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Vote YES September 25, 2001 |
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The Cedar Grove Board of Education is seeking the approval of Cedar Grove voters for a plan that the Board believes will improve the quality of education for all Cedar Grove students. The plan addresses the schools’ space needs by reconfiguring them as two K-4 schools at North End and South End Schools, a grades 5-8 middle school at the former Ridge Road School, and a 9-12 High School. The following are some frequently asked questions about the plan and their answers. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)1. What is the problem facing the Cedar Grove public schools?2. What’s been done to address the need for additional space? 3. How much is school enrollment expected to grow? 4. How does the Board propose to solve the schools’ space problem? 5. How is this plan different from the April 17, 2001 bond referendum plan? 6. What’s in the bond referendum? 7. Are renovations to all the Cedar Grove schools included in the bond referendum? 8. What are the advantages of reconfiguring the schools as K-4, 5-8, 9-12? 9. When would the new middle school and renovations to the existing schools be completed? 10. Why was Ridge Road School selected as the middle school site and not LRP? 11. How much would taxes go up if the bond referendum passes? 12. Who can answer more questions about the bond referendum? 1. What is the problem facing the Cedar Grove public schools? The problem is a lack of space. Both North and South End Schools are filled to capacity. South End School uses a trailer for some classes because there is no more room in the building. At North End School, a program was moved out so that the classroom can be used for the increased enrollment there. Several regular High School classrooms are now used by Middle School students. Such use affects High School scheduling because fewer rooms are available. 2. What’s been done to address the need for additional space? In the High School, faculty rooms were eliminated to provide classroom space, rooms were subdivided for multiple programs for special education, and closets have been converted to office space. At South End, a trailer houses special education classes. In North End and South End, there are no art rooms. Instead "art on a cart" is the norm; the art teachers push a cartful of supplies from classroom to classroom. There are no computer rooms. Computer rooms at both schools had to be dismantled to make room for regular classrooms. Currently North End has no music room; next year, neither North End nor South End will have a music room. In all the schools, wherever possible, storage rooms are used as instructional spaces for our children. With the overcrowding and the overuse of the gymnasiums, class time is being compromised; physical education classes just before lunch are shortened to allow time for setup of lunch tables. 3. How much is school enrollment expected to grow? As of September 30, 2000, there were 1350 public school students in Cedar Grove. As required by the State of New Jersey, the Board of Education commissioned a study of population trends. This study, which was done by Whitehall Associates, projected that, with new housing developments going up in several parts of town and the overall demographic trend, our school enrollment will grow to approximately 1591 students by 2004-2005. This amounts to a growth of approximately 18%. Right now there is no more space in either North End or South End, and little space left in the Middle School/High School, to accommodate further growth. 4. How does the Board propose to solve the schools’ space problem? The Board proposes to move grades 5 and 6 out of North End and South End Schools and to move grades 7 and 8 out of the High School building into a separate grades 5-8 middle school at the former Ridge Road School. 5. How is this plan different from the April 17, 2001 bond referendum plan? This plan is identical to the plan put before the voters on April 17. When the plan failed in April by a total of 12 votes, the Board thoroughly considered all the available information and possible courses of action. As a result of this review, the Board identified a number of reasons for putting the same plan before Cedar Grove’s voters in a bond referendum on September 25, 2001. These reasons include: 1) the plan is educationally superior to all other plans studied, while offering the best value for taxpayer dollars; 2) it is the only plan that has secured the State’s approval; 3) this plan is guaranteed to receive $3.9 million in State construction aid; 4) it retains the Leonard R. Parks (LRP) School’s annual rental income, which is used to offset taxes; 5) the plan requires construction at only one location, Ridge Road; 6) it frees up space in all of Cedar Grove’s schools for all grade levels; 7) it will solve all the schools’ space needs by September 2003, which is one year sooner than if the Board chose any other plan; and 8) the closeness of the April 17 vote demonstrated growing community support for this plan. 6. What’s in the bond referendum? The bond referendum will ask for Cedar Grove voters’ authorization to borrow up to $9,950,000. This figure includes expenditures for adding to and renovating the former Ridge Road School in order to create a grades 5-8 middle school and for renovations to the existing schools. However, these amounts do not represent the total expenditures involved. The total projected cost of these projects is expected to be $13.8 million, but approximately $3.9 million will be paid for by the State as part of the Educational Facilities Construction and Financing Act. The referendum will identify the specific amounts for which the State will be responsible. This State funding will reduce the cost to Cedar Grove taxpayers to approximately $9.95 million. 