State
school funds for projects growing
scarce
Districts hold referendums on
plans without any guarantee on money
Sunday, August 21, 2005 • BY JIM LOCKWOOD AND MIKE
FRASSINELLI • Star-Ledger Staff
Like 130 other schools in New Jersey,
High Point Regional in Sussex County and Blairstown in
Warren County are in districts that will be holding
expansion referendums on Sept. 27.
And just like all the others, High Point
Regional High School and Blairstown Elementary School expect
to receive millions in state funds to offset project costs,
if voters approve the building plans.
However, state funds are fast running
out, and while the districts are "eligible" for the funding,
there are "no guarantees" it will be forthcoming, said John
Issac,
"The way the law is written, the state
has to fund that, otherwise they're breaking the law,
because the voters will vote based on being told that the
state will supply the $3.2 million and they're making their
decision based on that," Kepnes said. "The way the law is
written, the state would have to supply that (funding) one
way or another."
Asked about having "no guarantees" of
state funding, Kepnes said, "That's the misunderstanding.
The way we are being advised, based on way the law is
written, is that the state funding is there."
Blairstown Elementary School
Superintendent W. Michael Feeney said essentially the same
thing. He said he has had assurances that the state would
contribute $2.9 million toward the school's planned $18.8
million construction and renovation project, either through
a grant or through annual debt service aid
payments.
"From what our bond counsel tells us,
from what the Department of Education tells us, we are going
to get this $2.9 million one way or another," Feeney said.
"I feel we need to do this, for the immediate future and for
the long term."
Both districts cite rising enrollments as
driving their referendums.
For High Point, the timing is
advantageous because a large amount of existing debt will be
expiring when new debt payments would begin. Coupling that
with the state grant would allow the district to finance its
project in less than 12 years -- and with low tax increases,
Kepnes said.
The tax increases on a $100,000
assessment over a 12-year bond term would amount to a total
of $26 in both Branchville and Sussex Borough; $30 in
Frankford; $27 in Lafayette; and $31 in Wantage. This would
be the total tax increases over the entire term.
High Point Regional High School in
Wantage dates to 1966 and had an addition many years ago. It
is over its capacity for 1,227 students, with an enrollment
of 1,350 students in 2004-05 projected to increase to 1,460
in 2008-09.
"That's why we're moving forward with the
project. We need the space for the students," Kepnes
said.
Cramped Blairstown Elementary has 240
children above capacity. School officials have tried to ease
overcrowding by adding classroom trailers, holding classes
in the cafeteria and library and using a basement storage
room as a study area.
They hope voters approve the referendum
to build an early childhood center and renovate the
750-student, K-6 elementary school on Sunset Hill Road. The
early childhood center on Lambert Road in Blairstown
Township would house preschool special needs children,
all-day kindergartners and first- and second-graders. That
would free up space in the elementary school for third-
through sixth-graders.
If everything goes as planned, the new
early childhood center would be ready by the start of the
2007-08 school year.
"We're 240 kids beyond capacity, so we
need to address our facility issues -- and we should do it
now that we have this $2.9 million available," Feeney said.
"We don't have any idea how much state funding will be
available after September."
Both districts need not look far to see
that a sure thing isn't always so certain.
School officials in Phillipsburg, Warren
County, recently broke ground on a $95 million high school
that the state vowed to fund -- only to find out later that
the state's depleted finances left the project in
limbo.
Staff writer Chandra Hayslett contributed to this report.
Jim Lockwood covers Sussex County and may be reached at
jlockwood@starledger.com or (973) 383-0516. Mike Frassinelli
covers Warren County and may be reached at
mfrassinelli@starledger.com or (908) 475-1218.
© 2005 The Star-Ledger. Used by NJ.com with
permission.
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