FAQs

A bond referendum is an election in which a school district asks voters for permission to borrow funds through the sale of bonds to finance large-scale projects. New Jersey school districts pursue this financial path for two main reasons: to help spread the cost of the construction projects over time (like how a homeowner finances a new roof or an addition with a line of credit), and to tap into a type of state aid that is only available to districts with approved bond proposals.

Our district has decided to pursue a bond referendum on Tuesday, Sept. 26 to:

• Generate $51 million in upfront funding to invest in our district’s growing need for space, upgrade safety and security, conduct infrastructure maintenance and continue the schools’ tradition as a community hub.

• Access a specific type of state aid available to offset costs of our proposed improvement projects; this aid is only available to us following a voter-approved referendum and it is worth more than $10 million for this plan.

• Continue the district’s commitment to balancing fiscal responsibility with addressing the needs of our students and facilities. Funding projects through a bond referendum process offers the advantage of additional state aid and spreads repayment over time.

Some of the projects that are part of this proposal will have to be done whether the district gets the benefit of state aid or not. Roofing, boilers and HVAC systems must be maintained; without bond funding, 100% of those costs would come from the operating budget that is fueled by local property taxes. Other proposed improvements were thoughtfully considered for the impact they could make on instruction, security and community use. The operating budget does not have enough wiggle room to cover the bare necessities plus those improvements at the pace that our high-achieving district will need them. 

Other projects require a 2- to 3-year lead time that could risk North Caldwell's reputation for small class sizes. The plan is grounded in the fact that the district is already serving more students than its schools were designed for, and it is supplemented by the projections of continued enrollment growth. Voter rejection on Sept. 26 would push North Caldwell back to the point of considering options, revising plans, and seeking state approval for a next step. Fairfield Public Schools is among several districts contending with a timeline based on enrollment projections. In 2021, Fairfield voters denied a request to sell bonds for funding to address the need for space and other building improvements. Classroom needs were based on a combination of existing and projected enrollment. Without funding for construction, the Fairfield district has relied on shifting one grade to another school and teaching another grade in modular classrooms known as trailers. 

North Caldwell Public Schools will post updates about the referendum on the district’s Twitter account.

Plans to keep the community informed also include an informational mailer distributed mid-August to all homes in the community. The Board of Education will host a webinar-style forum about the referendum on Tuesday, Sept. 12, with the opportunity for public Q&A. (see the Home page for forum details.)

This website will be updated frequently with information and announcements. 

While West Essex Middle and High School are physically located in the town of North Caldwell, they are not included in this bond referendum. West Essex High School, along with West Essex Middle School, are part of West Essex Regional School District. That district serves students in grades 7 through 12 and operates separately from North Caldwell Public Schools.  

This bond referendum includes North Caldwell Public Schools only, which consists of two schools – Grandview and Gould – and serves students in preschool through grade six.

North Caldwell's school buildings were designed for 585 students, yet each day more than 700 children are welcomed through our doors. 

School administration and staff have been managing rising enrollment and continuously evolving educational methods for nearly five years. According to an independent demographic study, the number of students is projected to continue growing. The district cannot accommodate and meet the educational needs of even more students within the current buildings.

In addition, education has evolved in ways that require more specialty instruction—and space. That means rooms for small-group instruction, World Language learning, STEAM exploration and other collaboration that crosses subjects are required. To maintain the attentive, small class sizes our community values and the academic edge necessary for the present and near future, North Caldwell schools need new and renovated spaces.

We have been meeting with the town planning board and other borough officials to remain informed of the potential impact that the Green Brook Country Club development could have on our schools. As we continue to monitor that plan, we know that enrollment has already risen, regardless of Green Brook. An independent demographic study has projected that enrollment will continue to rise, even without development at Green Brook. 

