##VIDEO ID:HDoMPAbqDMI## hello I'm Colleen Mah and I have the distinct honor of being the mayor here in the burrow of Fanwood and today I have the pleasure of sitting down with some familiar faces in our community and we're going to be having a conversation about the upcoming referendum that the board of education is sponsoring so I want to welcome my friend and colleague from Scotch Plains mayor Josh Lardo morning morning I also would like to welcome two members of the Board of Education Amy Winkler who is elected by the voters hello and Dr Joan Mass who leads the Board of Education hello Dr Mass good morning it's great to be here well it's really great I think that we all are here and the mayor and I felt that it was really important that we had an opportunity to sit here and we're coming to you from our new Fanwood Library if you're wondering where this is um about a very important question that will be before both towns the voters of both towns on January 28th and that is a referendum seeking the voter's approval to purchase the LR school that's right as well as upgrades to Mechanical and heating and electrical in the other facilities that's right um and then an operating budget for the new school exactly all right so I think we have a lot to cover and we hope that you will pay attention and come along um and we hope at the end of this um that we answer some of the the questions that you may have So today we're going to break this down I think into four Central themes um that we can then cover a lot of information so we're ready we ready all right so I would like to ask first I think for whether it's Amy or you Dr Mass um or jointly to talk a little bit about why we are going back out for a referendum you know we had a referendum it was primarily is primarily driven by space so I think that's where we should start because this would be a second referendum on that important topic so why don't we just talk a little bit about why does the district need space so we need space uh for a number of reasons our uh classrooms are at capacity some of them are a little Beyond capacity um our elementary schools are at capacity and Beyond we have no additional classrooms available we have some classrooms we're using for multi-purposes um uh we have now gone to instead of a single lunchtime at the elementary schools we've gone to uh having staggered lunches and um which means some students are eating very early in the day and some are eating very late in the day um it's probably not ideal for them especially at that age correct um uh I think several of our buildings have music uh on a cart moving around the building there is not a dedicated classroom for that um some of our schools have instrumental music classes in the cafeteria which is why uh we have the staggered lunches going on um in part because we're using part of the cafeteria for music classes uh which has to be difficult you can imagine the noise in an elementary school at lunchtime um it can't be easy to have music classes in those in those rooms at the same time um the initial referendum that we had back in uh in September was to address our needs uh long term uh and that was voted down as you as you know um so now we're looking at just addressing what our current needs are and if we can make additional spaces in the elementary schools by pulling out the prek classes then that will address our our most pressing needs at this time so Dr M why don't we talk just a a little bit more about that where you know pick up where Amy sort of left off because the Space is really the the fundamental reason for the referendum and so you know you heard what the community said when they went to the polls and voted down the first referendum which was really tied to a much larger plan with a much larger um Financial amount tied to it that's right so talk a little bit about this what this is so so really we we heard the community we we went back to the table we we had an open Future planning meeting with 60 community members and we listen to to their feedback and what we were able to really come across uh what we're able to come to consensus with was that we needed to address the current problem and the current problem is really a good one because people want to raise their kids in Scotch flain Fanwood the towns are just wonderful places for fam Ames and kids and part of that is the asset of our schools and right now at our elementary schools we're out of space there isn't one extra classroom in any of our elementary schools and that's quite remarkable because we just added several classrooms seven I believe over at Evergreen because the the board moved out of that space to create additional classroom space so even with that relief across the district we still don't have one extra classroom so what that means means is as more kids come in class sizes get larger lunch periods get more crowded or you have to add more lunch periods that extend the time when kids are eating or even worse they might have to eat in their classroom um we already know that drop off is a paino it's it's very crowded out there so to have more kids you know in the schools that we currently have just adds to the crowded space we know that when we go to a crowded restaurant it's not the same experience expi is when you have Elbow Room in the restaurant to be able to enjoy the people that you're with it's kind of similar in schools if you have space in the schools it's it's just less frenetic and you can really focus on on the teaching and learning so what's the vision then for the lran school if if the focus is on reducing the the overcrowding right or the lack of space in our elementary schools so where does the lran school now come into play okay really good question so the lran school would allow us to take our current preschool classes that are in all of our elementary schools except for M and it would open up nine classroom spaces so that would give us That Elbow Room that we need within our schools to just have more space right now and it would address the overcrowding it could address adding music rooms or if we just need additional grade level classrooms we would have space to do that okay may in the first referendum there were two questions the first question concerned the acquisition of the lran school and the voters rejected that for many reasons we've come to understand there was a second question that the community supported and and that question related to improvements I understand the HVAC system and fire alarms and that sort of thing uh does this referendum that the voters will be considering on January 28th include those types of improvements to the school