Berlin Borough voters approve $19.7M school-improvement plan
BERLIN BOROUGH – Voters here have approved a $19.7 million school improvement plan.
The project calls for extensive changes at Berlin Community School, including roof and window replacement, upgrades to the heating and ventilation system, and restroom renovations.
Among other improvements, the Franklin Avenue school is to add a new wood floor for the gym and new interior doors.
Parking lots and the building’s entrance will be repaved, while porcelain water fountains will be replaced by bottle filler units, according to the district’s website.
The Franklin Avenue building, which dates to 1957, is the district’s only school. It serves about 820 students in pre-K through 8th grade.
Local voters on Tuesday approved a bond of $11.8 million for the district's share of the project.
The local bond's tax impact will be $142.14 per year for an average home, a figure reflecting current debt that is to be retired.
State aid will cover 40 percent of costs, or almost $7.9 million.
According to unofficial results, 54 percent of voters supported the bond.
The issue drew 666 voters, with more than 500 voting by mail. That represented a turnout of about 10.4 percent of the borough's registered voters, according to unofficial results.
Jim Walsh is a senior reporter with the Courier-Post, Burlington County Times and The Daily Journal.
This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Berlin Community School to get improvements under $19.7M plan
