MOORESTOWN TOWNSHIP PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Focus on the Future
WATCH: Presentation on survey takeaways
More than 1,000 Moorestown residents shared their perspectives through the pre-referendum survey. Interim Superintendent Joe Bollendorf discussed the results at the June 18 Board of Education meeting. Here's a guide to find topics of interest:
34:00 – Steps in referendum process
35:29 – Who responded to survey
40:10 – Creating an elementary culture at UES
42:00 – What is a flexible learning space?
43:42 – Why third-graders can't stay where they are
45:20 – Upgrading HVAC
47:02 – Addressing traffic issues
48:33 – Questions from the community
55:21 – General takeaways
56:40 – Next steps for communication
Path to a bond referendum
Moorestown Township schools are among the best in New Jersey, known for academic excellence and valuable extracurricular opportunities.
Some of our district's buildings and infrastructure need attention to match the high-caliber education we provide. Older HVAC systems and roofs are ready for replacement, space is insufficient for current and future students, and athletic areas are due for improvement, among other issues.
We owe it to our students and staff to continue providing an environment that best supports instructional needs.
We are in the process of preparing for the future by taking steps toward a referendum in March 2025. Check this website often for updates and community engagement opportunities.
Upgrades under consideration
Expanded and flexible learning spaces for students
Safety and security enhancements
Improvements to athletic areas
Parking and traffic flow
Drainage improvements
Energy-efficient HVAC and lighting
Improvements to outdoor play spaces to enhance accessibility, functionality and security
Address aging infrastructure - roofs, HVAC/boilers, building exteriors, electrical
Responsible planning benefits everyone
Students and staff: Renovations would improve student spaces in every school. Updates also would create the space and flexibility needed to reduce class sizes and accommodate various learning needs.
Community members: All residents can take pride in the excellent school system that helps define Moorestown Township. Some projects under consideration include spaces that are or would be used by the community.
Taxpayers: When repairs and other projects are included in the annual budget, local taxes cover the entire cost. Through a bond referendum, the state pays for a percentage of the projects, reducing the amount needed from taxpayers. The state will review the district’s proposal before notifying us of the amount of aid we’d receive with voter approval. That information will be shared on this website once it is available.
WHY NOW?
Moorestown Township Public Schools will soon pay off debt from a previous referendum. That presents an opportunity to manage the tax rate with strategic timing of a new investment.
Our elementary schools need space now, and that need will only increase with anticipated growth.
It is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain old equipment and find replacement parts. Plus, new HVAC systems and lighting would be far more energy- and cost-efficient.
Space issues are curricular issues
Lower elementary schools: Some grade levels are at capacity. Year to year, students have been sent to other elementary schools in the district rather than their neighborhood school because of insufficient space. If this trend continues, class sizes will grow beyond board-approved maximums.
Upper Elementary School: We now house fourth through sixth grades at UES, which means trying to maintain an elementary school environment for fourth- and fifth-grade students and a middle school schedule for sixth grade. This does not align with best practice.
The opportunity to address space issues through a bond referendum would create a more optimal curricular experience across the district. Building onto all our elementary schools is not feasible for environmental and other reasons, and constructing a new building would come at an expense that we would not want to ask of our taxpayers. The most viable, cost-effective option is to build an addition at the middle school, which would mean:
Following best practice by educating sixth-grade students at the middle school
Reimagining UES as a pure elementary school for third, fourth, and fifth grades
Freeing up space at Baker, Roberts and South Valley to open the possibility of full-day, tuition-free kindergarten and ensure reasonable class sizes
What's different about this proposal?
Moorestown Township Public Schools held an unsuccessful bond referendum in 2019. Some of the same building needs still exist, since there’s simply no way to address most large-scale improvements through the regular budget.
We listened to the community’s feedback after the last vote, and we are taking a different, more holistic approach. We know that individual projects must work together to make the whole district stronger. One such idea is to address space needs by shifting third grade to UES, and updating that building with an elementary focus that gives our district four elementary schools.
Also, we’re eyeing improvements that are more sustainable, such as creating a sixth-grade section of the middle school instead of adding individual classrooms in different parts of the building.
How can the community stay involved?
We want the community to be part of this process, which is why we’re soliciting input from the public through a survey in May.
We will discuss takeaways from that survey at our June 18 Board of Education meeting, before we submit proposed projects for state review.
Leading up to the referendum, we will inform and engage the community through an expanded website, social media, printed materials, outreach events and more. We look forward to creating the best possible future for our students and community.
FVHD District-Wide Project Planning_accessible.pdfMTPS Team Presentation for April 30 _accessible.pdf