Wall School Bonding Questions Are Approved In Unofficial Results

WALL, NJ — Voters came out in a special election Tuesday to approve 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.

The votes are unofficial pending the return of all mail-in ballots. The votes will be certified later this month by the Monmouth County elections office.

"This is a win for the kids in Wall now and in the future," said Board of Education President Ralph Addonizio Tuesday night.

And he said the taxpayers in town "really understood the value" the district will see in $20 million in state aid that will come with the approval.

He praised the board's professionals and the district's officials for their "professionalism and hard work" in developing the plans for the upgrades in the schools.

Voters weighed in on two questions in the special election:

Question 1 proposed $53 million in bonds. This question passed by 1,915 votes to 1,039 votes, in unofficial results. This measure would fund 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.

Question 2 proposed $13.5 million in bonds. This question passed by 1,715 votes to 1,225 votes, in unofficial results. This bond will fund 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.

Approximately 13 percent of registered voters came out to vote, according to county figures.

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 will 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 statements.

“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 details on 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.