As you can see, I'm catching up on email from the week. A reader forwarded to me a link from the Express-Times about a school in New Jersey (read it here) with some striking similarities to our current situation at NASD regarding the new building.
The district has a new MS and voters must vote for tax increases (as will be the case here soon under certain conditions).
As a result of previous referendums declining increases, the district in the article, with a new middle school building coming on line, is putting forward a 18% tax hike and cutting 7.5 teacher positions.
This is exactly the situation that many of us suggested could very well happen if the NASD builds a MS replicating facilities that already exist at both the current MS and HS as opposed to building a more cost effective elementary school that would provide us with lower building and annual maintenance costs, less new support staff and administration, and more future flexibility.
4 comments:
I particularly liked the part where a "history of voter rejections" led (in part) to their current mess.
I'm not there, but I know someone who I used to work with who fought "tooth and nail" against their new school. He wanted them to look at an add-on or renovation, but the board had "other plans".... And now look what they have.
The scary(?) part of this is how this issue will ultimately divide the residents of this NJ school district. Families with children in the district who can afford an 18% increase in their taxes will vote in favor; most likely due the scare tactics put forth by the board (e.g., if you don't approve this budget, we'll have to cut this program or that program). Other residents who cannot afford the proposed tax increase will not be in favor. I see "ugly" times ahead for this particular district.
If you thought the NAEA/NASD contract negotiations got "ugly", just wait for a couple years down the road when we're looking at a voter referendum just to pass a budget.
i had a chance to read this article and found it quite interesting. i do have a question as im not totally in the loop. what grades will now occupy the middle school once the NEW middle school is built? it seems like we have alot of EXPENSIVE buildings just to house 2 grades?
ive often said that those in favor of all these "extras" being put into the schools (pool, new turf), i think alot of people will be singing a new tune when the new tax bills are handed out.. especially those living in the newer more expensive homes.
i wonder if they have a swim team and a new 5 milion dollar swimming pool in this school district?!
I overheard talk at the grocery store that a second grade class wrote and published a book; will this book be available for the school district?
The book that I know of was by the Lower Nazareth 2nd grade class and published/supported by Clay Aiken's foundation, which was why he visited last fall. Not sure on the status of it further than that.
The new MS will be for grades 7 & 8. It will house up to 1350 students as I recall. I think we have about 820 students in those two grades so we should be good on space for a while.
The current MS will become the IS and will house grades 4, 5 & 6.
The HS, which consumed the other MS will continue to house 9, 10, 11, & 12 and school projections show it will be at or over capacity within five years.
Of course the original MS, which was a Junior High, now contains luxury apartments and had been in use since the 1920s I believe.
I'm pretty sure we moved out of the JH in 1984, so since 1983 we will have built 3 middle school buildings and had students in four. Consider this one the culmination of all wants.
I don't believe the tax bill on property will be as big a surprise as the one on income will be if the voters approve the referendum to go to a mix of property and income.
Personally, while I will pay more, I believe it is the right thing to do, because seniors on fixed incomes should not see significant portions (over 10%) of their income being paid to school taxes.
Imagine the tax on a home purchased in the $500,000 range and then on top of that tax, consider the household income to support the purchase of the home. To get taxed on both property and income will be a 'surprise.'
Some of the comments about taxes being so much less here than in Jersey may die down at that point.
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