Decision Day Arrives For $170M Wayne Schools Referendum

WAYNE TOWNSHIP, NJ — Residents head to the polls in Wayne on Tuesday to approve or deny a $169.8. million bond proposal that would fund improvements across the K-12 public school district.

According to district officials, the 62 proposed projects are designed to bolster security, promote energy conservation, and accommodate the expected increase in enrollment at the aging buildings. The Board of Education has said that they have been diligently monitoring an anticipated rise in enrollment for years.

Polls are open Tuesday, March 12 from from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., per the township clerk's office. Mail-in ballots must be postmarked, dropped off in a designated ballot box, or hand-delivered to the Passaic County Board of Elections by 8 p.m.

The public school district is closed Tuesday, as several buildings are used as polling places.

Wayne Mayor Christopher Vergano has been vocal about his hesitations with this referendum, saying the property tax increase would be too steep for homeowners and business owners to stomach. Board of Education members attended last week's Township Council meeting to push back on some of his claims.

The bond issuance would raise taxes about $370 annually for homes assessed at the township average of $229,473, said school officials. The term of the bond would be 25 years.

A 2003 bond to construct Anthony Wayne Middle School, which added $116 in property taxes for the average assessed home, will be paid off by 2025 and thus will come off the tax bill. Wayne taxpayers rejected a $4.8 million bond proposal for security enhancements in 2015.

The state committed $39 million toward the cost of the projects if the referendum passes.

The bond referendum addresses:

• Significant added space at the Preakness Early Childhood Center to accommodate rising enrollment, with 24 new classrooms. It would transform into a PreK–5 school with three classrooms at each grade level and dedicated classrooms for early childhood special education programs.
• Roof repairs and replacements are at almost every school, and window replacements at many schools. These affect the “building envelope” that protects everything inside and contributes to energy efficiency.
• Upgrades and replacements of building systems, including plumbing, mechanical, electrical, heating, air conditioning and ventilation (HVAC), In addition to reducing repair risks and increasing cost efficiency, these systems play a significant role in health and safety.
• Two-stage security entrances (vestibules) at six schools that do not have them now.
• New exterior bleachers at both high schools (addressing a safety issue some parents have brought up).

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