Potential enrollment from the Green Brook development plan cannot yet be factored into the state’s allocation of aid; it’s too far into the future for that. However, the demographer has expressed his knowledgeable opinion about how enrollment could rise, and that need is factored into the architect’s proposal. Our plans put North Caldwell Public School in position to continue serving students with the class sizes our community expects within an enrollment boost that has already happened and within the anticipated increase due to the Green Brook development project.

The school district’s forecast considers not just children who might live at the Green Brook site, but also how new housing there would impact the rest of North Caldwell. For instance: The owner of a four-bedroom home may decide to downsize and stay in town by moving to an age-restricted unit at the Green Brook site. With most of North Caldwell’s growth attributed to this sort of housing turnover, the professional demographer’s projection considers who might move into that four-bedroom home. That’s how new, age-restricted housing at one location can impact school enrollment from another location.

Plans for a bond referendum focus on current enrollment and current needs, with the Board of Education’s responsibility to also look to the future. While Green Brook’s development is a factor, it is not a leading factor and changes to the development plans do not cancel the need for more space in our schools.

Compared to the original 2018 agreement, the Borough of North Caldwell’s Memorandum of Agreement shifts plans to more age-restricted housing units sold at market rates (rather than at the “affordable housing” rates that are based on income to meet state obligations).

• More age-restricted units sold at market rate (267 compared to 160).

• No change to the number of units for affordable housing (25 age-restricted and 25 not age-restricted).

An assumption that Green Brook’s age-restricted units will have no impact on school enrollment relies on (a) no one over age 55 having a school-aged child and (b) no one selling their family home to move into an age-restricted unit there.

The revised Memorandum of Agreement approved by the Borough Council on Aug. 18 removed language that had set aside up to 12 acres of land for “future municipal use, including but not limited to, potential school construction.” However, the Board of Education had already considered and eliminated that idea as a solution to space needs because:

• The property being considered was not suitable for a school. The district’s architect viewed it and advised that it would be costly to make necessary site adjustments.

• State financial aid for new school construction comes at a much lower level than aid for renovations. The referendum plan makes use of renovated space as much as possible to solve space needs with maximum state aid.

• The property is expected to be used as a golf course through 2024. Any attempt to use its land for a new school would have further pushed a timeline that started in 2017, and our already crowded schools could not wait.

The advantages to adding space are twofold:

• More space would help us manage rising enrollment and provide educational benefits to our students, while maintaining the small class sizes that our community treasures. 

• More space designed for specialty instruction would help us prepare our students for middle school and beyond. Examples include individualized services for students with learning challenges, classrooms dedicated to World Language learning, STEAM exploration and other collaboration that crosses subjects.

The proposal includes plans to add a total of 20 new classrooms across both schools. Preliminary drawings include: 13 classrooms for general education and 7 rooms dedicated to small-group instruction, including dedicated space for occupational and physical therapy.

It is likely that staffing more space would lead to higher costs for staffing, but the cost calculation is not as simple as 20 classrooms = 20 new teachers. Some teachers are sharing rooms now; adding rooms would give them adequate space. Music and World Language instruction, now based on mobile carts, and they would have dedicated classrooms with the current teachers.  

Changing needs make it impossible to forecast precise staffing needs two years from now. It is possible that North Caldwell will need one added teacher for each of seven grade levels, and the district will make every effort to fit these increased staffing costs into the existing tax rate for operating costs.  

Most importantly, the BOE is committed to maintaining North Caldwell’s reputation for retaining a top-notch teaching staff and for keeping class sizes small enough for individualized attention. 

North Caldwell’s Board of Education is committed to maintaining the district’s reputation for class sizes that are small enough for individualized attention, and that commitment requires looking a few years into the future. The plan is grounded in the fact that the district is already serving more students than its schools were designed for, and it is supplemented by the projections of continued enrollment growth.

In addition to preliminary planning, building new space requires a timeline of two to three years after a referendum. Fairfield Public Schools is among several districts contending with that timeline. In 2021, Fairfield voters denied a request to sell bonds for funding to address the need for space and other building improvements. Classroom needs were based on a combination of existing and projected enrollment. Without funding for construction, the Fairfield district has relied on shifting one grade to another school and teaching another grade in modular classrooms known as trailers.  