system in Scotch Plains and family yeah absolutely um we we we need we need upgrades to our electrical systems and um in a lot in part because uh they're aging infrastructure but also in part because of the increased demand for technology um we didn't used to have everyone on laptops and computers and and things like that and now um there are not enough sockets in classrooms so we we we need the these upgrades um also the fire upgrades um those systems also are aging and need to be replaced and upgraded um addition of carbon monoxide detectors things like that um and HVAC is uh we only have three schools currently that are fully air conditioned um and as we move into hotter hotter climates and it's not just the summer when schools are closed and and actually even in the summer we have some classes in the schools um we we do need to have have air conditioning available in all of our classrooms right now um when the weather gets really hot we we have had school closings because it's it's just dangerous to have people in the buildings when it's that hot um but when the buildings are open and we have the hot days we're moving classrooms uh out kids out of classrooms and into multi-purpose rooms and spaces that are air conditioned in the building and it's not really ideal for learning yeah we have many buildings in the communities uh serving as our schools uh they're not new buildings uh and and they require infrastructure improvements and this mechanism through the referendum Not only would open up classrooms uh that would alleviate the problems you shared a few moments ago but also lead to improvements throughout the system uh in the in these types of improvements and as I noted earlier by by going out for referendum for these items we'll get state aid back to help cover a percentage of that to offset the tax impact see so so let's talk a little bit about you know what we touched upon here which is going out for referendum versus this idea of just sort of paying for it in you're operating and why districts go out for referendum why don't we start there right because there's dedicated money as we have heard you speak about yeah so um so everyone in our state taxes we pay uh towards this fund that goes to uh districts that are that are going out for referendum to do work on their buildings so Dr Mass um Amy was just talking about the mechanism of a referendum and the state funds that are only available to a district if it goes to referendum and some people don't understand why we need to go to a referendum why it can't be done sort of in your operating budget do you want to just talk a little bit about that and where the district has been over the last 20 years and doing improvements to all of the facilities because it's been I think that long 20 plus years since there was a referendum and that referendum was on turf fields that's correct so you know historically the district has operated in a way to try to get to try to get work done through the operating budget and that has um certainly served us well because we currently do not have any debt and that's quite unusual for a public system in in the state of New Jersey however when you really need to get some something large accomplished you can't do it within your operating budget you really need to go to the taxpayers and have them um vote on the need and you really need to communicate how compelling the need is right and the Nuance is I think for us as Mayors in local government is that local government doesn't operate that way right we're able to raise debt and there's a process right of going out for a bond and doing you know a public hearing and laying our stuff out the difference with Public Schools is is that voters need to approve your spending and that I think is the difference that I'm hoping the community hears right so for all the last 20 years the improvements that they have seen have really been done through the operating budget that is raised through taxes that's correct and now they're really we're at a point where the needs are really significant significant ific in space and significant in HVAC and fire and electrical exct and you can't just peac meal it anymore right because I think that's what's been done over the last 20 years since the last referendum that that's a good way to say it and an example would be Universal air conditioning so some of our schools do have air conditioning the high school does um school one was actually built with air conditioning we were able to get air conditioning in netting ham and the intention is to get every school fully air conditioned for reasons that we already mentioned but we're not there and as you go along putting in the HVAC systems at such a slow rate you have to wind up repairing the air conditioning that you have already done so it's it's really very inefficient to get to the goal of universal air conditioning you really need the voter support so let's talk about the fact that you are going to go for a referendum because the cost of the purchase the price of the building and then to do the other upgrades um it unlocks money from the state that's right so let's talk about the cost of the referendum and then the money that is going to be offset if it if it this passes will then kind of come off of that overall number correct that's correct so so we will get $1.4 million back from the state fund for um for putting in the HVAC the fire Al alarms in the electrical and the building itself is less than that the building is 10.4 million so the money that we get back from the state actually covers the purchase of the building so in so for the voters the taxpayers this would this state money sort of then helps reduce the burden the tax burden that will be given to us as a result of the referendum if it passes that's correct right so that it really takes it down doesn't take us to zero right but we need to make improvements to our school districts yes so voters and they should educate themselves in addition to watching this video there's an informational session at Terell Middle School on January 16th at 7 p.m. I understand that superintendent and Schoolboard members will be there until the last question is asked on January 28th the voters will have two questions uh before them similar to the prior referendum uh the first question relates to the acquisition of LR school and the second question relates to the Staffing of LR school and I understand there are different price tags uh on both questions and the board has responded to the community's rejection of the first referendum by reducing your know costs overall as to what the community is looking at if this referendum passes in