The North Brunswick Board of Education is asking voters to approve a nearly $87.7 million referendum to fund construction of two new schools in a special election Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2015.
North Brunswick voters will go to the polls Tuesday, Dec. 8, to vote for an $87.7 million school referendum. NORTH BRUNSWICK -- The North Brunswick Board of Education is asking voters to approve a nearly $87.7 million referendum to fund construction of two new schools in a special election Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2015.
The referendum includes funding for the purchase of 32 acres of land near the Renaissance development on Route 130 south for construction of a school for 5th and 6th grades and one for children aged 3 and 4.
The early childhood center would also include new administrative offices for the board of education on the second floor, according Brian Zychowski, the superintendent of schools.
Polls open at 2 p.m. and stay open until 9 p.m.
Zychowski said the construction is necessary because the district is over-crowded with growth anticipated to be approximately 9 percent or 575 students by 2020.
There are currently 900 students in fifth and sixth grade, officials said.
The superintendent said the school population has increased from 4,300 in 1995 to 6,300 in 2015 and "it will only continue to increase."
Zychowski, said the $87.7 million includes the cost of purchasing the land, construction of the buildings, and their operation.
"We have no more room to grow," he said. "We have built additions to our schools. We can't build any more. We need new schools. The band aide approach will no long work. It will cost us much more than new construction in the long run."
The superintendent said the $87.7 million sounds like a high number and, indeed is a high number, but "in the long run, it will be a win-win for the taxpayers and children if it passes and the schools are built."
http://www.nj.com/south/index.ssf/2015/07/a_look_inside_nj_school_referendums_over_the_past.html
Zychowksi said construction of a new school for fifth and sixth graders would free up room in the other four elementary schools.
He said there are currently 180 3- and 4-year-olds enrolled at the former Our Lady of Lourdes school in Milltown, which closed two years ago and is being leased by the North Brunswick school district.
Construction of the new early childhood center would end the lease and allow the district to accommodate twice as many students.
The superintendent said the construction plans include a 500-seat auditorium, a gymnasium and ball fields.
The state would provide $7.3 million of the $87 million toward purchase of the property and the sale of the current board offices would go towards reduction of the debt incurrent by the project.
The superintendent said the average monthly increase for the taxpayer will be about $24.
But, Richard Pender, a long time resident of North Brunswick, questioned the whole cost of the project.
"I'm not opposed to schools or to school expansion," Pender said. "But $87 million to build a school for 3-and 4-year-olds and 5th and 6th graders?"
Pender said he went to one of the presentations about the referendum made by the superintendent to the community and asked questions, but "they weren't answered."
"I wanted to know how much the property they were buying cost and who owned it," he said. "This stinks. The taxpayers are paying for this. We have a right to see all of the numbers."
Pender said he wants to know how the school board and superintendent arrived at the more than $87.7 million price tag.
"We've lost a lot of ratables in this town because of the taxes," he said. "If it were justified, its one thing. But, they have to justify it and they aren't giving us answers. I'm telling people to vote no."
Sue Epstein may be reached at sepstein@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @susan_epstein. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
