Cedar Grove School Board To Meet Ahead Of $62.2M Referendum

CEDAR GROVE, NJ — Cedar Grove residents can hear from the Board of Education on Tuesday, just weeks before voters decide the district’s proposed $62.2 million bond referendum.

The public meeting will begin at 6 p.m. in the Cedar Grove High School auditorium, 90 Rugby Road, according to a district notice. Board members will enter an executive session at 5:30 p.m.

Residents who cannot attend in person can watch through their YouTube and Boxcast livestreams linked in the notice.

The meeting comes before the referendum vote Tuesday, September 15. The proposal would fund improvements across the district, with the state contributing $24.9 million, or about 40% of the total cost, if voters approve it.

The referendum is divided into two propositions. The first would address roofs, heating and cooling systems, and classrooms at the district’s four operating schools. The second would reopen the former Leonard R. Parks School, adding classroom space and making upgrades ranging from an ADA-accessible elevator to improved security and fire-alarm systems.

Together, the proposals would cost $62.2 million, with $24.9 million covered by state aid and $37.3 million raised locally through taxes. For a home assessed at the township average of $776,900, approving both questions would add approximately $53 per month, or $636 annually, in taxes.

District officials said the proposal was shaped through focus groups representing residents ranging from parents of preschoolers to alumni and older adults. On its referendum website, the district said “community input was its driving force.”

Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m, and residents may vote in person or by mail.

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