Nutley School Referendum 2017: Voters Say 'No' To $70M Bond Issue

NUTLEY, NJ — Nutley’s public schools are going to have to get a little “creative.” That was the message from Superintendent Julie Glazer following Tuesday’s defeat of a proposed $70 million school bond issue that would have provided the funds for a massive construction effort to combat overcrowding in the district's schools. The rejected bond issue would also have added about $358 to the average homeowner's yearly taxes over three years, a tough pill to swallow for many local taxpayers.

During Tuesday’s public referendum, Nutley voters rejected the bond issue by a tally of 2,380 to 1,879. Don’t forget to visit the Patch Belleville-Nutley Facebook page here.

Nutley school administrators had previously warned that if the proposal was voted down, it would mean:

• Overcrowding will worsen
• Class sizes will increase at every elementary school
• Trailers at Yantacaw and Washington will remain as permanent structures (more trailers will be added over time to house additional students, possibly as soon as 2021)
• The district will face a "moderate redistricting initiative" involving Washington, Yantacaw and Spring Garden to accommodate all its elementary students
• New registrants may need to attend a school other than their home/neighborhood school
• Academics will suffer

Following Tuesday’s vote, Glazer issued the following statement about the district’s plans:

“The community has spoken and we are all better for the dialogue, process and the engagement of so many. The vote is not the end, but the beginning. Now, we begin the work of dedicating ourselves to continuing to navigate the ongoing issues of overcrowding, including security for our staff and students and the pursuit of a high-quality education. We will be required to continue to be creative, innovative, and flexible as we set goals, timelines, and determine the programming that our students deserve, now and in the future, despite the many limitations that will still face us. Your efforts to remain active participants and your support will be even more important.”

Board of Education President Daniel Carnicella offered the following statement:

“The Nutley residents went to the polls today, to decide the future of this great community. Over 300 days ago, the Nutley Board of Education introduced a solution to the overcrowding issue, which has been discussed for many years. Although not the outcome many hoped for, the majority have decided against the future construction plans. As we stated for months, we have to continue to educate our children and we will continue to provide the best educational experience we can, with the tools and investment given to us from the community. We would like to thank all those who exercised their right to vote.”

• See related article: Nutley School Bond Referendum 2017 (Overcrowding vs. Taxes)

Nutley public school officials had been touting the bond referendum for weeks with social media video testimonials from students, staff and community members in favor of the construction project.

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Photo: Google Maps (Yantacaw School)