These Bergen County school districts will have special March election

Megan Burrow, NorthJersey.com
·4 min read

Ballots have been sent to voters with vote-by-mail requests in Carlstadt, East Rutherford, Fairview and Little Ferry for the March 12 special election.

Voters in those four municipalities will decide whether to approve funding for various school projects.

Referendum in Carlstadt and East Rutherford

Carlstadt and East Rutherford voters will weigh in on Becton Regional High School's proposed $49.2 million bond to fund new special education, trades and vocational space, and to buy property for a new gymnasium and renovate the current gym.

A $55 million version of the plan was defeated by voters in March 2022. The referendum March 12 splits the proposal into three questions with a total cost of $49.2 million.

Vocational and Trades Annex at 160 Paterson Ave. would be renovated if Question 3 of the Becton Regional March 12 referendum is approvedl
Vocational and Trades Annex at 160 Paterson Ave. would be renovated if Question 3 of the Becton Regional March 12 referendum is approvedl

The first question is about a $29.5 million proposal for STEM, special education and vocational space. The new proposal reduces the addition from 90,000 square feet to 47,000, eliminating a new building for vocational training previously proposed across the street.

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Question two is on a new gym, the renovation of the existing gym and a performing arts center at $12.8 million. The property would be purchased to build a new regulation-size gymnasium, with renovations to the existing gym, and a performing arts center, bathrooms and locker rooms.

The third question asks voters to approve $7 million for renovations to the school's annex building at 160 Paterson Ave. for trades and vocational program space.

Combination STEM, vocational and special education addition proposed in Question 1 of three-part bond referendum vote March 12 by Becton Regional High School. Four public information hearings on the project will be offered in February.
Combination STEM, vocational and special education addition proposed in Question 1 of three-part bond referendum vote March 12 by Becton Regional High School. Four public information hearings on the project will be offered in February.

The mayor and council of Carlstadt, one of three communities served by the high school, came out in opposition to the plan. A resolution and letter opposing Becton Regional's referendum was issued by the mayor and council of Carlstadt, mostly due to unresolved issues.

East Rutherford homeowners with an average home value of $426,302 and Carlstadt homeowners with an average home value $445,779 would see a tax impact of $0.03 per $100 assessed valuation for Question 1, and $0.01 per $100 assessed valuation each for Questions 2 and 3.

That would be an average increased tax bill of $144 per year if Question 1 is approved, or $252 per year if all three questions are approved.

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Referendum in Fairview

The Fairview Board of Education is looking to build a 91,334-square-foot, four-story middle school building. The school, with 24 classrooms for grades six to eight, would cost about $60 million, with $35 million coming from capital reserve funds.

The building would also feature small group instructional classrooms, science labs, music and art classrooms, a gymnasium, a cafeteria, a media center, student lounges and office space.

Roughly $10.8 million in state aid has been approved for the project. If voters approve the proposal, Fairview homeowners with an average assessed home value of $466,924 would see a tax impact of about $396 per year over 25 years.

Referendum in Little Ferry

In Little Ferry, voters will be asked to approve a $38 million proposal for a new middle school on Liberty Street.

The 65,000-square-foot, three-story building would be constructed at the former site of Washington Elementary School, which closed in June 2018 due to its deteriorating condition. Workers are demolishing the 110-year-old brick building to clear the site for the planned sixth through eighth grade school.

The proposal includes classrooms designed for collaboration and hands-on learning, science labs, modern safety and accessibility features, and a cafeteria with a working kitchen that would provide fresh food for students at the new school and Memorial School across the street.

The building also would feature two outdoor recreation spaces, including a rooftop area that could be used for recess, gym, outdoor learning or lunches. The average property owner, with a home assessed at $375,501, would pay an estimated $50 per month in school debt taxes.

Voters can track their ballots at vote.nj.gov.

Drop box locations have been placed at Carlstadt Borough Hall at 500 Madison St., Fairview Library at 213 Anderson Ave., the County Administration Building at 1 Bergen County Plaza in Hackensack, Ridgefield Community Center at 725 Slocum Ave., and Rutherford Borough Hall at 176 Park Ave. The drop boxes will be open through March 12 at 8 p.m.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Bergen County NJ school districts with special March election