Caldwell-West Caldwell School Referendum: Election Results (UPDATED)

This article was updated at 11:50 a.m. on March 12

CALDWELLS, NJ — Caldwell and West Caldwell residents went to the polls on Tuesday to cast ballots in a school referendum, which ended up in a split vote, uncertified results show.

The Caldwell-West Caldwell Public School District is seeking permission from voters to carry out a series of infrastructure upgrades. Construction would likely take place in the summers beginning in 2026 through 2027. The school district launched a website with more information about the referendum. View it online here.

The proposal was split into two questions. Voters were able to approve or reject each question separately. The second question will only go into effect if the first question is also approved.

According to uncertified results from the Essex County Clerk's Office, voters have approved Question 1 and rejected Question 2. Here are the totals (all districts reported):

QUESTION 1

• YES - 2,411 votes (73.13%)
• NO - 886 votes (26.87%)

QUESTION 2

• YES - 1,193 votes (36.18%)
• NO - 2,104 votes (63.82%)

The Caldwell-West Caldwell Board of Education released the following statement in the wake of Tuesday's referendum:

"The Caldwell-West Caldwell Board of Education sincerely thanks the community for supporting Bond Question 1 of the referendum. Your support allows us to move forward with essential improvements, upgrades, and repairs to our aging school buildings. We appreciate the trust you have placed in us and will work diligently with our professionals to deliver on these commitments. While Question 2 was not approved by voters, we remain committed to addressing the pressing needs of our 80-year-old fieldhouse, which is in poor condition and does not provide the facilities our students and community deserve. These needs will not disappear, and we will continue to explore solutions to meet them. We recognize that not everyone supported the referendum. As we move forward, we hope our community will see the importance of these improvements in ensuring a safe, healthy, and high-quality learning environment for all students while protecting our district’s long-term investments."

Here's a quick refresher about what was at stake on Tuesday.

QUESTION 1: SCHOOL UPGRADES

Major renovations are being planned at six of the district’s seven schools (Harrison School is the only one that is not on the list). Projects would include security enhancements, media center upgrades for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math (STEAM), and miscellaneous façade, piping and stair repairs.

There would be no additional tax impact for homeowners if this question passes, district administrators said. Here’s why:

• 20-year bond
• 34% state debt service aid of eligible costs
• $3,325,000 contribution from the district’s capital reserves
• 4% interest rate
• Retiring debt from a prior referendum

QUESTION 2: ATHLETIC FIELD HOUSE

The district is also planning the construction of a new athletic field house at James Caldwell High School. It would include four team rooms (including lockers and restrooms), coaches’ offices, a trainer’s room, a multi-purpose room on the second floor, a conference/meeting room, public restrooms, storage space and an elevator.

If Question 2 passes, Caldwell residents will see an average annual tax increase of $129. Meanwhile, West Caldwell residents will see an average annual tax increase of $127.

The tax impact was prepared by a municipal financial advisor and calculated based on average assessed home values in Caldwell and West Caldwell and the following:

• 20-year payback
• 4% interest rate
• $2,000,000 from the district’s capital reserves
• average assessed home values of $426,385 in Caldwell and $448,558 in West Caldwell
• no state debt service aid

The Caldwell-West Caldwell Board of Education held an info session on the referendum at their Feb. 24 meeting with a focus on the new athletic center. Watch footage here (discussion begins at the 9:35 mark).

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com. Learn more about advertising on Patch here. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site. Don’t forget to visit the Patch Caldwells Facebook page.