Good evening. Uh tonight we're going to be presenting uh information regarding the March 2026 referendum. uh takes place on March 10th, 2026 from 6:00 am to 8:00 pm. Uh and ultimately we're looking to uh discuss uh how and why the
board of education has elected to upgrade our facilities to support uh a host of our academic programs. Uh so our goals as we led into uh this work was to work with our architects at solutions architecture who are here tonight and
going to be able to uh present some of these schematics and designs and intentions here uh to work closely with them and our staff to identify and prioritize the needed facility improvements uh that we had um inside of our district. And we sought to consider
ways to improve our existing school facilities with projects that ensure safe schools and functional schools. We wanted to improve the student experience and improve the staff experience uh that directly impacts teaching and learning,
directly impacts student achievement and the access that students had uh to particular curricula. We also wanted to consider ways to make uh recommended improvements while taking advantage of debt service debt service rolling off uh so that there would be a netneutral tax
impact um for all Somerset Hills communities and that was a significant goal for the board of education at the time. Our priorities in the referendum are to enhance our learning environment. Uh educational programs that drive the
need to to upgrade the fac these facilities that support academic needs, social and emotional needs, our wellness needs and also offering creative opportunities uh to students and staff members. Uh in the area of students and staff safety, uh we also sought to
ensure that our schools have the physical security systems to protect our students and our staff um at all times. We wanted to keep up to date with operations. So much of what happens in our school facility school facilities uh
running smoothly is the condition of our systems and the condition of our infrastructure. Uh, and a lot of those behind the scenes pieces, our roofing, our windows, our heating systems, uh, our technology infrastructure, uh, although those functions go unnoticed on
a day-to-day, uh, it's crucial to keep these systems uh, in good working condition uh, now and into the future. The board of education here in Somerset Hills is requesting funding uh for a district-wide facilities renovation program to include educational classroom
renovation projects as well as capital renovation project and security upgrades. Uh we seek to do this in a referendum vote again on March 10th, 2026. Our operating budget uh covers day-to-day expenses, salaries and
benefits for our employees, supplies, utilities, and educational supplies, maintenance costs, and other operational expenses. The general fund uh has an operating budget that has a 2% local tax levy cap. Uh when you have a cap like
this, it makes addressing largecale capital projects within that budget uh particularly difficult. So, a bond referendum is a community vote uh where the board asks the voters to authorize the borrowing of money through the issuance of bonds to finance various
capital projects. We have um a variety of reasons why the board uh elected to pursue this referendum. Uh eligible projects will receive 29.8% 8% of debt service aid
because they're being financed by the issuance of bonds. The boards would not have received any aid if financed within the board's general fund operating budget. There is a significant opportunity to bring taxpayer money back to this community. A bond referendum
also allows the board to spread the costs over the useful life of the projects, which spreads the costs over the current and future taxpayers that will benefit from these improvements. Bond payments are outside of the 2% general operating fund tax levy. So, it
will enable the district to spend its annual budget on education and not on capital projects. In spite of the 2% tax levy cap, the board of education and administration has successfully addressed many of these facility needs within the operating
budget. We have aging facilities. Uh there the average age is 59 years old and the facilities uh in some cases have original roofing systems, doors, and other infrastructure items that have reached the end of their life expectancy and we need to do more. The district has
expiring debt which will result in savings over the 20-year bond. The district is looking to replace the existing debt as a continued investment to fund these projects which will enhance our facilities. By allowing the district to finance these substantial
facilities improvements over many years, the cost spread over the many generations who will be utilizing them. Current debt service payments will be ending in March of 2026. This will offset the new debt being assumed as a continued investment under
the targeted March 2026 referendum. The district has been approved for 11.3 million in state assistance, 29.8 savings on the projects um that are being proposed. These projects must be
funded through a referendum and they must be tied to education or maintenance. And debt service aid from the New Jersey Department of Education helps pay down the bond and this helps reduce the impact on the local taxpayer.
