A bond referendum is simply a vote. New Jersey schools are required to ask permission from the voters in their community if the district wants to sell bonds to borrow money. Funds from a bond referendum are typically used to finance infrastructure projects and large-scale maintenance that can’t fit into the district’s regular operating budget. This allows the district to spread the payments over time, like how a homeowner uses a home equity loan to pay for an improvement. 

One important difference between school districts and homeowners is state aid: That is only available to districts with voter-approved bonds. 

MERS diligently maintains its facilities to ensure our buildings reflect the district’s commitment to academic excellence. Despite several years of significant decreases in state funding, MERS has continued to offer programs that support the district’s high-academic standards while utilizing existing funds to make necessary repairs to aging systems.  

The time has come to replace and upgrade these systems that are nearing or at the end of their useful lives. Funding from bonds would make it possible for the district to switch to a more proactive approach with the advantage of state aid.

The district’s operating budget does the important job of funding day-to-day expenses like salaries, benefits, maintenance, and supplies. The operating budget, however, is stretched thin, especially since legislation in New Jersey keeps the district from raising property taxes above a capped amount without asking for voter approval. 

The Board of Education and district leadership thoroughly analyzed the general operating budget and determined that additional major infrastructure upgrades wouldn’t fit. Many of the proposed projects cannot be ignored because they affect the health and safety of students and staff. Roofing, electrical, and HVAC systems must be maintained, and buildings need to be accessible to all students. A bond referendum provides another financial path to accomplish work in these areas with the added benefit of state aid to help offset a portion of the project costs.

The MERS Board of Education is committed to sharing accurate information about the bond referendum with the community leading up to the Nov. 5 vote. We encourage members of the community to visit this website frequently for updates and to attend the community information forum planned for October 10. The district will share information through a video, flyers, local media, and social media. Please feel free to share this information widely and direct all questions to vote@mersnj.us. 

Every MERS building would receive necessary updates that support the structures and systems that keep our district running smoothly. 

A full listing of all projects planned for each school is available on the Proposed Improvements page.

The district selected large-scale projects that address health, safety, enhance the learning environment and add to the longevity of our school buildings. This proposal also helps the district fund these projects in a fiscally responsible way before “needs” become “musts” that require immediate attention without planning for a fiscal impact. A big part of that fiscally responsible approach included carefully structuring the proposal for the most state aid available to offset costs. The state sets aside a special type of aid to assist districts that fund capital improvements through bond borrowing. 

Voter approval in November would allow work to be timed. Projects would be scheduled in coordination with district administration to minimize disruption to the school day. 

The current Main Street building, built in 1909, needs many upgrades to meet current standards for accessibility and code. Architects estimated the updates needed would cost approximately $3 million, which is more than the building would be worth if it was sold in today’s market. Even if the building was renovated, it is still 100 years old and has the maintenance requirements that come along with a building of that age. 

A more financially responsible option would be to sell the property and build an addition at MEMS, which would keep district administration on the school’s campus. Moving these offices to MEMS would save the added costs of maintaining the Main Street building and grounds.

Reconfiguring MEMS to accommodate offices where there are now classrooms would require major renovations, including an overhaul of the heating and cooling system. That approach also would require construction of a separate entrance that could be closed off from student areas to maintain security.   

Finally, the proposed addition allows the district to preserve our instructional space for students. Taking away classroom space for offices is not a practical way to utilize these valuable resources.

Managing maintenance costs within the annual budget is difficult to do because the district can’t increase its budget more than 2% each year. This cap makes it tough to fund large projects. Despite continued state funding cuts, the district has prioritized programming and maintained academic excellence. This means that larger maintenance projects had to be postponed. 

State aid only available through a referendum is a compelling reason to borrow money for maintenance projects. State aid will cover $36.7 million toward the project costs if voters approve a bond referendum. If these projects were part of the annual operating budget and not a referendum, state aid would not be available.

By doing these projects as part of a bond referendum, the district qualifies for a type of state aid that it would not receive otherwise. That state aid is collected from taxpayers statewide and earmarked to be distributed to schools that receive approval through a bond referendum. In MERS case, the state has committed to providing $36.7 million to offset the local share.

By capturing state aid toward the projects, the local costs would be reduced and spread over the 20-year bond term.  

• The estimated tax impact for the new school debt would be: 

  • $30.60 per month for the owner of a home in Manalapan assessed at the township average of $610,224

  • $22.73 per month for the owner of a home in Englishtown assessed at the borough average of $467,131.  

