Voters in the Manalapan-Englishtown Regional School District rejected three construction proposals totaling $34.56 million that the Board of Education placed in front of them on Dec. 11.
The first referendum question, totaling $3.5 million, proposed constructing four kindergarten classrooms at the Lafayette Mills School, making improvements to the kitchen area and redesigning the front parking lot.
Building the kindergarten classrooms would have allowed administrators to meet their goal of having between 18 and 19 pupils in each kindergarten class in the district, according to Superintendent of Schools John J. Marciante Jr.
The first question was defeated by a count of 1,895 “no” votes to 797 “yes” votes, according to results posted online by the Monmouth County Clerk’s Office. The results do not include all mail-in ballots or provisional ballots that were cast at polling places on Dec. 11.
The second referendum question, totaling $14.69 million, proposed work on maintenance and safety items, including the installation of emergency generators at six schools, the replacement of six aging fire alarm systems, the replacement windows at the Clark Mills School with energy-efficient windows, the replacement of the air conditioning unit at the John I. Dawes Early Learning Center, the replacement of aging exhaust fans at five schools and the replacement of all lighting fixtures with more efficient LED lighting at six schools, according to the superintendent.
The second question was defeated by a count of 1,856 “no” votes to 839 “yes” votes, according to results posted online by the Monmouth County Clerk’s Office. The results do not include all mail-in ballots or provisional ballots that were cast at polling places on Dec. 11.
The third referendum question, totaling $16.37 million, proposed the completion of infrastructure work that would have resulted in all of the district’s schools being fully air conditioned, according to Marciante. The Lafayette Mills, Clark Mills, Milford Brook, Taylor
Mills and Pine Brook schools are not fully air conditioned.
The third question was defeated by a count of 1,850 “no” votes to 846 “yes” votes, according to results posted online by the Monmouth County Clerk’s Office. The results do not include all mail-in ballots or provisional ballots that were cast at polling places on Dec. 11.
In the wake of the referendum’s defeat, Marciante said, “The Manalapan-Englishtown community has forcefully rejected the three referendum questions I recommended to the board. During the last few years, I have received numerous calls from parents stating that the conditions during a heat wave were unacceptable.
“Question 3 (proposing air conditioning) was brought forth to address those concerns. The community has decided those conditions are acceptable and that the majority of classrooms in the district will not be air-conditioned. While in the past I have tried to air- condition large spaces such as media centers, cafeterias and gyms, that practice will be discontinued due to the state aid reduction,” he said.
“In two out of the last three years we have had kindergarten class sizes of 22 students. The rejection of Question 1 (constructing kindergarten classrooms at the Lafayette Mills School) will lead to similar class sizes whenever there is a slight increase in kindergarten enrollment since there isn’t any additional space available in the elementary buildings.
“Unless there is a significant increase in the population, I will proceed in this manner since it is reflective of the community’s preference. Kindergarten class sizes of 25 will require an assistant as per state regulations.
“While the community also rejected Question 2 (maintenance and safety items) by a wide margin, in the future it might be necessary for me to ask the board to consider a new referendum question.
“There will be many consequences the public will experience due to the anticipated state aid reductions. Deferred maintenance will be the silent budget cut that will not be felt until systems break. At that time the board and the superintendent will have no choice but to put forth a referendum question,” Marciante said.
If the first question had been approved by voters, the increase in school taxes for the owner of a home assessed at the township average in Manalapan would have been $16 per year for 20 years and the increase in school taxes for the owner of a home assessed at the borough average in Englishtown would have been $12 per year for 20 years.
If the second question had been approved by voters, the increase in school taxes for the owner of a home assessed at the township average in Manalapan would have been $45 per year for 20 years and the increase in school taxes for the owner of a home assessed at the borough average in Englishtown would have been $35 per year for 20 years.
If the third question had been approved by voters, the increase in school taxes for the owner of a home assessed at the township average in Manalapan would have been $50 per year for 20 years and the increase in school taxes for the owner of a home assessed at the borough average in Englishtown would have been $38 per year for 20 years.
If all three proposals had been approved by voters, the total increase in school taxes for the owner of a home assessed at the township average in Manalapan would have been $111 per year for 20 years and the total increase in school taxes for the owner of a home assessed at the borough average in Englishtown would have been $85 per year for 20 years.
The total cost of the three questions was $34.56 million. Marciante said the state would have paid a maximum of 40 percent of the eligible costs of the projects.
The Manalapan-Englishtown district educates children in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade and has an enrollment of 5,100 students.
