$210 Million Cherry Hill Schools Bond Referendum Fails

CHERRY HILL, NJ —All three questions in the $210 million Cherry Hill Schools Bond Referendum failed during Tuesday's vote, according to unofficial results provided for the school district.

The questions dealt with upgrades throughout the district and were progressive, meaning each proposal must pass before the next can be considered.

Once the first proposal failed the results for the next two became irrelevant. Vote totals, which include absentee ballots, can be found below.

School district officials weren't available to comment on the results Tuesday night.

The first question proposed $49,734,143, including $18,757,043 in state funds, for a district-wide upgrade, renovation and expansion of schools including security upgrades and improvements; roof replacement and HVAC improvements and the addition of security vestibule entrances to Harte, Kingston, and Stockton elementary schools, and the Carusi and Rosa middle schools. It would also have included a conversion of the all-purpose room to a cafeteria and the construction of a new multi-purpose room at Johnson Elementary School.

The second proposal read as follows: A district-wide upgrade, renovation and expansion of schools including ceiling and lighting replacement, electrical upgrades, HVAC upgrades; conversion of cafeteria to music rooms and construction of a new cafetorium at Rosa Middle School. School-wide renovation and upgrades at Carusi Middle School including conversion of an all-purpose room to a cafeteria, and construction of new multi-purpose rooms at Barton, Kingston, Knight, Mann and Sharp elementary schools. Total amount: 113,402,251; State funds: $40,155,155.

The final proposal called for district-wide upgrades, including renovated science labs and gymnasium at Carusi Middle School; renovated locker rooms at Carusi and Beck middle schools, and High School East and High School West. Auditorium upgrades at High School East, renovated science labs at High School West, athletic facilities improvements at High School East and High School West. The total amount for that is $47,636,213, including $17,233,635 in state funds.

The first proposal failed despite the fact that it only proposed a $3.93 decrease in taxes for the average Cherry Hill home worth $223,500. If the first two passed, it would've been an increase of $162.93 in taxes, and there would've been an increase of $232.15 in taxes if all three passed. The school district will be debt free in 2019.

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