2025 School Bond Referendum In Caldwell-West Caldwell (What To Know)

CALDWELLS, NJ — Local voters will get a chance to greenlight – or reject – millions of dollars in upgrades throughout the Caldwell-West Caldwell Public School District when a public referendum takes place in March 2025.

Earlier this month, the Caldwell-West Caldwell Board of Education approved a resolution to hold a special school bond referendum on Tuesday, March 11.

“The proposed plan represents a comprehensive solution to aging buildings across the district,” business administrator Brian McCarthy said.

Registered voters in Caldwell and West Caldwell will have the opportunity to vote on major renovations at six of the district’s seven schools (Harrison School is the only one that is not on the list).

Proposed projects include security enhancements, media center upgrades for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math (STEAM), and miscellaneous façade, piping and stair repairs. The plan also includes the construction of a new athletic field house located at James Caldwell High School.

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The referendum projects will be broken down into two ballot questions.

The first ballot question would approve a sweeping list of infrastructure improvements at the district’s schools. Here’s how much money the district is asking for:

“The final eligible costs for the projects approved by the New Jersey Commissioner of Education are $22,875,272 (consisting of $5,717,574 for James Caldwell High School, $10,796,300 for Grover Cleveland Middle School, $551,838 for Jefferson Elementary School, $4,676,787 for Lincoln Elementary School, $515,197 for Washington Elementary School, and $617,576 for Wilson Elementary School). The projects include $0 for school facility construction elements in addition to the facilities efficiency standards developed by the Commissioner of Education or not otherwise eligible for state support pursuant to N.J.S.A. 18A:7G-5(g). The state debt service aid percentage will equal 40% of the annual debt service due with respect to the final eligible costs of the projects. The Board of Education is authorized to transfer funds among the projects approved at this election.”

The second question would appropriate $15,418,146 for the new athletic field house at the high school, partially funded by $2,000,000 available from the board’s capital reserve fund. The district would be able to issue bonds up to $13,418,146.

Here’s why the new field house is needed, administrators say:

“The maintenance and upkeep of the facilities far exceed the amount of money in the annual operating and capital budget. Rather than continue to address short-term needs of the facility upkeep and manage the disparity between the facilities allocated to boys’ and girls’ programs, provide sufficient restrooms and to ensure accessibility for all, the district chose to undertake a plan for a new Athletic Field House … Yes, the district could spend less on a smaller, one-story field house, but the approximately $3 million saved would not offset the loss of flexibility and proposed program and community uses of the facility. The planning group opted to proceed with a two-story facility to address the long-term needs of the physical education, athletic and community programs.”

If the referendum gets a green light from local voters, construction will likely take place in the summers beginning in 2026 through 2027.

The school district has launched a website with more information about the upcoming referendum. View it online here.

Learn more about registering to vote in New Jersey here. Questions about the referendum can be emailed to referendum2025@cwcboe.org.

>> The Caldwell-West Caldwell Board of Education hosted a presentation about the referendum at their meeting on Nov. 4, 2024. View it online here (presentation begins at the 8:10 mark).

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