately group students according to age. These students need their own school and the Washington School site offers a key opportunity to expand the high-quality programming offered by Little Ferry Public Schools. 

The Little Ferry Board of Education is committed to sharing accurate information about the bond referendum with the community leading up to the March 12 vote. We encourage members of the community to visit this website frequently for updates and to attend the community information forum. The district will share information through a town-wide postcard mailing, video, public forums, flyers, local media, and social media. Please share this information widely and direct all questions to littleferryfuture@lfboe.org.   

Preschool enrollment is growing and the state awarded Little Ferry a grant last year to expand the preschool program. While that grant pays operating costs, we lack the space to accommodate the program.    

Small-group instruction rooms are used to help students who need additional support in reading and math, to offer advanced opportunities to students who are ahead of their grade level in a specific subject, or to provide related services such as physical therapy, occupational therapy or speech.   

These spaces benefit students by giving them individualized attention and flexible and differentiated learning to encourage academic growth. Teachers can better gauge students’ understanding, provide timely feedback and tailor lessons to focus on their individual needs.

Preschool attracts the most quickly growing population in the district and class sizes are limited to 15 students each. The district is currently renting space to handle the increased population. 

In early 2023, the state awarded $1,245,045 in annual Preschool Expansion Aid to Little Ferry Public Schools so the district can provide students with tuition-free early education. The state program pays for the operating costs, but not the new space needed to accommodate the preschool classrooms.

To get state funding for preschool operating costs, a school district must demonstrate that it can provide a “high-quality preschool program,” which is defined as a full-day program with a certificated teacher, an aide, and small classes – limited by the state to 15 students. 

If those criteria cannot be met, the district would lose the state grant that covers operating costs. Little Ferry’s current preschool program cannot accommodate more students without more classroom space – even though state funding would cover day-to-day costs. 

When Washington School closed in 2018, so did the full kitchen that served all meals for both Washington and Memorial Schools. Since that time, cafeteria meals have been limited to items that are pre-packaged or can be reheated in the partial kitchen at Memorial. A new middle school would include a fully equipped kitchen to serve the 950 students in the district. The return of a full kitchen would open up many more meal choices, including freshly made and more nutritious options. 

Building a new high school is not included in this proposal as the Little Ferry Board of Education is focused on the immediate situation facing the district. 

A high school facility would require additional area beyond the available lot to meet current NJ Department of Education standards, provide more parking, appropriate outdoor space, and a larger building than what is currently planned. Additional expenses beyond the cost of constructing a new facility would be needed and a high school at this location would have a negative impact on traffic.

While the district will continue exploring options for high-schoolers, the primary focus remains on continuing to provide a free preschool program and addressing the urgent need for getting the kindergarten and elementary students out of the modular units and into Memorial School. To accomplish this, the district needs a new school to house grades six through eight.

If voters approve the referendum, the entire process of constructing the new school would take about three years. 

• Voter approval would launch a pre-construction process that includes finalizing the design of a new school and obtaining all necessary permits, advertising the projects for bid and awarding contracts to the lowest qualified bidders. This process can take up to one year. 

• After that pre-construction process concludes, construction of the new school would take approximately two years.

By state law, bond-funded contracts must be awarded through a public bidding process. That benefits taxpayers because contractors submit price bids and the district must choose the lowest price. 

The bond referendum includes costs associated with building a new middle school. This includes the estimated costs for design, site preparation, construction, furniture, technology and other one-time costs related to the creation of the new school or other capital projects. These costs are estimated with a contingency cushion to be sure that the work can be completed even if some pricing changes. The ballot acts like a promise to voters that with their approval, the work will be done within the amount stated. 

The district does not plan to hire more teachers or staff at this time. The current teachers would each have their own spaces, rather than having to share or use a smaller space than is required. If the district determines that an additional music or art teacher is needed, that position would be funded through the regular operating budget. 

Taxpayers from across New Jersey pay into the budget that contributes toward school construction improvements. When voters approve a bond referendum, those tax dollars are brought back to invest in their community. This type of state aid is only available through a successful referendum. 

The owner of a home assessed at the Little Ferry average of $375,501 would see an increase estimated at $50 per month in school debt tax on their property tax bill. That increase would begin in July 2025. 

If your home’s assessment is different from the Little Ferry average ($375,501), you can estimate your tax impact with a calculator. Please note that the estimated tax impact is an average over the 30-year term of the investment. 

The tax impact per $100 of assessed property value is currently $0.160. To calculate your estimated tax impact: 

• First, find your home's assessed value on your tax bill or by entering your street address (location) or last name (owner) into this lookup tool.  

• Then, personalize your estimated tax impact by multiplying your property’s assessed value by 0.0016 to find the annual increase to school debt tax. 

The total tax rate for Little Ferry in 2023 was $2.747 per $100 of assessed valuation. This includes the rate for the borough, school district and county taxes. Based on a 30-year bond issued at a rate of 4.50%, it is estimated the referendum would annually add $0.16 to the tax rate for school debt per $100 of assessed valuation. This represents a 5.8% increase over the 2023 tax rate. It is important to keep in mind that the rate starts out higher and then decreases toward the end of the payback period, as other components of the school debt tax rate change. 

The cost of the projects would be spread over 30 years among property taxes paid by all residents and businesses. 