• This increase would not appear on tax bills until July 2026. 

• Assessed value is different than market value. The market value is a home’s potential sale price, while assessed value – typically a lower figure – is used to determine tax bills. 

If your home’s assessment is different from the Manalapan average ($610,224) or the Englishtown average ($467,131), you can estimate your tax impact with a calculator. Please note that the estimated tax impact is an average over the 20-year term of the investment.  

To calculate your estimated tax impact: 

• First, find your home's assessed value by entering your street address into this lookup tool.   

• Then, personalize your estimated tax impact by multiplying by the tax impact per $100 of assessed property value: 

• Manalapan – multiply your home’s value by 0.00060 to find the estimated annual increase to school debt tax. Divide that number by 12 for the monthly impact. 

• Englishtown – multiply your home’s value by 0.00058 to find the estimated annual increase to school debt tax. Divide that number by 12 for the monthly impact. 

The district’s current HVAC systems are outdated and inefficient. Many of the systems are nearing or at the end of their useful lives and require costly repairs to keep them running with no long-term solution. These older systems lead to classrooms having inconsistent temperatures during the hotter and colder months.  

The district is proposing upgrades to the HVAC systems to improve air quality, reliability, and energy efficiency – all of which could reduce the district’s energy bills. Air conditioning in all classrooms and common areas would provide comfort and relief from allergies and asthma symptoms for students across the entire district. It would also allow students to focus on academics in comfortable spaces. 

Emergency generators provide power in the event of an outage and lessen the likelihood of an outage-related disruption to the educational schedule. 

The district can’t spend more than the amount approved by voters in the bond referendum. That’s why the district worked with experts in the field to thoroughly research the projects and costs and include a contingency in the total. That cushion takes into account pricing changes that could occur if materials costs or interest rates rise. If actual costs exceed what voters approved, plans will have to be adjusted to fit the budget. 

According to law, the Board is not permitted to spend one cent more on the projects (no matter the source of funds) without obtaining additional voter approval. With the help of financial consultants and architects who specialize in school projects, MERS has thoroughly researched the proposed projects, estimated their associated costs, and included a contingency amount in the estimated total. If actual costs exceed what voters approved, the projects will have to be adjusted to fit within the budget.

The Board is only permitted to spend money on projects that are approved by voters. If the projects are completed and there are remaining bond proceeds, that money would be used to lower the tax rate.   

A home’s assessed value, which is used to determine property taxes, is different than the 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 Manalapan is $610,224 and Englishtown’s average assessed value is $467,131. Inputting your address into this website will give you your home’s assessed value.   

The State of New Jersey has two programs for property tax relief.  

• The Property Tax Reimbursement (PTR program), otherwise known as "Senior Freeze," offers property tax reimbursements for senior citizens and people with disabilities who qualify. After applicants are approved, their property tax payments are “frozen” at the current amount, and they will receive a rebate if taxes increase because of the school bond referendum or any other reason. A 2024 law increased the income eligibility limit for the program to $150,000. More information is available on the Senior Freeze webpage or by calling (800) 882-6597.   

• A second plan recently established is called the Stay NJ property tax credit program, which will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2026. More information can be found on the Stay NJ webpage. Questions about the program can be submitted online through a form on the website.  

Other current programs are the NJ $250 Senior Citizen Property Tax Deduction and the Affordable New Jersey Communities for Homeowners and Renters (ANCHOR). 

Anyone registered to vote with a Manalapan or Englishtown address can participate in the November 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 October 15 to register. Online voter registration forms are available here, and printed forms for mailing are available in English and Spanish. 

Polls will be open on Tuesday, Nov. 5 from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Check your polling location here or here. 

Vote By Mail is an option in this referendum, which will appear on the General Election ballot. If you have already requested a ballot to be mailed to you and your address is unchanged, Monmouth County election officials will send you a Vote By Mail ballot automatically several weeks before the November vote date. To confirm your status for Vote By Mail, contact the County Clerk’s Office at ClerkOfElections@co.monmouth.nj.us or 732-431-7790. 

If you want to Vote By Mail but are not yet signed up, you can download the form to do so here. Additional information from the county is available here. 

When you receive your Vote By Mail ballot, fill it out and mail it with a postmark date of Nov. 5. You can also bring it to one of the drop box locations (locations will be listed here) no later than 8 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 5. Vote By Mail ballots cannot be brought to a polling place. 

If you show up to your 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.