dollars and cents in real world numbers can you share with us what the impact the financial impact would be to the average taxpayer ERS if if both questions were to be passed on January 28th okay so we're going to just go into that a little bit more deeply thank you for that very good question the first question as we've been discussing is about the purchase of the LR school and the upgrades with HVAC electric and the fire alarms so that question is the 44.8 million which will cost the average taxpayer around $150 a year um the second question is about how we're going to staff the LR school and it will be um an initial and then just an additional insertion into our annual budget because the school is going to need you know an administrator a nurse some grounds people a custodian so there's just an annual budget increase to have that additional school as part of our budget and how much is that second question that second question is going to be 1.1 million um in addition to our school budget our annual budget which is $108 a year for the average taxpayer so again we've got two questions on the ballot the second question deals specifically with the operation of a of a new school that's right so a million dollars roughly a million dollars gets raised of new money gets inserted into the overall budget operating budget of school district operating budget um and so that that million dollars is what helps funds it and operates the school and can be translated into anywhere between $8 to $9 a month or roughly $108 a year depending on what community you're living in but it's very close to it yes okay okay so we've talked about a lot um which I think is really good substantive information but one of the things that I think we would do a disservice if we didn't really talk about is um what happens if the referendum fails you know we're sitting here today uh because the the voters went um and they made their wishes known you've taken that in you've driven down the scope of the overall referendum questions which has brought down the overall price tag you're trying very hard to communicate out um why this is so important um in your opinion what happens with you go they go to the polls um on January 28th and you know that evening we feel or we see that that has been rejected so you know if that would happen the safety items that are being asked for in the referendum are still needed so we would have to find the way to do it in the operating budget again we wouldn't be able to do it as as efficiently with time but we would still need to address things like the electric and the the fire alarms and and the HVAC but we wouldn't get that 11.4 million from the the state we would we would be having the taxpayers um cover the whole bill but I think an important part is is that just like we are under a 2% cap in what we can raise our operating year-over-year you are also under a 2% cap that's right so the cost to do these district-wide improvements to these schools for HVAC electrical and fire would be done but at a much smaller and slower Pace yes and maybe at the expense maybe at the expense of other decisions because you have to incorporate it into your operating yes exactly yes and and it would cost the taxpayers more uh if the referendum didn't pass because the $1.4 million in grant money wouldn't be wouldn't become available uh so it would be uh uh uh the improvements would be uh at a snail's pace and uh and and and voters would likely see higher increases year after year uh to to make up the uh the income necessary to meet those expenses so if the referendum doesn't pass another impact would be that we wouldn't get the nine additional classrooms at l Grant which would mean that we would have to find space for for our students that are currently in an overcrowded situation and how would we find that space um you I think that the the board might have to consider going backwards on full day kindergarten because that would give us many additional classrooms though that would really be a huge step backward so we would not want to go there that would be a last resort um we would have to um perhaps have larger class sizes and right now we're you know we're really approaching the maximum you know and the community historically has really valued the class sizes that we're maintaining and it is not only good for kids but it's good for our teach as well in the whole teaching and learning process so if we had to um you know just move forward with the limited space that we have it would really put us in a place of making very difficult decisions absolutely and you know for myself as the mayor in Fanwood where the property in question um sits right for me I saw this as sort of uh Life coming full circle with the property since it originally was a public school you know the LR public school that's right um and the district sold that you know years ago when they felt right that they didn't need it because of the enrollment and I think you know we know that when the opportunity came um because that existing private school that was there uh decided to leave and is going to another Community to build a new school there this property came on the market and I think that's what I believe drove your decision um for now that's right that it certainly um was something that we were grappling with how would we find more space it was a request from the community within our strategic plan to make sure that we have space that's adequate for for the education of our children um so the the grand school when it came on Market it was it was quite compelling to to look and from our to that from where we sit as uh you know the elected officials we know that that property um will then go back on the market you know the next day you know January 29th um and that it will probably be um taken under contract probably pretty soon and it will probably be for residential housing I mean that's where all the indicators are um and I think I I say that uh because that is just the reality of I think our world right we see um highest and best use of property is being residential and we understand what the community sees both the positive of providing additional types of Housing and then also the concerns that they hear that we hear about too much housing and that's a balance you know but at the end you know we are under a mandate to provide housing in our communities because overall there is a shortage of affordable housing and we can you know at another time maybe get into that whole situation of the Mount Laurel decision and what's driving um you know know the set asides of what has to be included inclusive development um but today you know