APP: Middletown school board OKs $32M voter referendum

I don't know how I feel about this just yet. I first read about  this $32 million facilities upgrade referendum on Tuesday when it was first mentioned on Middletown Patch prior to that night's Middletown Board of Education meeting. $12.9 million is a lot of money to pass up if the state is willing to give it to you. On the other hand, asking residents to cough up $19.3 million (upwards of $62 dollars a year in additional property tax per homeowner) for the balance of the cash that is needed for school repairs and upgrades is pretty steep and I'm not sure how many resident would be willing to approve it..

From the Asbury Park Press:

MIDDLETOWN — Come March, voters will get to weigh in on whether they want to spend $32.9 million on building repairs in the district’s 17 schools.

Board members said they couldn’t walk away from $12.9 million in grant money the state Department of Education is offering to help fund the projects, so they are moving quickly toward the referendum. Local taxpayers would be responsible, after reimbursement from the state, for $19.3 million.

If voters reject the referendum, the district will not receive the grant money. The referendum asks voters to approve roof replacements at 15 schools and enhancements to heating and cooling systems at five schools. Another $802,739 — which also will be reimbursed by 40 percent but is not included in the referendum — will pay for new boilers and a district phone system.

Experts still are tinkering with the numbers but have come up with two scenarios to explain the possible tax impact for Middletown taxpayers:

• If the board bonds the $32 million over a 15-year period, it would cost $62 a year for the average taxpayer who owns a house assessed at $375,000. The total interest on a 15-year bond would cost $5.1 million.

• If the board opts for a 20-year payback, it would cost the average taxpayer $52 annually. Interest on a 20-year loan would be $8 million, officials said.

Architect Scott Spiezle explained that to make all the necessary repairs and upgrades individually was a “Band-Aid” approach to facilities management that would end up costing more in the long run.

Schools Superintendent William George said the work would have to be done with or without the referendum. Without the referendum, George said, the state would take its $12.9 million and walk away, leaving local taxpayers with the responsibility of coming up with the entire price tag.

The idea for the referendum grew from the state’s surprising approval of so many of the district’s requested projects, officials said. The district had earlier submitted Regular Operating District grant applications to the state Department of Education for 39 projects and all 39 were funded, officials said.

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Latest Rumor From The School Yard; Has A Current Member Of The Middletown Board Of Education Been Order Removed From Board?

Seeing how the last rumor from the school yard turned out to be true (the one about Middletown School Superintendent Karen Bilbao resigning), I think I should pass a long the latest rumor that I have recently heard.

It is one that I am a little leery to pass along at the moment because I haven't been able to confirm it, all of those that I have contacted have denied knowledge of it, but due to the circumstances of the rumor, I don't find it unusual that people are denying having any knowledge of it.

It is because of the sensitivity of this information that I need to be very careful about what I post and will not at this time, name those involved or what the particular circumstances are that surround those that are involved. I will only say that I trust the source that "leaked" the information to me, the source is extremely credible and I have no reason to doubt the source's integrity. In time, when the information is made public knowledge everyone will know the details.

So what have I heard that needs to remain such a mystery and that is so sensitive that I can't give many details at this moment? Well it happens to involve a sitting member of the Middletown Board of Education.

I have been told that earlier this year, a member of the BOE, had an ethics complaint filed against them with the NJ School Ethics Commission and from what I understand it is serious. So serious in fact, that the ethics commissioner on November 15th, ordered the removal of the of the board member from the Middletown Board of Eduction.

It is my understanding that the Middletown school board has 30 days from the time the decision was handed down to act upon it, which means that by the time of the next school board meeting Wednesday night December 15th, an announcement may be made. As of this moment however, no announcement has been made about this on either the NJ School Ethics Commission website or the NJ State Department of Education's website, so the announcement may not be made until sometime in January.

Until the information about this school board member is posted on either website, spokespeople from each agency have said that they can not answer any of my questions relating to this issue. Neither agency would even comment as to whether or not this board of ed member even had a pending case or an ethics complaint filed against them.

So if this rumor is true, everyone will have to wait until later this month or sometime in early January to find out who may need to be removed from the Middletown Board of Education.