Carlstadt goes on record against Becton Regional High School's March referendum

A resolution and letter opposing Becton Regional's upcoming $49.2 million referendum on March 12 have been issued by the mayor and council of Carlstadt, one of three communities served by the high school.

Mayor Robert Zimmermann's Jan. 22 letter to Dario Sforza, the high school's superintendent, expressed "disappointment" that the regional high school district's Board of Education is moving forward with a new proposal after a $55 million measure failed in March 2022.

"I am perplexed by the decision to advance the referendum at this time," Zimmermann's letter reads. "When [East Rutherford] Mayor Lahullier and I left our meeting on Dec. 4, we were both of the impression that we would not be moving forward with the referendum until our concerns were addressed. As of this date, they have not been."

Students from East Rutherford and, most recently, Maywood also attend the regional school.

Zimmermann's letter follows a Carlstadt Borough Council resolution passed unanimously on Jan. 17 opposing the proposal because "the benefits for Carlstadt residents are far outweighed by the financial burden to the borough's residents."

Neither Zimmermann's letter nor the resolution specifies what those financial disadvantages would be.

'Necessary evolution'

Councils and school boards are separate elected entities and have no jurisdiction over each other's activities or budgets. Traditionally, each side refrains from making public comments about the other elected body's actions.

In response to the Carlstadt comments, Sforza said the proposal "is not a luxury addition, it is a necessary evolution that stops waste and enhances relevance."

"The thought of some of our community leaders not wholeheartedly supporting this dramatically reduced educational initiative, especially after having a seat at the table, is inconceivable," Sforza said in a written statement. "The Becton team is now actively engaging with community members and we encourage young families and community members as a whole to join us at upcoming information sessions."

The information sessions will include:

• Feb. 1: Public Zoom broadcast on bectonhs.org, 6:30 p.m.

• Feb. 7: Public Zoom broadcast on bectonhs.org, 7 p.m.

• Feb. 13: Carlstadt Public School Media Center, 550 Washington St., Carlstadt, 6:30 p.m.

• Feb. 22: Public Zoom broadcast on bectonhs.org, 6:30 p.m.

East Rutherford Mayor Jeffrey Lahullier, the uncle of Becton Board of Education President Steven Lahullier, issued a statement Wednesday in support of the referendum.

"Currently, opportunities for our students that wish to attend a trade school are very limited," Lahullier said. "The referendum seeks to address the needs of these students. This proposal would also provide facilities and staff to bring our special needs students that are currently being educated out of district, back to our high school. The cost to send our special needs students out of district is substantial."

Maywood Mayor Richard Bolan did not respond to a request for comment.

Becton's second attempt

The objections came in response to the regional high school district's announcement this month that it would revamp the failed $55 million referendum proposal into three questions and cut the price tag by $5.8 million to make it more appealing to voters in Carlstadt and East Rutherford.

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This year's referendum is divided into three questions. Question 1 must be approved to activate approvals of Questions 2 and 3.

Referendum questions

Question 1: STEM/Special Education/Vocational space — $29.5 million. The new proposal reduces the addition from 90,000 square feet to 47,000 square feet, eliminating a new building for vocational training previously proposed across the street.

Question 2: New gym/renovation of existing gym/performing arts center — $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.

Question 3: Expansion of Trades and Vocational Program Space — $7 million. Renovations are proposed to the school's annex building at 160 Paterson Ave.

What it means for taxpayers

Carlstadt and East Rutherford homeowners would taxed $0.03 per $100 assessed valuation for Question 1, and $0.01 per $100 assessed valuation each for Questions 2 and 3. The average tax bill would rise $144 per year if Question 1 is approved, going up to $252 per year if all three questions are approved, Sforza said.

Maywood, whose high school students began transferring from Hackensack to Becton on a send/receive basis in 2020, would not vote in the referendum.

Maywood's Board of Education members balked during new contract negotiations with Hackensack in 2018, even though they were offered a 5% reduction in their $15,000-per-student rate, and switched to Becton. According to Sforza, under Maywood's 10-year contract with Becton, the per-pupil rate is $10,500 per student. A 2% increase is allowed in the fifth contract year, with a cap of $11,800 per student by the 10th year.

The district's press release on the referendum does not explain how a $3 million state grant or Maywood's unspecified tuition increase would factor into the total cost, or whether $49.2 million is only the Carlstadt-East Rutherford share or the total bill.

The district has placed repeated emphasis on Question 1's $29.5 million price as being half the cost of the 2022 proposal for $55 million, even though the projects covered by each question are different.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Carlstadt NJ against Becton Regional High School referendum