The township board of education is proposing a bond referendum to help raise funds for the school district that will be up for a vote on Election Day, Nov. 8.
“The Delran board of education has worked for years to examine the needs for individual facilities, also with the understanding to reduce the financial burden on taxpayers,” Superintendent Brian Brotschul said.
There will be two election questions on the ballot: The first proposes $9,298,242 and the second $2,759,453. If the first one isn’t approved, the second can’t be implemented. The district’s goal is to use the sale of bonds to fund improvements for its four school buildings.
“The first question is about the health, safety, wellness and security of students,” Brotschul explained. “We want to provide world-class safety and security initiatives to make sure our children and tax dollars are well tended to.”
At Millbridge Elementary, question one’s proposed projects are for interior and exterior renovations, including replacements of the roof, doors and locks.
“We want to enhance our already robust security system and adapt with technologies in the area,” the superintendent noted.
The school will see HVAC construction, with improved air quality and ventilation. Brotschul wants to ensure that children and staff members can work in a safe environment by installing a new air conditioning unit, in light of continued COVID cases and other issues.
The bond referendum allocations to the district’s four schools in question 1 will be $938,938 for the middle school, $1,286,401 for the high school, $587,014 to the intermediate school and $6,486,249 to Millbridge.
The projects for question 2 consist of interior renovations at Millbridge, including bathrooms; HVAC installation at the intermediate school; parking lot renovations, ceiling and floor tile remediation and lighting upgrades at the middle school; and interior renovations, including a culinary arts classroom, at the high school.
Bond referendum allocations to the four schools in question 2 are: $983,580 to the middle school, $780,000 to the high school, $670,873 to the intermediate school and $325,000 to Millbridge.
“This is a historic opportunity for the community to support safety and security initiatives, and allow the district to enhance academic programming and operations of the schools,” Brotschul said.
Delran residents should register to vote by Oct. 18 at http://www.nj.gov/state/elections/voting-information.html#vrf. For more information, on the referendum, go to the district’s website at https://www.delranschools.org/referendum