we sit here talking about the pressures that are going on within the district and if this referendum isn't successful I think for my community um they I think they're smart enough to understand that what will happen and I think for you you know that we'll provide the education for what would be probably residential um it will just be additional student that will be coming out of a possible Redevelopment site there you know so acquiring the if the referendum is successful the schools would acquire the grand it would uh protect that property from becoming an additional uh uh housing additional residential housing um and it would also I know you've considered you've shared with the community before you've considered doing construction in all the schools and and making other changes uh that um to to respond to the overcrowd um could you share with us uh why adding a floor or additional rooms classrooms to other buildings um is not as uh U is is not as preferable as acquiring the LR school yeah so so there are many reasons one if you're for example if you're adding up to to build a floor on any of our single story schools that would be very disruptive you would need to um you know close down that seg segment of the school that was being affected and you'd have trailers on the property until the construction was completed which not only is inconvenient but it's also expensive um costs much more I I think it's really important to emphasize that the L Grand purchase and getting those nine classrooms it's cheaper per classroom than adding on a classroom to any elementary school so when we look to add bricks and mortar to attach classroom to our schools it was more expensive than purchasing the LR school and doing the upgrades that are just needed to make it an operational school so um the other the other challenge is if you're adding school if you're adding classrooms to schools you're you're making you know that campus larger um and you're making the drop off larger you're making the lunch demands larger you're making the special spaces of the media center the libraries um you know larger and they're already at at capacity the cafeteria as well all right that's a question I've heard you for many people in the community and I know I've used your website to to to to uh get the information I need I needed times to answer those questions and if if you're looking for in for answers to your questions the board of education has has organized a website uh maybe you can give the title of the site uh spfk12.org future has uh all the all the information there there's a FAQ page there with all the questions that we've heard come in by email or by phone call or just walking up to people and talking with them about it we tried to answer as much as we could possibly get in there to help so as we wrap up our time together here which I want to you know thank everybody for coming um we think this is important for our two communities to to really get you know accurate and credible information about the referendum why don't you just talk a little bit about what your plan is for the next couple weeks as we sit here in the beginning of January with the referendum on the 28th the date and the time um and talk a little bit about election day itself so starting with election day itself the election the polls are open from 2: to 8 and people have a lot of questions about why 2 to 8 first of all whenever we've had these special elections for schools in the past 50 years that has been the time and I think it's so we're not disrupting the the school day it's very difficult to operate the schools while while elections are occurring so that's that's the reason for the timing there um there's information where people could you know they could have a mail-in ballot um they could actually go over to the Union County office and submit their mail in ballot Just in person so if the um January 28th date isn't um convenient there there are other options for that uh additionally we have um an open mic which mayor Lardo mentioned earlier that um you come and ask your questions raise your concerns um we will answer every every question that um you you raise the board members will be there um as long as well as the the school administration um additionally there um has been mailers to just remind you of those Open Mic nights as well as when you are um when you could come and vote um and we also have a lot of information going out on social media as well as um print media print media and uh we have uh uh the opportunity for you to email your questions and we answer every single one of those so if you wouldd like to get your questions answered that way that's an that's another option all right yeah and and that's all very helpful because we want the voters to be educated and and get the right answers factual answers and uh um and there's mechanisms to do that clearly by attending these sessions or familiarizing themselves with the information on the website uh and then most importantly to vote on January 28th between 2 and 8 uh or sooner by mail as the superintendent shared um we hope that um all uh voters over 18 uh in Fanwood and Scotch Plains vote it's very important to uh the communities that the uh referendum be fully considered and then it's and then we'll hear what the voters have to say about uh this new referendum and uh whether the community supports making the changes that the board is proposing well thank you again for sitting down with us you know we really appreciate the time we appreciate everything that you do every day for our kids right and and really ultimately providing them with a world class public free education you know we know as mayors that the value of the homes in our community is tied to the strength of our Public School System we know that um and so for that I think we would be remiss if we just didn't say thank you you know thank you for always putting our children first and providing the space for our teachers to do what they need to do well well said I know that's why I moved to Scotch blaines uh almost 20 years ago uh to raise my uh my two children here and send them through the public school uh and they've been exemplary uh and um we appreciate the time this morning well I'm a product of it so here I sit all right so um I hope you've enjoyed this interview uh which we really are very happy to bring to you uh we will be running this uh a lot on our Public Access stations as well as pushing this out onto our social media and if you have any questions for myself or the mayor you know you can always reach out to either one of us take good care be safe and happy new New Year [Music] [Music] [Music]