Vote On $138M Bond For School Improvements Looms In Mahwah

MAHWAH, NJ — Mahwah school officials are hoping the public will vote "yes" on a referendum next Wednesday to borrow $138 million for school upgrades.

The bond would help fund improvements at all six public school buildings in town, school leaders have said, including upgrades, repairs, and "improved learning and activity spaces."

If the plan to borrow the money doesn't pass, the town will lose out on $28.1 million in state aid, officials say, and will have to complete some of the projects anyway.

Districts turn to referenda primarily because they cannot afford large-scale capital improvement projects, such as building new schools or performing major renovations, using only their annual operating budgets.

The town has held several forums to educate voters about the referendum and answer their questions. A recording of a virtual forum is here: www.mahwah.k12.nj.us/future.

Last week, the district released a list of frequently asked questions about the referendum. It's below, verbatim.

Frequently Asked Questions (With Answers From The School District)

Would the upcoming home reassessment increase our tax obligation for the referendum?

No, the reassessment will not change the referendum tax burden for residents. It's calculated based on the current assessed value. That obligation will remain during the repayment of the bond.

How is assessed value different from market value?

A home’s assessed value, which is used to determine property taxes, is different than the home’s market value. The market value of a home is often notably a higher dollar amount. Market value is not used for any aspect of determining your tax obligation. Please visit this website to learn your home’s assessed value.

If voters approve the referendum, what is the schedule for construction?

The district is taking an aggressive approach with scheduling. After designs are finalized, and the bid process is completed it is our expectation to have shovels in the ground by spring of 2027 (Betsy Ross School, Mahwah High School, and George Washington School). Ultimately, projects will be completed in phases.

The schedule will be designed to minimize the level of disruption to our educational program, maximizing the amount of work that could take place over summer breaks or when students are not otherwise in school. There remains a number of projects that can be addressed even with students in the building. The district aims to complete all of the projects within 4-5 years.

What happens if the referendum does not pass?

Many of the projects must be done whether or not voters approve the referendum. Approval gives the district the added benefit of using state aid to help cover a portion of the project costs. The district’s operating budget does not have the capacity to cover major improvements across multiple buildings in our high-achieving district.

If it's not approved:

• Mahwah will lose out on $28.1 million in state aid toward these projects; the district will have to shoulder the entire costs;
• Projects would be done in stages, with total project costs solely coming from the annual budget;
• Preventing a continued proactive approach to maintenance and replace systems before they break down (these are systems our students and staff rely on every day);
• Piecemeal repairs as things break down, which could cause higher costs in the long run;
• Instead of updating and replacing systems as they age, the systems would become prone to unscheduled breakdowns, which are costly to repair, and our students and faculty would experience significant disruptions to learning when last-minute space closures become more frequent;
• Funds must be diverted away from educational programs and/or staffing to support facility needs if they become critical.

"Our engineers and buildings and grounds department have identified over $70 million worth of necessary updates or system replacements that will be needed over the next five to six years," the district said. "This level of investment is far beyond what the annual operating budget could support without widespread reductions to programs."

More Information

Registered voters can vote in person or by mail. If they're voting in person, the polls will be open Wednesday from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The district encourages voters to email future@mahwah.k12.nj.us with referendum-related questions.

Visit www.mahwah.k12.nj.us/future to learn more about what’s on the March 10 ballot or email future@mahwah.k12.nj.us for questions about referendum.