School Bond Referendum Looms In Moorestown: Here's How It's Taking Shape

MOORESTOWN, NJ — The proposed bond referendum to upgrade Moorestown's school facilities is taking shape, with more than a dozen projects up for consideration in the upcoming vote.

The Moorestown School District sent 18 potential construction projects to the New Jersey Department of Education, which will determine how much state funding to offset local tax costs. Then, school officials will decide which of those upgrades to include on the ballot this March.

The projects have a combined price tag of $110 million, School Board President Mark Villanueva said at Nov. 19's board meeting. But the burden for local taxpayers will depend on several factors that will be hashed out over the coming weeks.

State officials must decide how much funding they would allocate for each project. They're projected to do so sometime in December, Villanueva said last month.

District officials then must decide which projects to put on the ballot in a referendum, which is tentatively scheduled for March 11. They must submit the ballot question(s) — there could be multiple — at least 60 days before the vote (by Jan. 11), says outgoing Interim Superintendent Joe Bollendorf.

That's when Moorestown voters will know how the referendum, if it passes, will impact their taxes.

Learning From The Failed Referendum

Facility upgrades for schools are normally funded through local property taxes. Under a bond referendum, local voters decide whether the district can generate revenue for major projects by selling bonds. Although a successful referendum will likely raise local school taxes, it allows the district to qualify for state funding on large-scale upgrades that district administrators say the school system needs.

The district held a bond referendum in 2019, which 60 percent of voters rejected. When Bollendorf was hired two years ago, he was tasked with re-examining whether the district should try another vote.

Bollendorf outlined a proposed bond referendum in May, which he said would take more of a "big-picture" approach to address the school system's needs. In an effort to avoid 2019's result, school officials have emphasized community engagement.

Bollendorf will step down in January, when Dr. Courtney McNeely will become Moorestown's superintendent. But in Bollendorf's final weeks, he plans to continue meeting with community members to ensure the referendum addresses their concerns.

"In my two years here, it became very apparent to me that this is a district and a community that cares a great deal about their kids and their school system," Bollendorf said. "So I hope people will understand that my goal here is to give back and give an honest assessment of what I believe it is you need to do in order to continue being a great school district."

Projects Up For Consideration

Moorestown typically rates as one of the state's best public school systems. But concerns have loomed over growing class sizes, the atypical grade-level distribution among schools, and the district's inability to offer free, full-day kindergarten.

The district currently has three "lower" elementary schools for students PreK through third grade. They feed into Moorestown Upper Elementary School (Grades 4-6) and then William Allen Middle School (Grades 7-8).

With a successful referendum, Moorestown could expand William Allen's facilities enough for sixth-graders to attend. That would allow Moorestown Upper to create a true elementary-school environment, while making room for third-graders to attend the school, according to district administrators.

That would reduce enrollment at the lower elementary schools, allowing them to reduce class sizes and giving the district a chance to offer tuition-free kindergarten.

William Allen would add 24,500 square feet of classroom space and add 11,500 square feet to the gymnasium, according to township documents. Exterior renovations would include new sidewalks, widened driveways and altered bus loops.

Moorestown High School would upgrade its athletic facilities with new turn fields and outdoor lighting.

Various infrastructural upgrades, including new HVACs, have been proposed for each school.

Find more info on the district's referendum webpage.