Special Election Tuesday Would OK Bonds For Wall School Upgrades

WALL, NJ — On Tuesday, Dec. 13, the Wall Board of Education will hold a special election on two bond questions to fund what the district says are much-needed improvements to all schools in the district with minimal impact on property taxes.

Polls will be open on Tuesday from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Voters will decide two questions in the special election, the district has said.

One question proposes $53 million for widespread roof and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) repairs, electrical and mechanical system upgrades, and restroom modernizations. It also includes renovations to several instructional classrooms and the Wall High School auditorium.

The second proposes $13.5 million for more specifically located HVAC, electrical, and site upgrades; window replacements; art room renovations; and upgrades to expand use of Wall High School’s athletic facilities, the district has said in a news release.

Voter approval of the first question would result in no increase to the current tax rate on a home assessed at the township average ($483,357), the board says.

Voter approval of the second question would result in a tax increase of $5 a month, district officials say.

Approval of both questions would bring in $20 million of new state aid to Wall Township schools, the district says, to offset the cost of the bonds.

“There are two drivers for the timing of these repairs,” Superintendent Tracy Handerhan has said in previous news releases.

“The district has needs now, from inefficient boilers to roofs that are past the time frame that they were expected to last. Secondly, these proposals are timed with the pay-off of other debt from the 1998 referendum.”

She added that “additionally, state aid makes this a great financial opportunity for improvements that will directly benefit the students.”

The projected tax impact is calculated based on the older debt being paid off and the state aid contributing to the future debt payments, the district says. It is calculated based on the mathematical average of all home assessments in Wall Township.

The district has established a website to inform voters: www.WallPublicSchools.org/VISION.

It includes a link to for residents to check the assessed value of their property and the mathematical formula necessary to calculate the specific tax impact for that property, the district says.

It also includes details of the proposed projects, as summarized in a recent Patch article. And it includes the recording of a Virtual Forum held Dec. 1, attended by architects, financial advisers, school district staff members and Board of Education members.

The website also includes poll locations and a link that registered voters can use to search for the polling place to which they are assigned.

Polls will be open on Tuesday, Dec. 13, from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.