A state review of Secaucus facilities will lead to a new bond referendum, one school official said, although the vote will take place after the end of the school year.
Needs outlined in a long-range facility plan for the state have led the Secaucus school district to begin shaping a bond larger than the $6.9 million bond approved by voters last year for the expansion of the two elementary schools.
Board Member Ed Rittberg said the district’s Buildings and Grounds Committee has been discussing the bond for months, but will not present the details to the full board until early next year.
Rittberg said the state model had shown certain deficiencies in the 25-year-old Secaucus High School complex that will need to be addressed.
"This hasn’t come out of committee yet, and we have no numbers," he said. "But we do know that the state will require us to address things in the model, and that we won’t be putting this up for a vote during this school year. This won’t happen in February or January."
The size of the bond will depend upon the economy and whether or not the school district can take advantage of a state rebate program initiated last year. Secaucus received a payment of $2.3 million for its elementary schools late year, reducing the overall cost from the voter-approved $6.9 million bond on its elementary schools. Because of the overwhelming demand on contractors throughout the state and the recent events surrounding the World Trade Center disaster, the cost of construction has risen and the state has put school districts on notice not to approve additional expansion referendums.
"While the state will fund those already approved, it wants to delay other projects," he said.
Board President Paul Amico said he was not aware of the plans, but felt that the state did not want schools to move ahead.
"The state told us that there are too many expansion projects going on and the cost for school construction is going up," said Amico. "The state has asked school districts to delay issuing expansion bonds for the next two years."
The Buildings and Grounds Committee – which has been discussing the bond since June – will not move ahead with the middle school expansion unless the school district can get substantial rebates from the state. Even then, Amico feared asking taxpayers for money with the poor economy.
"If we were to ask voters to float a bond this year, it wouldn’t pass," Amico said. "The economy is just not strong enough."
Amico said the surge of school construction throughout the state has created a boon for contractors, substantially driving up the cost of construction and materials.
"The state wants to hold off and see if the prices will come down again," Amico said.
While it was impossible for the board to have acted sooner in setting up the new bond, Amico said the district missed its opportunity to collect on state rebates.
"We’ll just have to wait and see what happens," he said.
Amico added that, however, Middle School/High School complex is under pressure to expand because of increasing enrollment in lower schools. Since 1990, the school population has been increasing. The district expanded its elementary schools to accommodate the increased numbers. Many of these kids have been moving up through the grades into the Middle School – which now faces many of the problems the elementary schools faced. Expansion is inevitable, Amico said.
But Rittberg said the state has not yet withdrawn its rebate program and said the district still has "a window of opportunity" in which to get rebates. He said the district needs to get architectural drawings that will create a new science lab and create more classroom space.
"This is going to take time and will have to be presented before the full board," Rittberg said. "There we will get more suggestions."
Rittberg said that the school board could move ahead – depending on the economy – to take on as much as possible, in order to upgrade the high school for the next 25 years.
"If we get the rebate, then we’ll get more back from the state," he said.
While Rittberg would not cite a total, other sources claim the proposed bond could be anywhere from $15 million to $25 million.
Rittberg said most of the project would involve expanding the existing facility, but did not rule out a possible new structure.
"I don’t think it is appropriate for me to discuss that part of it now," he said.
A dream project could be included
Town officials, however, have been less shy in talking about their dreams of a fully functional recreation center, complete with swimming pool and performance space. Indeed, the town has been seeking alternative means of supplying funding for that project – which they hoped would be constructed on high school property.
Earlier this year, the Town of Secaucus began negotiations with New Jersey Transit in order to sell land in south of Secaucus originally slated for possible use as a school. This money – as much as $1.8 million – was to be used for the possible construction of the recreation center. Combined with this, the town also set up a non-for-profit organization that would accept funds from a new billboard at Kane Stadium along side of the New Jersey Turnpike. The combined money was designed to help augment a school expansion bond, providing revenue for the recreation element. The billboard – which is currently being reviewed by the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission – is expected to be constructed in January. The land sale, however, is a disputed issue. The Board of Education has disputed the town’s right to sell the land, and may seek part of the $1.8 million.
"They’re telling us that they want to use the money for a recreation center," said Town Administrator Anthony Iacono. "We’re telling them let us do it."
A political issue?
Board Member Tom Troyer, who is not running for re-election this year, said he was concerned about holding a special election for the bond.
"I’ve been told that we may hold the election in August, rather than April when board members have to run for re-election," he said. "If we believe it is a good project, we should stand by it."
By not having the referendum run during a regular election such as on the school election date in April or the municipal date in November, Troyer said, the board could hope to avoid the backlash from taxpayers that would vote against the bond. By generating support by parents and teachers, the school board could deliver a significantly positive block of votes.
The bond could also become a political litmus test for any board member seeking higher municipal office. With next year’s council race already gearing up, financing of the schools will become an issue. Whatever board member supports the bond might have faced accusations of overspending in a council race.
Troyer, rumored as a possible candidate for the 2nd Ward council seat next year, would not confirm or deny a run for council. If Troyer ran he would be facing off against incumbent Councilman Robert Kickey.
The council race has been made much more attractive because the state changed the terms of office this year. Previously, council members served two-year terms. The change of law gave council members and the mayor four-year terms.
Amico, who has also been rumored to run, said he had been approached to run as a Democrat in the First Ward, but said he would not likely seek a council seat next year. Although rumor has claimed current first ward Councilman Mike Grecco would decline to run in favor of a job with the Secaucus Housing Authority, Grecco said he is running for re-election in 2002.
"I am running for office," he said. "There are a lot of rumors about everyone. Most of them aren’t true."
In 2001, Democratic council candidates ran unopposed for the mayor’s office and two council seats, despite the four-year terms of office. Councilman John Bueckner, who successfully ran as an independent for re-election in 2001 in the Second Ward, said an full slate of independent candidates would challenge Democrats in 2002