• Adding classrooms for general education and for small-group instruction at both Grandview and Gould would help us meet current and future enrollment needs. Gould could join the ranks of up-and-coming elementary schools that have dedicated space for the blending of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM).

• Creating dedicated, separate entrances for new Gym/Multi-Purpose Rooms at Gould and Grandview would increase safety and security. Gould’s two buildings would be connected with a more secure, two-step entrance, closing the Gould Gap. Grandview’s main entrance would gain a similar controlled entry point. 

• Replacing aging boilers and updating the Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems and roofs would increase the energy efficiency of our buildings and reduce the need for costly emergency repairs. Gould would receive electrical system upgrades necessary to support these improvements as well as fire system upgrades to bolster student safety (Grandview’s systems are up to date). 

• New Multi-Purpose Rooms at both schools with appropriately sized gyms and stages, a modest amount of seating, and dedicated entrances would continue the schools’ tradition as the hub of community activity without providing all-building access. 

• Reconfiguring the surrounding sites would add parking spaces and improve drop-off/pick-up traffic flow. 

• Building a new playground at Grandview would give pre-K students an appropriately sized and outfitted place for recreation.

New Multi-Purpose Rooms (MPRs) would provide flexible space for different activities. At Gould, these spaces would increase by about 1,650 square feet, which is about the size of half a basketball court. At Grandview, the additional space would be about 1,180 square feet, which is about the size of an average classroom. Currently, the lack of adequate gym space means Grandview kindergarten students use hallways for physical education classes.

Both new MPRs could be temporarily divided to accommodate more than one activity at a time. Both would have bleacher seating that our gyms lack now. They would have air conditioning so events are more comfortable and indoor recess can be held on hot days.

The reasoning behind building two gyms goes beyond the school-day use. They are most appropriately called multi-purpose rooms (MPRs) because of their ability to host various events when school is in session. After school hours and on weekends, those gyms are often used by community groups including adult recreational basketball. The proposal would relocate those to be on the outer edges of Grandview and Gould schools, with slightly larger footprints. 

Cost and security are factors in those proposed locations. The state’s formula for financial aid favors renovation of existing space over the construction of new space. In other words, the state will provide more funding for classrooms that are made from the current gym areas. Security is another factor. Building new MPRs enables security points at the rear entrances to the schools and to the entry points where the MPRs meet the core of our schools. 

It’s tough to compare enrollment to building capacity with data that is even a decade old, much less a longer spread of time. The ways schools use space has significantly changed. STEAM-specific space was popular only at the high school level. Students with learning challenges used to be separated from their peers, and now small-group instruction helps them keep up. The average classroom is no longer filled with a row of desk-seat combos. Our classrooms are full of activities that support the kind of creative collaboration our students need to succeed.

Currently, World Language courses are taught to students with only the materials that fit on a cart. Students benefit from learning a World Language, but this set up does not give them the opportunity to fully engage with the lessons.

A dedicated World Language classroom would present an environment that fosters the kinds of small-group and collaborative instruction that are common in today’s learning. It could have posters on the wall and visual cues for students – the same way primary classrooms display the alphabet in properly written upper and lower cases, and a middle school classroom features wall art that describes parts of speech. It could store other items that assist with learning, such as headphones and artifacts related to the language and culture to encourage engagement. Having spaces that accommodate this kind of deeper instruction would better prepare North Caldwell students for middle school and beyond.

School safety is a top priority at North Caldwell, and the bond proposal includes several ways to enhance our older buildings for modern times.  

