School Referendum May Be Postponed Until December

Board of Education vice president Eva Nagy told board members that the $85 million referendum would probably have to be put off until December.

The $85 million school district referendum that has been planned for September may not happen until December.

The Board of Education at its June 26th meeting is scheduled to vote on a motion that would push the vote back three months.

The main reason for the change is that the grassroots referendum citizens’ committee,”One Less Move,” has asked for more time to rally public support for the measure.

Board of Education vice president Eva Nagy told board members at the June 19 meeting that the board’s facilities committee is recommending the move “after a lot of discussion.”

The district is not in jeopardy of losing the $4 million in state aid already promised for the project if the vote is held in December, Nagy said.

“Referenda do well in December, there’s data on that,” Nagy told board member Nancy LaCorte, who suggested that voters may not be willing to vote for an increase in their taxes so close to the Christmas holiday.

Nick Demeglio, chairman of “One Less Move,” said in an email that the committee “feels that proceeding with the September 30, 2014 date would be premature because there is already a lot going on in September.”

“Additionally, with the search for a new superintendent, assistant superintendent, personnel manager and high school principal, the community may be focused on these issues rather than the referendum,” he wrote. “It is also very clear from speaking with numerous parents and staff members that would be helping with the referendum the public still needs to be educated on it. Therefore, we feel that it is much too soon to prepare and conduct a successful effort for passage of the matter in September 2014.”

An extension, DeMeglio wrote, “will allow for the open issues to be resolved. Further, it will allow the committee and other interested parties to continue to educate the public with proper promotion at school events in December.”

The referendum, if fully funded, would provide for a new elementary school on Claremont Road, renovations and additions to the other district buildings and a re-configuration of the Pre-K to 8th Grade schools in the district.

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