The majority of voters in the 12 communities served by the North Hunterdon-Voorhees Regional High School District approved the district’s bond referendum on Tuesday, November 8, 2022. There is no debt service tax increase associated with the referendum, which funds necessary repairs and upgrades to both high schools in the district.
North Hunterdon-Voorhees Regional High School District Superintendent of Schools Jeffrey Bender expressed his thanks to the voters for their support of the district. He emphasized that the improvements are necessary to maintain a safe and effective learning environment.
“We are thankful that the voters in the communities served by the district recognized this referendum as an investment in our students by balancing educational needs, safety, and energy efficiency,” said Bender. “We look forward to the completion of these necessary maintenance projects, which we plan to begin in Summer of 2023.”
At Voorhees High School, the approved referendum will fund the removal and replacement of the exterior staircases at the soccer/lacrosse athletic field and along the pedestrian bridge leading to the stadium field. In addition, the inefficient insulation around chiller and associated piping will be replaced and ventilation units will be upgraded servicing the kitchen, first floor locker room and rear gymnasium. Projects funded at North Hunterdon High School include replacement of HVAC units servicing the 150s, 240s, 250s classroom wings and “O” level classrooms, renovation of the boys’ locker room and coaches’ offices by gold gym, and replacement of interior stair doors.
The passage of the referendum will not raise the debt service tax because the Board of Education has been approved by the New Jersey Department of Education to receive 40% of total project costs ($2.6 million) in state aid and has existing funds to cover the remaining project costs with Board authorization. Combined together there is no increase to the local taxpayers.
Construction on projects funded by the referendum is scheduled to begin in summer 2023 and all projects are slated for completion within the next two years.
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