• Adding two-step security vestibules at both buildings 

• Building separate entrances for new gym/multi-purpose rooms at Gould and Grandview  

• Enclosing the gap between Gould’s buildings, keeping students inside while they transition between classes 

• Updating electrical systems at Gould, and installing new, responsive fire alarm equipment for greater peace of mind at Gould (Grandview's systems do not need upgrades at this time)

• Repaving the parking lot and establishing a defined traffic flow to streamline drop-off and pick-up 

Most classrooms in Grandview and Gould rely on individual window units to keep temperatures and humidity tolerable on hot days; many aren’t strong enough to keep up with demand. Upgrading the buildings with newer HVAC systems would replace a patchwork that includes those units, plus the ones that provide minimal service to larger spaces like the Gould Media Center. New gyms at both schools would have AC. 

Beyond reducing heat, air conditioning systems keep humidity under control and filter out allergens – making the environment more comfortable for someone with asthma or allergies. They also meet the needs for air exchange that became more apparent in the COVID era. The only area of either school with this level of climate control is the Gould basement, where keeping humidity under control is a mold-prevention measure.

This forward-thinking approach could take a significant step with a vote on Tuesday, Sept. 26. Voter approval at that time would position the district to start construction in late 2024 and be ready to meet its current needs by the beginning of the 2026-2027 school year.

North Caldwell Public Schools is working closely with the district’s architect, who has extensive experience with school construction projects, to ensure that students are kept safe, with as little disruption as possible. Additions at both schools would be constructed on the exterior of the buildings with minimal disruption to the school day. The interior renovation work would be planned for the summer months, with the remaining work being scheduled during the hours when schools are not in session. Once the new classrooms are completed, students would be temporarily relocated into that space while HVAC work takes place in phases in their older classrooms. Projects would be carefully timed to minimize the impact on students and staff. If necessary, the district could move some classes to the gym, media center, or other areas on a temporary basis while work is completed inside the building.

A survey by realtor.com found that “A majority of home buyers who said school boundaries will have an impact are willing to pay 1 percent to 10 percent above budget to live within school boundaries.” Survey respondents also said they would forgo certain amenities to live within a choice district, such as a pool or extra room. North Caldwell schools are the HUB and PRIDE of the community, and they are widely recognized as a primary reason new homeowners choose to live inside district boundaries. 

Quality teachers value quality programs and facilities. Bringing our facilities to the next level and ensuring they support today’s learning standards—including space dedicated to small-group instruction and Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) can attract quality teachers in a competitive hiring environment. With additional space, the district would be able to keep class sizes small for individualized attention, another factor important to quality teachers.

North Caldwell Public Schools’ annual budget covers costs of day-to-day operations, salaries, supplies and regular maintenance, along with funding for our educational programs. 

The district has built up Capital Reserve and would use about $5 million of that toward the projects in the referendum, offsetting about 20% of the $51 million plan.

Even if room could be found in the budget to cover the costs of some of the proposed projects, utilizing a bond referendum is a strategic approach that allows us to tap into more than $10 million in state aid that otherwise wouldn’t be available to us. 

The proposed improvements are estimated to cost $50,947,399.

• Local costs would be offset by state aid of $10,062,093. Although these funds are collected across New Jersey, this special type of funding is only distributed to districts where voters approved bond borrowing. 

• The district would contribute $5 million from its Capital Reserve – these funds are set aside in anticipation of capital improvements.

• The school district would sell bonds to generate the upfront funds needed for the proposed projects. This funding is paid back with property taxes earmarked just for this purpose.

After state aid and the Capital Reserve are factored in, the property tax impact is based on the average assessed home value in North Caldwell ($790,000). That is estimated to average $895.28 per year for the 30-year life of the bond. Learn more about the funding strategy on the Funding page.

The market value is a home’s potential sale price, while its assessed value – typically a significantly lower figure – is used to determine tax bills. You can find your home’s assessed value on your borough tax bill or search your address in this Essex County tax database, click on Details, then scroll down to find the Net Tax Value—that's your home’s assessed value.

