2 Marlboro Schools Lack A/C: Here's The Proposal To Fix That

MARLBORO, NJ — The Marlboro Township Public School District is seeking approval from voters to finish putting air conditioning in its schools through a $5.3 million bond referendum proposal.

Currently, six out of eight schools in the Marlboro Township Public School District have air conditioning, while Asher Holmes Elementary School and Robertsville Elementary School do not.

On Nov. 4, residents will be asked to vote on the district's bond referendum, which will allow for various HVAC improvements, upgrades, and renovations at Asher Holmes and Robertsville.

These improvements will include the acquisition and installation of fixtures, equipment, and any site work, with the final eligible costs for the projects at $5,345,031, officials said.

According to the district's official bond proposal question, $2,550,717 will go towards projects at Asher Holmes Elementary School, while $2,794,314 will go towards projects at Robertsville Elementary School.

“In Marlboro Township, almost all of our students learn in air-conditioned classrooms. They benefit from more comfortable temperatures, lower humidity, and other advantages,” district officials said on the referendum website. “That is not the case at Asher Holmes and Robertsville elementary schools.”

While some large areas at Asher Holmes and Robertsville have climate control, district officials said the schools’ classrooms do not.

If voters approve the district’s bond referendum in November, officials said both schools will be able to have the necessary air conditioning installed without an increase in the local tax rate, and the state will reimburse about 40% of the project costs.

According to the referendum website, steps of the bond referendum process would be:

• If voters approve the referendum, the district would sell bonds
  • That money would be dedicated to expanding air conditioning at Asher Holmes and Robertsville
• The district would then get state aid that only comes from bond funding
• The district would buy back the bonds with the money that’s already been saved in the district's capital reserve

While the Marlboro Township Public School District has almost enough money in its capital reserve to finish the air conditioning goal, district officials said using bond funding to close the gap will allow the district to:

• Make comfortable learning environments sooner, rather than wait longer to set aside more savings
• Offer $2.1 million in state aid that can only be accessed when bonds are used
• Bring state tax dollars directly to Marlboro

“We know that a comfortable learning environment is a better learning environment,” district officials said. “And we want that for all Marlboro Township students.”

With voter approval, Marlboro Township Public Schools would aim to begin installation in Summer 2026, with completion targeted for Spring 2027.

To learn more about the bond referendum, you can visit Marlboro’s Referendum website.

To see the full bond proposal question for the Nov. 4 election, you can click here.

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