Learn About $135.5M Bond Referendum Proposed For Freehold Township Schools

Editor's Note: This article has been edited to reflect the updated location of the in-person community referendum information forum.

FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP, NJ — The Freehold Township Board of Education is set to host two events where community members can learn more about a proposed $135.5M bond referendum that would fund long-lasting building improvements at the district's pre-K-8 schools.

The first of the two events will be an in-person community referendum information forum that will be held on Thursday, Jan. 30 at Marshall W. Errickson Elementary School (271 Elton-Adelphia Road, Freehold).

The forum will run from 6-8 p.m., and residents are welcome to attend and ask questions about the referendum.

The second of the two events will be a virtual community referendum information forum held on Thursday, Feb. 20 on Zoom.

Just as with the in-person meeting, the virtual forum will run from 6-8 p.m. and welcomes residents to submit questions about the referendum that will be answered in real time.

A video recording of the forum will be available on the district website following the meeting’s conclusion. To register, you can click here.

During the meetings, community members will hear from professional consultants (such as the district’s architect, financial advisor and bond counsel) who guided the referendum proposal, as well as district representatives who can explain firsthand the benefits of bond funding.

The proposed projects aim to increase safety and security, and boost health and efficiency at every school across the district, officials said.

Read: See Proposed Projects For Building Improvements

On March 11, community members will be asked to cast their vote on the referendum.

“We encourage our community members to join us for one or both of these information sessions so they can hear directly from our professional consultants about the projects,” Superintendent Neal Dickstein said. “We want to be sure everyone is prepared to make an informed vote on March 11.”

The proposed projects would receive up to 40% of the eligible costs in state aid, which is estimated at $45 million. This type of funding is only available through a voter-approved bond referendum, officials said, which would offset the local taxpayers’ share of the total costs.

If voters approve the referendum, officials said the owner of a home assessed at the township average of $611,704 would see an estimated tax impact of about $37 per month.

The increase to school debt tax would not appear on tax bills until July 2026.

Without voter approval, officials said these critical repairs would still need to be made, but without the help of state aid.

“Safety is the district’s top priority, next to education,” Dickstein said. “The bond referendum would allow us to make necessary updates to increase school security and update our facilities with the assistance of state aid, rather than relying entirely on local taxes.”