In November, voters will be asked if they support the $7.3 million nine-project plan for the North Hunterdon-Voorhees Regional High School District.
CLINTON TWP.-- In November, voters will be asked if they support the $7.3 million nine-project plan for the North Hunterdon-Voorhees Regional High School District.
While the school board states that through the completion of the district's current debt service payments, the project will be paid through new and reduced debt service payments, readers shared objections to the projects, chiefly the installation of artificial turf at Voorhees.
Vote in the poll and see what readers had to say.
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According to then-Superintendent Charles Shaddow, the artificial turf on the football field at North Hunterdon High School was donated to the high school and paid for 100% by the North Hunterdon Community Turf Committee, a community based non-profit organization created solely to raise enough funds to pay for and install a turf field at the high school.
"Not one cent of district funds was used for the turf field," Shaddow said in a letter to district parents in 2014.
"The turf committee did a substantial amount of fundraising, but also secured a local, resident excavator who donated his time and machinery at no cost. The Board of Education accepted the donation from the NH Community Turf Committee and the artificial turf field was installed in 2005," Shaddow said.
Additionally, once the turf field was installed at North Hunterdon, it became district property and the board was required to maintain it.
"To that end, the board has been proactive in putting money aside, a little at a time, into a maintenance reserve account for when the turf field needs to be replaced," he said, noting that installation of a new turf is not a maintenance project as defined by state law.
"The board was very thankful when North community did that 10 years ago. Voorhees tried that, and weren't able to raise the funds so parents asked for this and the board willing to put this in the referendum," District Communications Coordinator Maren Smagala said in response to recent questions. "It's entirely up to the voters."
The nine-project plan will appear on the general and school elections ballot on Nov. 3.
Here is the price breakdown.
Proposed Projects
- $813,355 for a Multi-Media Interactive Student Center in North Hunterdon's existing library
- $818,706 for a Multi-Media Interactive Student Center in Voorhees's existing library
- $1.9 million for installation of new energy efficient HVAC unit for social studies and world language wings at North Hunterdon
- $975,150 for replacement of visitor/band and tennis court bleachers at North Hunterdon
- Replacement of Tennis Court Bleachers - North Hunterdon
- $650,100 for replacement of Visitor Bleachers at Voorhees
- $132,440 for an addition of ADA compliant ramp to Home Bleachers at Voorhees
- $460,344 for interior and exterior renovations of Athletic Field House at North Hunterdon
- $1.56 million for installation of new artificial turf field to replace existing grass field at Voorhees
Emily Cummins may be reached at ecummins@njadvancemedia.com Follow her on Twitter @EmilyACummins and Facebook.