Princeton Board of Education To Vote On January Bond Referendum

PRINCETON, NJ – On Tuesday, the Princeton Board of Education will vote on a resolution to hold a bond referendum on January 28, 2025, for critical space needs and aging infrastructure.

If the Board moves forward, voters will be asked for permission to borrow funds for building improvements. The approval would let the district access state debt service aid to ease the impact on property taxes.

The $89.1 million bond referendum would expand school capacity as new housing is expected to bring around 1,000 units to Princeton in the next five to seven years, with additional population growth expected from existing housing and the next round of state-mandated development.

“District leaders and Board members put extensive thought into forming a plan that would create the space we need while preserving our beloved neighborhood schools for the community,” Kathie Foster, Interim Superintendent of Schools, said in a statement.

“If we don’t take steps to prepare for the additional students, we will face widespread redistricting and larger class sizes, and we might have to repurpose programming due to lack of classroom space.”

Much of the approved new housing in Princeton is being built in the Community Park Elementary School and Littlebrook Elementary School zones, the district said. The referendum proposes expansions and renovations at both schools and the middle school, and renovations at the high school.

The plan has three ballot questions. And if voters say no to question 1, then questions 2 and 3 can't pass either.

If all questions are approved, the state will pay 14.17 percent of debt service, keeping the estimated tax impact at $543 annually for an average Princeton home assessed at $853,136.

Here are the questions:

Question 1

Community Park Elementary School expansion/renovations and Princeton High School HVAC upgrades

Estimated cost: $37.9 million

Annual tax impact (based on the average assessed home): $227

Community Park:

• Six classrooms, four small-group instruction rooms, and two flexible learning spaces that could adjust with programming needs

• Expanded cafeteria; new, larger gym/multipurpose room; larger music room and library, all to accommodate more students

Princeton High School:

• Upgraded “end-of-life” HVAC throughout the building, including around 250 classroom units that control heating, cooling and air quality. The energy-efficient improvements are estimated to provide $150,000 to $200,000 in annual cost savings. State funding will cover one-third of the debt service for these projects.

Question 2

Princeton Middle School expansion/renovations and Princeton High School renovations

Estimated cost: $38.3 million

Total annual tax impact of Q1 and Q2 together (based on the average assessed home): $458

Princeton Middle School is already at capacity, with an undersized cafeteria, STEM, physical education, and music spaces. An expansion would better serve the current population and accommodate anticipated growth.

• Two new classrooms; three new flex spaces that can be used for larger or smaller classes according to needs; two new science labs

• Expanded vocal music and band rooms

• Expanded and appropriately sized cafeteria and kitchen

• New multipurpose room with space for assemblies, physical education, and indoor recess, with off-hours access for community use

• Expanded main office with small meeting and conference spaces

• Renovations to accommodate the move of the district technology department from the high school

Princeton High School renovations:

• Convert current district technology offices into additional student instructional spaces

• Update Numina Art Gallery, which serves as instructional and presentation space

Question 3

Littlebrook Elementary School expansion/renovations

Estimated cost: $12.9 million

Total annual tax impact of Q1, Q2 and Q3 together (based on the average assessed home): $543

Littlebrook upgrades to add space would better support current programming and manage growth while maintaining small class sizes.

• Six new classrooms

• Two small-group instruction rooms

• Renovation of existing student support services area

• New vocal music room

Renovated kitchen The state Department of Education recently approved the projects and confirmed debt service aid eligibility for the proposed improvements.

“All the projects recommended by the administration are needed to accommodate growth and maintain our programming,” Board of Education President Dafna Kendal said.

“The school district does not operate in a vacuum, and we are aware of other recent impacts to the taxpayer. After much discussion, the Board and administration believe that a three-question format is the best approach to let voters decide their additional level of investment in the public schools.”

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