Sneak Peek At Woodbridge Mayor's Mailer Urging 'Yes' Vote On March 14

WOODBRIDGE, NJ — Here's a sneak peek at a mailer from Mayor John McCormac that will be hitting Woodbridge homes next week.

The mailer lets residents know about a very big town-wide vote on March 14, which will ask residents if they approve the school district making a complete renovation to Avenel Elementary School. This renovation will cost $35 million, which the district has already budgeted for, and will include the construction of new academic/athletics space.

McCormac supports funding the renovations to Avenel Elementary, and he urges Woodbridge residents to vote "yes." There will be no new costs or tax increases associated with renovating the school, according to the mayor.

This came about because the Woodbridge school district initially planned on building an entirely new School 4/5 on Rahway Avenue, which would have cost approximately $35 million.

But then, in this bombshell surprise announcement last September, the builder informed the district that costs had "skyrocketed" due to inflation and raw material costs, and a new school would now cost $50 million.

"When the cost of a new School 4/5 on Rahway Avenue climbed from $35 to $50 million because of inflation, the Board decided to use the original 2020 referendum budget to build a new building and renovate the others at the current school site on Avenel Street," said McCormac Friday. "The location change requires voter approval, which will be just one YES or NO question."

Woodbridge residents will vote at their regular polling place from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, March 14.

"Although this election directly impacts only one of our 16 elementary schools, it is worthy of your support," said McCormac in the flyer. "The students, parents and staff at School 4/5 would really appreciate your effort to vote by mail or in person on March 14."

He also hinted that another — as-of-yet unnamed Woodbridge school or schools — will be getting renovations, too.

"We are working with the school district on plans for another (referendum) in the near future that will be similarly structured to benefit all schools," said McCormac.

The flyer above will be arriving in Woodbridge mailboxes soon.

"The impact of inflation and supply chain management raised the cost of the $35 million plan to construct a new Avenel School 4/5 to $50 million and possibly higher," writes McCormac in the flyer. "The school board decided to redirect the balance of the original funding into a complete renovation of the existing School 4/5 buildings, with construction of additional space for academics and athletics."

"Because the original (2020) referendum specifically mentioned 1299 Rahway Ave. as the site for the new school, there must be a new referendum to allow the remaining funds to be spent at 230 Avenel Street. We need your support for this new effort. Polls are open from 2-8 on Tuesday March 14 for a simple yes or no vote to allow for the change in location. There are NO ADDITIONAL TAXES involved with this vote," wrote the mayor.

Due To Inflation, Woodbridge Not Building New Avenel Elementary (Sept. 2022)

Woodbridge Residents Will Vote March 14 On School 4 And 5 Renovations (Feb. 2023)