Didn’t Get Chance To Provide Input In Master Plan, BOE Tell Princeton

PRINCETON, NJ – The Princeton Board of Education has written an open letter to the Council and Planning Board, saying school district leaders did not get the chance to provide significant input during the master plan process.

In their letter, the BOE also said that not enough money from the PILOT program was alloted to the school district.

The open letter comes a day before the planning Board is scheduled to meet and take a decision on the draft master plan.

The letter also makes reference to the FAQ that was put out by the Planning Board.

Enrollment Growth Not Addressed In Master Plan

The BOE told Municipal officials that only one member attended the master plan Steering Committee meeting and the board as a whole did not have the opportunity to discuss the master plan.

Since the meetings were held during the school day, board members and administrative staff were seldom able to attend. As a result, the draft master plan does not address enrollment growth in the school district, the BOE said.

“To be clear, a single Board of Education member and, at times, two district employees participated on the master planning Steering Committee, an advisory body that met several times, primarily to discuss process and structure, not substance. The Board of Education designee provided high-level language relating to public school facilities,” the BOE said in their letter.

“The Board of Education designee also provided models of master plans from other communities where enrollment growth projections were considered. However, enrollment growth was not addressed in the draft Princeton master plan.”

The BOE noted that the district’s Long Term Facilities Planning Committee met for one hour with the municipal master planning consultants.

They discussed the committee's current planning process and challenges related to conditional zoning of school sites. But apart from this feedback, no other BOE members or district employees “were asked for nor provided input on the master plan.”

“In fact, we have never discussed the master plan as a full board,” the letter said.

No Share In PILOT Money

The Municipality has approved new housing units and has negotiated PILOT programs with the developers. However, the school district has been cut from receiving any monies from these PILOT programs.

In their letter, the BOE noted that with over 1100 new housing units approved, the district has invested significant time and taxpayer resources in ensuring appropriate learning spaces, teachers, and resources for the growing number of students.

“With community support, we have updated and expanded existing school facilities. We are now developing additional elementary and middle school expansion plans (to address anticipated capacity needs of the next 5-7 years) for another taxpayer referendum as soon as next year. Based on preliminary estimates from district architects, these costs are likely to far exceed $50 million, not including any work at Princeton High School. The Planning Board noted in the FAQ "that larger homes tend to generate large numbers of children and the proposed master plan does not recommend more zoning for larger homes, quite the contrary."

The Planning Board further stated that "the plan lays a foundation for responsible, incremental growth".

"Given the scope of the proposed land-use recommendations in the master plan, we are concerned. Any growth puts pressure on the district's operating budget and facilities. For example, as of this week, there are 229 school-age children attending Princeton Public Schools (and Princeton Charter School) from the Merwick-Stanworth and Avalon on Witherspoon properties,” the letter states.

The BOE said they have spoken with municipal officials and made clear the district’s need for operating revenue.

“PILOT monies designated to the district's operating revenue would help us meet the growing needs in the district as we seek to maintain the class sizes to which the community is accustomed while also addressing additional future enrollment growth. The Board of Education does not currently receive any funding from any PILOTs that the town has negotiated with developers even though the new developments in town have and will continue to produce additional students throughout the district,” The BOE said in their letter.

“The Board of Education has not been involved in any specific discussions or negotiations related to the development of properties that have or will directly affect the school district. The Board of Education has negotiated annual, recurring, voluntary payments with Princeton University, the Institute for Advanced Study, and the Princeton Theological Seminary. We are grateful for these contributions to our operating revenue.”

While the school district appreciated the community support for schools, the BOE said they would welcome more resources to help additional students.

Earlier this year, the school district received a demographic update presentation which included anticipated enrollment trends.

Taking into account upcoming projects and anticipated future housing, the number of students expected at PPS is estimated to be 460 — with 250 of those in elementary schools, around 120 in middle school and about 90 in high school.

According to the five-year projections in the demographic report, enrollment is expected to peak at 4,154 by the 2027-2028 school year. The projected enrollment numbers reflect a continued expansion of the PPS pre-K program but do not include children who attend pre-K off-site at locations provided by community partners.

“We appreciate the community's support for our schools, and we always welcome the opportunity to educate additional children in our schools. However, we must ensure that the school district has the necessary resources to accommodate the anticipated growth and we would like to actively partner with the Municipality in our effort to do so,” the BOE said in their letter.

Here’s the full contents of the open letter:

Open letter to the Princeton Council and Planning Board:

We appreciate the time and effort that many officials and community members have dedicated to the master planning process. We are writing to provide clarification on the Board of Education’s involvement in the Municipality of Princeton’s master planning process and PILOTs (payments in lieu of taxes).

The Planning Board recently released a set of FAQs that contained one question (No. 17) about the schools. The Planning Board advised that there has been "significant input from public school leaders" and that school officials are working with municipal officials to “ensure our schools provide outstanding education and enrichment to the children of Princeton.”

To be clear, a single Board of Education member and, at times, two district employees (meetings were held during the school day so they were seldom able to attend) participated on the master planning Steering Committee, an advisory body that met several times, primarily to discuss process and structure, not substance. The Board of Education designee provided high-level language relating to public school facilities. The Board of Education designee also provided models of master plans from other communities where enrollment growth projections were considered. However, enrollment growth was not addressed in the draft Princeton master plan.

Additionally, the Board of Education’s Long Term Facilities Planning Committee met for one hour with the municipal master planning consultants. They discussed the Board of Education committee's current planning process and challenges related to conditional zoning of school sites. Apart from this feedback, no other Board of Education members nor district employees were asked for nor provided input on the master plan. In fact, we have never discussed the master plan as a full board.

As our community has grown, and now with over 1100 new housing units approved, the Board of Education has invested significant time and taxpayer resources in ensuring appropriate learning spaces, teachers, and resources for a growing student body. With community support, we have updated and expanded existing school facilities. We are now developing additional elementary and middle school expansion plans (to address anticipated capacity needs of the next 5-7 years) for another taxpayer referendum as soon as next year. Based on preliminary estimates from district architects, these costs are likely to far exceed $50 million, not including any work at Princeton High School. The Planning Board noted in the FAQ "that larger homes tend to generate large numbers of children and the proposed master plan does not recommend more zoning for larger homes, quite the contrary." The Planning Board further stated that "the plan lays a foundation for responsible, incremental growth". Given the scope of the proposed land-use recommendations in the master plan, we are concerned. Any growth puts pressure on the district's operating budget and facilities. For example, as of this week, there are 229 school-age children attending Princeton Public Schools (and Princeton Charter School) from the Merwick-Stanworth and Avalon on Witherspoon properties.

Board of Education members have spoken with municipal officials, and we have made clear our need for support for the district’s operating revenue. PILOT monies designated to the district's operating revenue would help us meet the growing needs in the district as we seek to maintain the class sizes to which the community is accustomed while also addressing additional future enrollment growth. The Board of Education does not currently receive any funding from any PILOTs that the town has negotiated with developers even though the new developments in town have and will continue to produce additional students throughout the district. The Board of Education has not been involved in any specific discussions or negotiations related to the development of properties that have or will directly affect the school district. The Board of Education has negotiated annual, recurring, voluntary payments with Princeton University, the Institute for Advanced Study, and the Princeton Theological Seminary. We are grateful for these contributions to our operating revenue.

We appreciate the community's support for our schools, and we always welcome the opportunity to educate additional children in our schools. However, we must ensure that the school district has the necessary resources to accommodate the anticipated growth and we would like to actively partner with the Municipality in our effort to do so.

Sincerely, Princeton Board of Education

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