Planning Board To Hear Princeton Schools Expansion Application

PRINCETON, NJ – Princeton Public School will go before the Planning Board with their school expansion plans.

The expansion is part of the now 2025 referendum where the school district will add new classrooms and core spaces at Community Park Elementary, Littlebrook Elementary Princeton Middle School and Princeton High School.

The vote on this referendum will take place in January 2025 depending upon the approval from the New Jersey Department of Education.

In May, PPS approved a motion to submit paperwork to the NJDOE seeking approval for the referendum.

The cost of the proposed new construction and renovations is between $85 to $89.5 million, which does not include potential state aid. The specific dollar amount and referendum questions for voters to consider will be determined after the NJDOE reviews the application and advises which portion of the costs are eligible for NJ State funding.

The estimated additional tax on the average assessed home of $848,037 would be $551.70.

The referendum stems from the growth Princeton is expecting over the next few years. The town will see more than 1,100 new residential units and Princeton Schools is planning to welcome new students.

The planning board application is for Community Park Elementary School, Littlebrook Elementary School and Princeton Middle School.

According to the school district, here are the plans for the three schools:

Community Park and Littlebrook, the two elementary schools located closest to the new housing units, will be enlarged.

• Community Park will house four classrooms for each grade level, kindergarten through fifth; this plan will allow the school to sustain two sections per grade in its dual language immersion program.

• Community Park and Littlebrook will have additional “flex” classrooms for enrollment bubbles and students from future housing. The additional classrooms will help prevent overcrowding or the need to repurpose special and support spaces as grade-level classrooms.

• Core and specialized spaces will be added or renovated at both Community Park and Littlebrook.

• At Community Park, an addition at the back of the building will accommodate classrooms, as well as a gymnasium and multipurpose room.

• Renovated spaces at Community Park will also include the music room, the library, the kitchen, and the cafeteria. The soccer field in the back of the building will be realigned to provide space for the addition.

• At Littlebrook, the addition will house classrooms and a vocal music room. Several rooms in the existing building will be renovated to provide student support services.

• Both Community Park and Littlebrook will net six new classrooms.

Upgrades and new classrooms will be added to Princeton Middle School to accommodate additional students. Updates will include two new science labs and reconfigured rooms for vocal music and band, accommodating larger ensembles; an expanded cafeteria and multipurpose space to accommodate gym classes and assemblies.

NJ state law allows local planning boards to hold a courtesy review of plans, to provide comments for consideration as part of the Department of Education review.

The Planning Board is expected to hear the application on Sept. 5.

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