Tax Hike, Major Upgrades Proposed In Haddonfield Bond Referendum

HADDONFIELD, NJ — Education officials approved a bond referendum Wednesday, giving Haddonfield residents a vote on whether to move forward with significant upgrades to each of the district's schools.

Residents will vote Dec. 10 on the bond referendum. If the majority vote for it to pass, the district will secure funding to add classrooms, upgrade facilities and build an athletic complex on the Hopkins Parcel. It would also position the Haddonfield School District to offer full-day kindergarten.

Local taxes would increase by $369 per year on the average home ($530,509 in Haddonfield). But state taxes would fund roughly 20 percent of the costs.

Under a bond referendum, voters decide whether the district can issue bonds to generate revenue for special projects. Typically, local taxes cover the entire cost of repairs and other facility upgrades. But a successful referendum allows the district to receive state funding for a portion of each approved project.

In Haddonfield's case, the proposed improvements cost $46.7 million, including $9 million covered by state taxes.

Haddonfield's Board of Education voted unanimously Wednesday to move forward with the referendum.

If the referendum passes, the first bids are projected to open this spring. Construction would start in summer 2025 and take 3 to 5 years to complete, according to the board's estimates.

Residents have several ways to learn more about the referendum, including the referendum website, which will feature comprehensive details next week, according to a district spokesperson. You can also view the board's presentation from Wednesday, when they outlined the proposed improvements.

The board will also hold "traveling" meetings at different locations:

• Sept. 12: board meeting in the Central/Middle School Media Center
• Sept. 26: board meeting in the Elizabeth Haddon Elementary School Media Center
• Sept. 30: town hall with a Q&A session in the Haddonfield Memorial High School auditorium.
• Oct. 10: board meeting in the Tatem Elementary School All-Purpose Room (APR)

Meetings begin at 7 p.m.