The Board is not permitted to spend one dollar more on the projects (no matter the source of funds) without obtaining additional voter approval. With the help of financial consultants and its architect, Little Ferry has thoroughly researched the proposed projects and their associated costs and has included a contingency amount in the estimated total. That cushion considers potential increases in materials costs, gas prices and interest rates. If actual costs exceed what voters approved, plans will have to be adjusted to fit the budget.

The Board is only allowed to spend money on the projects approved by the voters. If the projects are complete and there are remaining bond proceeds, that money must be used to pay back the principal as soon as possible.   

Assessed value, which is used to determine a homeowner's property taxes, is different than a home's market value. The market value of a home is typically a higher figure and is an estimate of how much a home could sell for in the current market. The average assessed value of a home in Little Ferry is $375,501. Inputting your address into this website will give you your home’s assessed value.  

If voters do not approve the referendum, the Board of Education would be left to determine how to address immediate space needs to meet today's educational standards for Little Ferry’s middle school students. The process of reconsidering options, developing alternative plans, submitting documents for state review, and holding another referendum could take a year or more. The Board of Education believes that extending the timeline opens the district to risks of even higher costs for a permanent solution. 

Little Ferry Public Schools has consulted with financial advisors who made conservative estimates on the interest rates that would be available following an approved referendum. That strategy ensures enough of a range to cover potential increases.  

If rates turn out to be lower than estimates, the cost of borrowing would be slightly lower and, therefore, so would the amount to be repaid.

The State of New Jersey offers a property tax reimbursement program known as "Senior Freeze."  

It protects some senior citizens and people with disabilities from having to pay higher taxes on their homes, and that is true not only for this school board referendum but for other taxes.  

More information, including the income requirements to qualify for this program, is on the state's Senior Freeze webpage. 

Anyone registered to vote with a Little Ferry address can participate in the March 12 bond referendum.  

If your name or address recently changed, please check whether your registration is still valid. Check your registration here.   

If it is not valid, you have until February 20 to register. Online voter registration forms are available  here, and printed forms for mailing are available in English, Spanish or Korean. 

Polls will be open from 12 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, March 12 at Memorial School, 130 Liberty Street in Little Ferry.

Voting by mail is available for the bond referendum. If you have voted by mail before, you may automatically receive a ballot in the mail. Look for that ballot a few weeks ahead of the March 12 vote. To request a Vote By Mail ballot, download the application here. Complete and submit that to have a ballot mailed to you. That ballot must be marked and either hand-delivered to the Board of Elections, placed in a designated drop-box, or postmarked by the U.S. Postal Service by 8 p.m. March 12.  

Voters also may apply for a Vote By Mail ballot at the County Clerk’s Office at One Bergen County Plaza in Hackensack anytime up until 3 p.m. on the day before the election. Ballots issued over the counter can then be taken directly to the County Clerk’s office in the same building or placed in the secure drop box located outside the building. Vote By Mail ballots cannot be turned in at a polling place.  

Learn even more on our detailed Voter Information page. 

If you show up to the polling station on voting day and are told your ballot was mailed to you, or that you are not able to vote, ask for a provisional ballot. This ensures your ballot will be counted once all mailed ballots are double-checked and processed.   

Last year, Little Ferry Public Schools was awarded a grant to expand the preschool program. The grant funds operating costs, but we need to provide the space to offer this program to our youngest learners.  

Since Washington School’s closure in 2018, students in kindergarten through second grade share one multipurpose room (MPR) for physical education and lunch. Scheduling is a challenge to ensure that all students receive the benefits of this space and to appropriately group students according to age. 

A thorough review of Washington School indicated that the building was not a sound option for the district’s space needs. An architect reviewed the interior, exterior and grounds in 2018 and outlined the extensive updates needed to meet building and accessibility codes and bring classrooms and other spaces up to date. Following the architect’s report, the Board of Education believes that addressing the extensive needs of the school by making these costly repairs would not be fiscally responsible for our community.

With any project of this type, there is a certain amount of disturbance. Rest assured that Little Ferry Public Schools carefully planned to minimize disruption.  

A full perimeter fence secures the site and will remain in place for the duration of the site-clearing process.   

Plans are in place to address the removal, containment and disposal of any contaminants if found during the project, such as asbestos-containing materials. Such materials can be found in older buildings.
  

If asbestos-containing materials are discovered, they will be removed prior to demolition by properly trained and protected personnel. A New Jersey Department of Labor (NJDOL) licensed asbestos abatement contractor will remove all identified interior and exterior asbestos-containing materials in accordance with NJDOL/New Jersey Department of Health and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA)/National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants regulations. Following the removal, a third-party monitoring firm will inspect and collect proper air samples in accordance with NJDOL/USEPA requirements in order to document proper removal and establish re-occupancy criteria has been achieved.

The leadership of Little Ferry Public Schools understands the importance of connecting the past of the Washington School building with the future of the district. 

We are collecting memories to include in a video and are planning ways to infuse the history of Washington School into a new school building. Submit scanned photos to LittleFerryFuture@lfboe.org or drop them off at Memorial Middle School, 130 Liberty Street (go to Main Door 1). 

The WWI plaque originally found in front of Washington School has been safely relocated across the street, and mounted on the memorial that stands in front of Memorial School. New sidewalks and plantings have been added to beautify this area.

Prior to making this change, district administrators consulted with families whose relatives’ names appear on the plaque as well as with members of American Legion Post 310 and Veterans of Foreign War Post 809. The mayor, borough council and law enforcement were all instrumental in managing a respectful and successful relocation.