Before the referendum on September 16, Moorestown Township Public Schools (MTPS) organized a virtual forum on August 19, in which a committee of district leaders, project architects and financial advisors contained.
The discussion participants from the district included the superintendent of the schools Dr. Courtney McNeely, deputy superintendent for curriculum, instruction and innovation Dr. Karen Benton, director of athletics, Joseph McColgan, director of the Upper Elementary School (UES), Dr. Lindsay Jablonski.
“We know that this referendum is more than necessary, and it is the only particular way to get government funds for our needs at this time,” said McNeely. “It is the most responsible, it reacts to our needs and it is our way of reacting to the growing enrollment.”
At the beginning of this year, the Moorestown Board of Education voted for a bond referendum that focused on loosening space restrictions and replacing aging building systems. MTPS only receives state funds from the approval of voters. The district is entitled to $ 18.7 million in state aid for the total cost of 108.3 million dollars. The projects are divided into two ballot questions.
Question 2 cannot say goodbye unless question 1 is approved. The estimated tax effects are based on a property that was rated on average by Moorestown of $ 465,125. The valued value is the value assigned by a municipality that appears on tax invoices. It is different and typically lower than the market value.
Voting slip question 1:
Grund renovations for space; William Allen Middle School (Wams) additions; Renovation work in the gym/facilities; HLK (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) upgrades; Roof replacement; Projects for Moorestown High School (MHS), including replacement of tennis courts and stadium grass as well as renovation work from Isenberg Gymnasium; and security improvements.
- Cost: 80.3 million US dollars
- State aid: 15.9 million US dollars
- Estimated monthly tax effects: $ 37
Voting slip question 2:
Operation Center; MHS teaching renovations/improvements, sporting improvements (three new lawn fields, lighting); and traffic flow improvements.
- Cost: $ 28 million
- State aid: 2.7 million US dollars
- Estimated monthly tax effects: $ 17
A few projects that were proposed in every school, according to the district, are as follows:
Mhs
- Transform the current maintenance area and the bus garage into the classroom to expand innovative programs
- Move the operating center in an adjacent field with a new parking lot and a free -standing building for a concession stand and bathroom
- Replace the roof to avoid leaks and to improve energy efficiency
- Update HLK, boiler to be more efficient and functional
- Replace fire alarm system
- Install the lawn in three fields
- Replace the lawn in the stadium
- Replace tennis courts
- Update Isenberg gymnastics stands, floor, equipment
- Make the sidewalks and entrances more accessible to Ada
William Allen Middle School
- Create two -story addition to 13 apprenticeships
- Build in full size gym with access outside of business hours for the community
- Renovate classroom, main office and advice area
- Renovate Auxiliary Gym
- Improve the flow of traffic by changing the driveway and bus loop
- Add parking spaces to accept employees who are to be transferred with the sixth grade
- Update HLK to more efficient and functional
- Replace the fire alarm system, the public address system
- Make the sidewalks and entrances more accessible to Ada
The proposal also includes building contracts with which the district can take into account the expected registration growth of the students and, according to school officials, offer a gone kindergarten. MTPS is one of only a few remaining districts of the state without a study area. The referendum projects would create kindergarten space by postponing the class levels between the buildings and satisfying other academic needs in this process. If the voters agree to the referendum, school building and the renovation work, it will be completed in good time to open a full -day kindergarten by 2028. The state's full-day kindergarten request is put into force for the school year 2029-30.
The Bond referendum would create space for the youngest students through a number of changes. A two -story addition to the William Allen Middle School had the sixth graders pulled off the UES and classes 6 to 8 brought under a roof. The third graders moved from the lower elementary schools to UES and created a real primary school for classes 3 to 5. So that he would be for Baker, Roberts and South Valley to greet the whole day to welcome the full-day kindergarten and to accept the growth of the pre-K schools before the K. Kindergarten classroom would receive renovation work, including the addition of bathing rooms if necessary.
If you move the third class of lower elementary schools to the UES, this would:
- Manage class sizes at the lower primary schools
- Allow more students to attend their neighborhood schools
- Create a real primary school for classes 3 to 5 at UES
- Free space to offer a full -day, lesson -free kindergarten
To move the sixth class from the UES to Wams:
- End the necessity that UES juggles a primary school for primary school schools and frequent changes to the middle school in a building
- Education of the sixth graders in middle school, where they belong to social and extra -curricular experiences and academic continuity
- Make possible
Further information on the referendum can be found on the referendum tab on www.mtps.com.