Schools
Summit BOE Approves $37 Million Bond Ordinance To Fund STEAM Projects
Summit's elementary and middle schools will get new STEAM labs, new courses and a renovated athletic field with the new bond ordinance.
SUMMIT, NJ — At a Summit Board of Education meeting last Friday, a $37 million bond ordinance that will help fund a variety of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) programs in the district was passed unanimously.
The board voted 6-0 to pass the bond ordinance, entitled "Investing in Our Future."
According to a public forum that was held on May 23 to discuss the bond proposal, the board estimated that if approved, the district's net debt percentage would be about 19 percentage. Currently, the district's outstanding debt is around $19 million and its debt limit is around $300 million.
Find out what's happening in Summitfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The new bond will help fund and add STEAM labs to Summit's elementary schools, as well as expand offerings Lawton C. Johnson Summit Middle School.
According to the May presentation, a new class entitled "The Digital World" would be added to the 6th grade elective program. For the 7th grade, electives on environmental issues and robotics and coding will be added. Lastly, for 8th grade, new electives include "Financial Literacy," "Video Production," "Computer Science" and "Theater Tech."
Find out what's happening in Summitfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The $37 million bond will also support upgrades to school facilities, such as air conditioning for the middle school and renovations at Tatlock Park.
Plans for the field near the middle school include improving the track and turf fields. The field is currently used for both physical education classes and sports team practices.
Superintendent Scott Hough said the May forum was well-attended by the public and allowed people to weigh in on how the bond issuance will affect them and their families. He said overall, the community was in support of the bond issuance.
"For the large majority of the people who chose to speak, it was really about asking 'why aren’t we doing more?'” Hough said.
The full presentation that details the bond issuance can be viewed on the district's YouTube page.
You can also view the full board meeting from last Friday on YouTube below:
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
