$363M Bond Referendum For Cherry Hill Schools Topic Of Upcoming Meeting

CHERRY HILL, NJ — A virtual meeting regarding the Cherry Hill Public School District's upcoming $363 million bond referendum will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday, according to its Board of Education President Benjamin Ovadia.

School board members, including himself, will be online at this link to answer questions about the spending plan, Ovadia said at a recent school board meeting.

"We wanted to allow everyone to participate in the same way because sometimes there's that dynamic of being in a room vs. virtual," he said. "We hope to engage the public, answer their questions and [provide] clarifications.

If the bond referendum passes, upgrades in classrooms, lighting, safety, security, infrastructure, air quality and air conditioning, new roofs, Americans with Disabilities Act compliance and many other needed projects can occur, Ovadia said at a Cherry Hill Township Council meeting held on July 25.

"There isn't a great Plan B" if the bond referendum does not pass, Ovadia said at the July township council meeting. "We are convinced this is mission critical."

The bond referendum has been part of many township council and school district meetings' public comment segments this year.

Most comments made by those in favor of the bond referendum seem to feel the upgrades to the schools are needed to help ensure an overall better educational experience for the township's children and better prepare them for the future.

Conversely, most comments made by those against the bond referendum feel it places too much of a burden on district taxpayers. Some also point to smaller bond referendums in the past, including one in 2018 that voters did not pass, saying it bolsters their claim the taxpayers do not want the burden.

The school district's Facebook page also has the link to the meeting, and the website www.cherryhilltomorrow.com has many details about the referendum.

The vote on the current bond referendum will be held on Oct. 6.

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