Princeton BOE Thanks Residents For Voting ‘Yes’ On Referendum

PRINCETON, NJ — The Princeton Board of Education on Friday thanked residents for supporting the school referendum in the recently concluded special election.

Residents in the municipality voted to approve the $89.1 million bond referendum put forward by the school district on Jan. 28.

Voters had the choice to approve one question and reject the remaining two. But all three questions received a “yes” from residents.

Through a letter to the editor, the BOE thanked residents for their support. Here’s what they said:

The passage of all three questions will allow the district to accommodate enrollment growth and better serve current and future students by adding 23 classrooms across four schools, five small group instruction rooms, expanding common areas, and rehabilitating and replacing the HVAC system at Princeton High School.

The total cost of the referendum is approximately $89 million. We recognize this is a large sum of money that will increase taxes on an already highly- taxed citizenry. We are pleased that with the passage of the referendum, we have been approved for approximately $19 million in state aid towards the debt service aid ( principal and interest) which will help to lessen the overall tax impact of the projects.

The Board's focus will now shift to ensuring that these projects are done to specifications, on time, and within the budget. We are confident that our experienced team, the district's business administrator, construction project manager, and other professionals, will ensure that these projects are completed with fidelity. We will provide updates on the progress of the projects at future board meetings and at princetonk12.com/referendum

The passage of the referendum ensures that we have appropriate spaces in which to educate students. However, our top priority remains ensuring that all the students we serve have the opportunity and support needed to achieve their full potential, regardless of race, gender, nationality, immigration status, sexual orientation, gender identity, learning difference, socio-economic status, or religion.

Out of 16,227 registered voters in Princeton, 3,394 cast their ballots - 1,411 voted on election day and 1,411 residents voted via mail-in ballots, according to the unofficial summary report from Mercer County Prosecutor's Office.

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