Repair ◽ Renovate ◽ Renew
At the Forefront of Education
A Referendum for our Building Needs
The strength and the value of our schools are integral to the quality of life in Tenafly. To maintain that, the Board of Education has been taking steps toward a bond referendum that is designed to include something for everyone in our community.
A bond referendum is a vote (referendum) in which a school district asks voters for permission to borrow funds by selling bonds. The bonds are bought back over time with property taxes.
Proposed repairs and renovations are expected to be approximately $76 million. This funding would help Tenafly Public Schools (TPS) address important capital concerns. It is a financial strategy to:
maintain our high-quality programs and the community’s investment in its schools, and
leverage the advantages of state aid and up-front funding.
The referendum is targeted for September 17, 2024.
Why a Referendum?
Tenafly Public Schools have an outstanding reputation as a high-achieving district with students who regularly demonstrate academic excellence and extracurricular involvement.
Our buildings show their age. The newest one - Tenafly High School - is already over 50 years old, and the oldest one - Maugham Elementary - is almost 100 years old.
Continuing to meet a high bar requires large-scale, impactful improvements in every school.
Safety and security upgrades could be made quickly with bond funding rather than the restrictions of the regular, annual budget.
Meeting varied student needs calls for specialized instruction in a classroom space that is flexible and appropriately sized.
Maintenance projects that increase energy efficiency, reduce repair risks and/or protect our buildings must regularly be addressed and can qualify for state aid. These include roofing, windows, heating/cooling systems, masonry repairs and parking lot improvements.
Investments would continue the district’s progress toward accessibility for all students, staff and visitors.
Renovations would update restrooms throughout the district and make them all ADA accessible.
Upgrades to auditoriums and athletic facilities would continue to support the Tenafly student experience and serve as a community resource.
The long-standing problem of flooding around Smith Elementary School could be solved with state aid paying a share of the costs.
The State of New Jersey uses everyone’s tax dollars to help school districts pay for capital improvements. That special kind of state aid is distributed only to districts that use bond funding. That’s why a bond referendum is a financial strategy: Voter approval would bring tax dollars back to Tenafly.
Something for Everyone
Decisions have been focused on the student experience and improvements are being planned for every TPS facility.
Details are being reviewed at the state level. When voters approve a bond referendum, some projects qualify for a specific type of state aid that would lower the impact to the Tenafly taxpayer.
Local taxes would not cover 100% of the cost.
With a voter-approved referendum, Tenafly would get a share of funding to which its residents already contribute.
For residents who don't have students in Tenafly schools, this proposal reflects the value of advance planning, the benefits of state aid, and the great pride that our schools bring to the community.
Referendum projects aren’t the only ways the Board plans a continual investment in Tenafly schools, and state aid that comes with voter approval is not the only pursuit of funding outside the local tax base.
Capital improvements since 2021 have totaled almost $7.5 million. Funding came from the district’s regular tax levy, whereas similar projects funded through a bond would qualify for state aid to pay a share.
Additional improvements that are planned or underway total $4.9 million. These projects include replacement of heat system components and upgrades to electrical and energy management systems, roofing and LED lighting. Those will be funded through a combination of state and federal programs.
What is the Timeline?
The NJ Department of Education is reviewing preliminary plans before committing financial aid, which will be used to estimate the local tax impact. That process is expected to be completed by early July.
After getting state approval, the district will share the local tax impact. If the referendum passes, completion of all improvements is anticipated to take three to five years.
The Board’s goal is to engage and inform the entire community about how these proposed improvements would benefit the students and taxpayers of Tenafly for years to come.
This website will serve as the key source for all information and it will be updated soon after state approval of financial aid.