RUMSON – A $12.59 million bond referendum that proposed improvements to Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School has been approved by voters in a special election on Oct. 2.
The total vote on the referendum was 836 “yes” to 443 “no,” according to results posted online by the Monmouth County Clerk’s Office.
Voters in Rumson approved the referendum by a count of 399 “yes” to 210 “no” and voters in Fair Haven approved the referendum by a count of 437 “yes” to 233 “no.” The total vote, and not the results in an individual sending municipality, determine the outcome of the question.
According to the Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School District website, the planned renovations to the high school will enhance learning environments for students in grades nine through 12. The renovations will allow for “modernizations that recognize the way education relies on a collaborative approach and blends instruction with hands-on practice,” the website states.
District administrators said the referendum will not cause school taxes to increase and said state aid is anticipated to cover up to 32 percent ($4.03 million) of the referendum cost.
“(Rumson-Fair Haven) is just months away from paying off a bond that funded previous projects, and payments on this new bond would start after those payments end. ‘Tax neutral’ means payments would continue at about the same rate. Without issuing a new bond, the average homeowner in Fair Haven would see estimated savings of $9.70 per month, and the average homeowner in Rumson would see an estimated savings of $16.68 per month,” the website states.
The referendum voters passed will include the following renovations to the high school:
• Revamping science labs to improve class and lab set-up to support the instructional approaches of Next Generation Science Standards, including better student-access storage, ADA accessibility, and safety sightlines;
• Reimagining space for technological advances, including multipurpose technology labs and specialized learning environments. All spaces will be centrally located and easily accessible;
• Continuing the integration of security technology throughout the building and designing all renovations to meet the latest safety standards;
• Renovating and reconfiguring existing classrooms to meet the needs of innovative instructional techniques and to create space that is better matched to the school’s needs;
• Reconfiguring guidance offices to give students better access to staff, resources and improved privacy;
• Upgrading the auditorium with additional lighting, stage controls, ceiling renovations and aisle carpeting
“Renovation, rather than new construction, would help the school be more efficient and would provide greater flexibility in classroom space and technology use. Reconfiguring existing space, such as eliminating an underused exterior corridor, would provide greater mobility, maximize classrooms with flexibility, and expand technology use. Additionally, the state provides more funds for renovations than for new construction,” the website states.
Improvements to the high school will begin during the summer of 2019, according to the website.
