Referendum put on hold in Plumsted
Officials say unknown results of revaluation are reason for delay
BY MARK ROSMAN
Staff Writer

Plumsted

PLUMSTED - The Board of Education has indefinitely postponed a planned December referendum.

Meeting on Sept. 27, the Board of Education passed a resolution to put off plans to ask residents to approve a $38 million construction referendum.

Board members said in a press release that until residents know the full effect of the current revaluation on property taxes, the proposed referendum should be put on hold.

"The Plumsted Township Board of Education believes there is a definite need for additional classroom space and core facilities. However, after listening to the community's concerns the board does not believe it is fair to ask the taxpayer to support this referendum at this time, since the residents do not fully know the definitive tax burden of the ongoing revaluation.

"Superintendent of Schools Jerry North and Business Administrator Jim Edwards have been directed to continue to meet with all professionals involved in the referendum to explore future options," the board said in a press release.

Plumsted tax assessor Maureen Francis told the Tri-Town News on Sept. 28 that notices informing property owners of their new assessment will be going out sometime in November.

Francis said the revaluation will be on the books for 2007, but that the impact on a property owner's taxes will not be known until the tax rates that are used to calculate property taxes are adjusted based on the updated valuations.

Up until last week the school board had been making plans to ask voters to approve a four-part $38 million construction referendum.

+ The first proposal ($33.6 million) would have proposed additions, alterations and renovations to the primary school, middle school and high school to increase classroom and program space.

This proposal would have included the construction of an 800-seat auditorium that would have connected the middle school and high school. The auditorium would be shared by all district schools.

Work at the primary school would have included the construction of 10 regular classrooms, four preschool disabled classrooms, two small group instruction rooms, a new gymnasium, 109 additional parking spaces, a new playground and two new kindergarten classrooms.

The middle school would have received a new lobby entrance, 70 additional parking spaces and a renovated cafeteria.

An additional 212 parking spaces, three science labs, a fitness area and other classrooms would have been included in the proposal for the high school.

+ The second proposal ($2.7 million) would have proposed the addition of 200 seats to the 800-seat auditorium proposed in question No. 1. Voter approval of this proposal and question No. 1 would, in effect, have created a 1,000-seat performing arts center at the high school for district and community use.

+ The third proposal ($599,358) would have proposed an addition and renovations to the field house as well as the addition of 300 bleacher seats at the high school stadium.

+ The fourth proposal ($957,625) would have proposed the addition of all-weather turf to the high school stadium field, which would have been for school district and community use.

Administrators said they believe these upgrades are necessary in order to accommodate a projected growth in enrollment in the K-12 district. From the 2000-01 school year to 2005-06, the enrollment increased by about 455 students to a total of 1,860 students in the district. According to figures provided by the district, it is projected that the enrollment will reach 2,238 students in the 2010-11 school year.