Dear Editor:
The Haddonfield Board of Education (BOE) is promoting a $50 million school bond referendum to be voted on in winter 2016. The purpose is to repair severe structural damage to the four existing schools. This bond is in addition to the nearly $35 million that fund the running of the school district each year.
Structural problems that the schools face include: part of the building at Tatem Elementary School closed off due to fear that it will collapse; the kitchen area of the high school cafeteria, closed due to structural damage; the high school boys’ gym with a short-term patch; and other buildings in various states of disrepair, extensively detailed on the BOE website www.haddonfield.k12.nj.us/Attachments/2015-09-10 Presentation.pdf.
How did we get to this point in this town? Did Haddonfield voters deny the BOE money for repairs, building maintenance, additions and new construction? No. From 1986 until 2004, voters approved approximately $45.7 million for these purposes.
In addition, the community was told in 2013, at the time of the Bancroft Referendum, that the buildings were in good condition. As I understand it, the BOE had to certify to the state Department of Education the buildings were sound in order to have the referendum and install the stadium turf field. Moreover, when the proposal for the 2016 bond was initially floated in fall 2014, the BOE proposed essential school repairs at a cost of $7 million. How can we go from $7 million to $50 million in less than a year?
One has to ask: Where did the previous bond money for maintenance and repair go? Was no one in charge of maintaining the condition of the buildings? Was there a maintenance plan? Were there yearly inspections? Who was responsible? Who signed off that the buildings were safe?
The BOE wants to finalize this $50 million referendum by Oct. 8. How can we trust them with additional tax monies when there was no oversight of the previous $45.7 million? How can we trust that this time they will maintain their buildings? Remember we will be paying off this additional $50 million over the next 30 years. We are also still paying off $16 million on previous bonds as well as interest of $4 million until 2025.
Should the voters pass this $50 million bond, we will have given the Haddonfield BOE $100 million in 30 years to maintain four schools. Haddonfield taxpayers need a guarantee of transparency and accountability for past as well as future monies from the BOE.
Yes, it is important now to fix these buildings, as it was important to maintain them over the last 30 years. The question is, how much money is truly necessary and can the present board and its contractors be trusted to spend it wisely?
The BOE must allow taxpayers and voters: time to process these extraordinary events and the huge amount of money asked; alternatives to the $50 million price tag; a plan that takes care of the essential safety needs and leaves the frills and wish list for another time and to consider how we, the taxpayers in a town with few ratables, will be able to sustain such a tax increase.
I urge all citizens of Haddonfield to attend the Board of Education meetings at 7 p.m. in the High School library on both Oct. 1 and Oct. 8 to inform themselves about this upcoming bond referendum.
Susan Hoch MD