If your home’s assessment is different than the North Caldwell average ($790,000), you can estimate your level of investment with a calculator. The tax impact per $100 of assessed property is currently $0.113. Personalize your estimated impact by multiplying your property’s assessed value by 0.00113 to find the annual tax impact. (As an example: $800,000 x 0.00113 = $904 per year.)

The school district’s architects use their considerable market knowledge to conservatively estimate project costs. On top of that, state rules require that they plan for potential increases in costs or other unforeseen circumstances; all cost estimates include a margin in case costs exceed what voters approved. If costs are higher than even that contingency margin, the district would have to adjust project details while meeting the intent of the referendum. If costs are lower, the tax rate would be adjusted downward. If voters approve the bond proposal, North Caldwell can only spend the amount of money stated on the ballot.  

Tax revenue collected across New Jersey is earmarked to help public school districts pay for projects tied to educational needs. If voters approve North Caldwell Public Schools’ Sept. 26 bond referendum, this special type of state funding would contribute $10,062,693 toward project costs.

That’s like getting 20% of the costs of improvements with tax money that our residents are paying for anyway. New Jersey collects revenue from across the state to provide this aid, but it is only distributed to districts where voters approved bond borrowing. With this referendum, North Caldwell seeks a slice of that pie.

The Board of Education is not permitted to spend one dollar more on the projects (no matter the source of funds) than what was listed on the ballot without obtaining additional voter approval. 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 has to be used to pay back the principal as soon as possible.  

Many projects come with question marks, including price estimates that cannot be known until a project goes through the competitive bidding process. Architects often determine estimates based on their extensive experience, and then add a “soft cost” percentage to cover professional fees, permits, and the “unknowns” such as price variations and factors discovered when walls are opened. 

For instance, if asbestos remediation becomes necessary, that cost can be covered by the “soft cost” cushion. However, the district can only borrow up to the amount approved by voters, and those funds can only be used for projects outlined in the bond proposal. If not all “soft cost” funding is needed, it would be used to offset property taxes used to pay back the bonds.

Previous bond proposals in New Jersey have shown that every vote counts; recent referenda have been decided by fewer than 15 votes. A bond issue in Wallington headed to the court system after a yes-no gap of just four votes in October 2022.

Anyone who is registered to vote with a North Caldwell address by Sept. 5 can participate in the Sept. 26 bond referendum to improve the infrastructure of North Caldwell Public Schools. If you’re not sure if you are registered, or what address is associated with your registration, find out by entering basic information in the state voter database. In-person voting will take place from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2023, at Notre Dame Church (lower level) at 359 Central Avenue.

Essex County officials have set the polling location as Notre Dame Church (lower level) at 359 Central Avenue.

Vote By Mail ballots are available for this school referendum, and that method of voting is an easy, convenient way to make your ballot count! If you have requested that ballots be mailed to you for all elections and your address is still the same, you should receive a Vote By Mail ballot automatically by early August. You can ensure that you’ll receive a Vote By Mail ballot by submitting an application. Forms must be RECEIVED via mail by the county by Sept. 19 for a ballot to be sent to you. See this website’s Voting Info page for more details and downloadable forms.

To register for the first time or to update your registration with a North Caldwell address, your completed form must be RECEIVED by the county office by Sept. 5. Don’t let slow mail prevent you from registering on time: Register online or download a form from the Voting Info page and mail it to the county. 

To Vote By Mail, your ballot application must be RECEIVED by Sept. 19 to allow time to reach you by mail and be returned by the deadline. Vote By Mail ballots must be postmarked by Sept. 26 – the same day voting takes place in-person. You cannot submit your mail-in ballot at a polling place.

Between voter registration lists and Vote By Mail ballots being sent, it’s possible the individual polls may not have up-to-date information. It’s also possible that voters didn’t expect to receive a ballot by mail and tossed it without understanding its importance. If you show up at the poll but are told you cannot vote there because you aren’t registered, you already received a ballot by mail, or ANY reason, ask for a provisional ballot. Your ballot will be kept safe until your voter eligibility is checked.