Voters have approved both ballot questions in a bond referendum for Moorestown schools.
On Question 1, the vote is 2,492 in favor and 1,302 opposed; for Question 2, 2,310 in favor and 1,471 opposed. The numbers account for votes submitted at the polls on Sept. 16 and mail-in ballots received by the same date. Numbers will be updated as officials at the Burlington County Clerk’s Office count additional mail-in ballots and verify any provisional ballots.
The referendum approval is a win for students, staff and community, said school Superintendent Dr. Courtney McNeely, as more than $18 million in state aid will reduce the local cost of building improvements and expansions.
“The board and district administration worked tirelessly to engage with our community members, attend local events and ensure that we could inform as many residents as possible about the plan to improve our schools,” McNeely said. “We’re honored to have this opportunity in our town’s history to shape the future.
“We appreciate every voter who took the time to learn about the needs across Moorestown Township Public Schools,” she added. “We now look forward to maintaining our legacy of excellence by updating infrastructure and addressing space needs. This is also an opportunity to bring back millions of dollars in state aid to offset the costs of these projects for local taxpayers.
“That’s an absolute win for our whole community.”
The bond referendum is the culmination of years of planning and community input to address facility upgrades and classroom space shortages and prepare for enrollment growth from new and existing housing. The two ballot questions include improvements to support the instructional experience at every school in the district.
Question 1 projects include elementary renovations for space, William Allen Middle School (WAMS) additions, gym/facilities renovations, HVAC upgrades, roof replacements, tennis court replacement, stadium turf, Isenberg Gym updates and security improvements. Question 2 projects include high-school instructional renovations and improvements, and Bridgeboro Road fields, lighting and traffic flow.
Proposed improvements fall into the following categories:
- Space for students: Renovations to upgrade and expand instructional space and accommodate shifts of third grade to Upper Elementary School (UES) and sixth grade to WAMS, building additions to help accommodate sixth-graders at WAMS, as well as athletic facility additions and enhancements.
- Addressing aging systems and infrastructure: Replacement of obsolete HVAC systems and boilers with more cost-efficient and functional models to boost savings, comfort and air quality; update of roofs at the end of their life spans; and masonry and sealant repair to waterproofs buildings.
- Parking expansion and traffic flow: Work with traffic engineers to reconfigure areas for safer, more effective traffic patterns on school campuses.
Most construction would take place over summers to minimize disruption to students and staff, according to www.mtps.com/referendum. The major work would start next summer with the WAMS additions in preparation for sixth-grade students to shift from UES. That move would take place once WAMS is complete.
Renovations at the elementary schools and high school would follow, with the expectation of finalizing projects and opening full-day kindergarten by the 2028-’29 school year.
“Regardless of how people voted, I think it’s a signal that people knew about the referendum, people took the time to try and understand what the referendum was all about, and they made an informed decision as to whether they approved it or didn’t approve it,” noted Mark Villanueva, president of the Moorestown Board of Education, at its Sept. 18 meeting.
“I’m happy that ultimately it was approved, and I think communication was fantastic from Dr. McNeely and everybody, certainly leading up to the vote.”