7. Are renovations to all the Cedar Grove schools included in the bond referendum? Upgrades to all the schools are part of the bond referendum. In addition to an expanded and renovated middle school at Ridge Road, the referendum designates approximately $2.5 million for upgrades (renovations) to North End School, South End School, and the High School. As examples, these needed renovations will include new roofs and boilers, updated fire alarm systems, changes needed to meet ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) requirements, and upgraded science labs at the High School. 8. What are the advantages of reconfiguring the schools as K-4, 5-8, 9-12? The K-4, 5-8, 9-12 configuration precisely reflects the breakdown of the State’s Core Curriculum Content Standards, the guidelines that dictate what students must learn and by when. The State measures students’ progress in the 4th grade, the 8th grade, and the 11th grade (but students must pass the High School Proficiency Test by the 12th grade); so configuring the schools in this way would align them with the Standards. This configuration is supported by the majority of Cedar Grove’s professional educational staff and administrators. The Board believes that the K-4, 5-8, 9-12 structure will enhance the quality of education in all four Cedar Grove public schools. The elementary schools, with the 5th and 6th grades moved out, will have space for music, art, computer, and other special purpose rooms. The grades 5-8 middle school and the High School will gain space to expand the variety of educational programs offered and to allow for much more flexibility in scheduling; each will have its own science and technology labs, providing for greater flexibility and opportunity. The expanded middle school will also include a new, larger gym – recreational space that will be available for use by the entire community. All the schools will gain more space to accommodate growing student enrollment. 9. When would the new middle school and renovations to the existing schools be completed? If the referendum is approved on September 25, 2001, the new middle school could open in September 2003. Renovations to North End School, South End School, and Cedar Grove High School would begin as soon as possible after the referendum, given the need to coordinate projects with the schools’ educational programs. The need to obtain State approvals at various points during these projects could also affect the timing of their completion. 10. Why was Ridge Road School selected as the middle school site and not LRP? The Public Facilities Input Committee (PFIC) considered the use of LRP as a middle school site. However, the Committee noted that, while LRP is a larger building, it is located in a more highly trafficked area than Ridge Road. Cedar Grove Police statistics show that, in the period from January 1996 through August 2000, 351 motor vehicle accidents occurred in the vicinity of LRP, versus 29 accidents in the vicinity of the Ridge Road School. These safety issues were considered by both the PFIC and the Board. Traffic noise is another factor at LRP. Even with the windows closed, the noise from traffic can be very distracting in the LRP classrooms. The water and sewer lines at LRP would also need to be moved. There are also asbestos issues at LRP that do not exist at Ridge Road. Finally, use of LRP would result in a loss to the District of approximately $110,000 more per year in rental income than will the use of Ridge Road. 11. How much would taxes go up if the bond referendum passes? First, it is important to remember that the following numbers relate to assessed value, not market value. While actual costs can’t be finalized until bonds are sold and the actual costs of borrowing the money are set, based on a current bond interest rate of 4.75%, the following can be projected. The bond referendum will ask for approximately $9.95 million to fund a new middle school and upgrades to the existing schools. To calculate the tax cost of this amount to each Cedar Grove taxpayer, the following formula can be used: $2.57 per $1000 of a home’s assessed (NOT MARKET) value The following chart illustrates the approximate tax increases that would result if the bond referendum is approved, using the current average 4.75% bond interest rate. Note that 86% of Cedar Grove’s homes are assessed at less than $80,000. [Source: nj.taxrecords.com]
12. Who can answer more questions about the bond referendum? Residents may call the Board of Education office at 239-1550, Monday through Friday during business hours. Board members will make every effort to respond to calls within 24 hours. Dr. Judith R. Merz, Superintendent of Schools, may be contacted by e-mail at superintendent@cedargrove.k12.nj.us. In addition, the report of the Public Facilities Input Committee is available at the Cedar Grove Public Library and on the District’s website at www.cedargrove.k12.nj.us. Home | Current School Problems
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