School Upgrades Would Mean Tax Hike For North Caldwell, Essex Fells, Fairfield, Roseland

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Voters in four Essex County towns will be asked to weigh school upgrades against a tax increase in a local referendum this November.

The West Essex Regional School District serves roughly 1,700 students in grades 7 to 12 from Essex Fells, Fairfield, North Caldwell and Roseland.

The West Essex Regional Board of Education has approved two ballot questions for the 2026 general election on Tuesday, Nov. 3. If voters give them a green light, they would pay for a combined $49.41 million in “critical facility needs” throughout the district. An estimated $9.28 million in state aid would help to defray some of the cost.

The referendum is being broken down into two questions. Here’s what each would do, according to a presentation from the district:

QUESTION 1 – Question 1 covers $41,926,384 in projects. The list of proposed upgrades includes additions and renovations at West Essex High School and West Essex Middle School.

QUESTION 2 – Question 2 covers $7,493,250 in projects. The list of proposed upgrades includes replacement of the stadium bleachers and press box, and the replacement of some interior doors and hardware. This question would only pass if Question 1 is also approved.

How much would the upgrades cost local taxpayers? The increases would be different for each town, as seen in the below chart:

The district has created a website about the referendum, which can be seen online here. A list of frequently asked questions can be seen here.

The district previously shared details about why the upgrades are needed – as well as renderings of what they might look like – in a presentation which can be seen online here.

“The West Essex Board of Education is committed to providing safe, functional and effective learning environments now and into the future,” administrators say. “However, the district’s aging facilities – some dating to the original 1960’s construction – require significant upgrades that are beyond routine maintenance and outside the annual operating budget.”

Superintendent Damion Macioci, board members and district administrators discussed preliminary cost estimates and state aid figures on July 15. Watch meeting footage here, or view the video below.

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