Message from Dr. LaSusa, Superintendent of Schools

Dear Parent,

As the referendum vote approaches, please take the time to visit the school district website for accurate information about its various components.  This brief video gives a summary of the projects.  In addition, the attachment clarifies some questions and points of confusion regarding the referendum.  I summarize the attachment in the bullets below:

Referendum Costs versus Operating Costs• A referendum is voted upon separately from the operating budget. • A referendum is financed separately from the operating budget. • An approved referendum authorizes the Board to secure a bond to finance major capital

improvements.• The bond payments do not come out of the operating budget. • An approved referendum provides greater flexibility within the operating budget because

it finances major projects outside of the operating budget.

School District Offices• The district offices house the superintendent, the assistant superintendent, the business

administrator, and other staff who comprise the district payroll, transportation, business, and human resource departments.

• Board of Education members do not have any office space within the district offices, nor will they have any office space as a result of the proposed referendum.

• All of the current Board of Education members work full-time, either inside their homes as parents or outside of their homes at places of employment, and volunteer their time almost entirely in the evening to serve on the Board.

• The school district incurs $85,000 of hard costs annually to occupy the current location of the district offices, and additional soft costs such as running the interoffice mail loop to and from the offices on a daily basis.  These costs would be eliminated if the district offices were to move to a property owned by the school district.

Referendum Dates• In New Jersey, local Boards of Education may propose a referendum on the day of their

school board elections.• In addition, Boards of Education may propose a referendum on four other dates,

published by the state on an annual basis, that take place in September, December, January, and March.

• The current Board of Education has not had discussions regarding a future referendum.

Thank you!