In our process, we engaged in a facilities evaluation in the summer of 2024. Uh the board of education at the time commissioned Solutions Architecture to provide a district-wide facilities audit. Representatives from Solutions Architecture and our engineers met with
the administration and visited each school uh to create a 3D scan of all of our buildings. Uh they then reviewed and evaluated uh our needs um in concert with uh what our desires are from an academic program. During November of 24
through January 2025, the the district began evaluating those needs, exploring a potential referendum to address projects identified in the facilities audit while considering retiring debt service. Solutions architecture met with
the administration and me uh in order to assess our needs and evaluate the classroom renovations aimed at improving efficiency and providing critical upgrades. In February of 25, the board of education prepared with solutions architecture for conceptual designs for
classroom and other renovations and established budgets associated with those projects that considered taking advantage of up to 34% in debt service aid and debt service rolloff. In February of 2025,
uh we completed the district-wide facilities audit and presented it to the board of education and the recommendations were reviewed and discussed. Um the board of education identified uh an order of magnitude of some of the $75 million worth of
improvements over uh the four district facilities. And in March through May of 2025, the board of education at the time finalized a submission to the Department of Education Solutions Architecture secured uh
approval while we uh at the board level um approved a application set forth to the Department of Education uh to approve a long-range facility plan. In preparation for our referendum, the board of education has completed a host
of projects out of its capital reserve funding. Um, those projects include, but are not limited to, a media center at the middle school, performance arts center upgrades in lighting and sound, synthetic turf replacement in the high school, a track replacement at the high
school, athletic sports lighting at the high school, a renovation of its lower sports fields, and upgrades and resurfacing to our tennis courts up on Seni Drive. We have uh Frank Msinho here tonight who
is the principal architect at solutions architecture and he is going to talk about uh the different project categories uh regarding this project. Mr. Msinho. >> Thank you Dr. Brochial. So the referendum was structured in such
a way that we wanted to make sure that we took care of those three categories that Dr. Brochial spoke of earlier. the enhanced learning environments affecting instructional space in the arts, learning and wellness, as well as safety
and uh keeping up to uh date with safety operations and security. And then keeping up to date with operations, the uh capital uh infrastructure items that each building has that go unnoticed on a day-to-day basis.
We also established through our discussions with the administration key projects that would impact our students directly uh and staff directly by creating exciting learning environments. Those include science labs, including chemistry, biology, and physics, STEM
labs and technology classroom space, media center upgrades and renovations, kindergarten classroom renovations, special education and stars program upgrades, as well as the creation of a culinary arts classroom and visual arts
classroom renovations. The projects for this referendum are broken down into two phases. capital projects at all schools and then educational. We're going to cover the capital projects first. So, the district-wide capital projects will
include an upgraded and expanded camera system uh and implementation of school notification and lockdown systems at all schools. Providing a secure vestibule and security office as well as lockdown capabilities including doors and
hardware at the elementary school. providing ballistic window film at all schools. Uh provided much needed replacement of leaking and deteriorated roofing sections at all schools. Uh the middle school and elementary
school are in need of a buildingwide fire alarm systems. They will be replaced under this referendum. The high school main and lower gymnasium will receive bleacher replacements so that it will allow them to provide ADA compliance. And then we will enhance the school community through school spirit
and branding uh throughout the cafeterias, multi-purpose rooms, gymnasiums, and corridors. Now, we'll talk about the educational projects at all schools. We'll start at the high school. And at the interior cafeteria level, there will be
renovations to the STARS program space, which will allow for the addition of a culinary arts classroom. We're going to create three equalsized biology uh uh three equalized science labs, one biology and two physics labs.
Uh we are also going to relocate the existing STEM and manufacturing labs into what currently exists as the 2D and visual arts classrooms so that we can get greater efficiency as well as better
layout out of those spaces. And conversely, we are going to relocate the STEM and manufacturing technology lab into the old art room space. It provides a better uh environment for those areas as well. And we are also going to
renovate one classroom and a storage room to create two history classrooms at that level. On the main level, we are going to uh work to uh renovate three chemistry labs and prep rooms and one physics lab. Uh
we are also going to create three equalsiz biology labs with prep rooms. Uh at the main level at the second floor uh interior level, we are going to renovate an entire wing where the existing uh TV and technology
studios are. Uh we're going to create a new broadcasting studio as well as renovating two classrooms into two new STEM classrooms and one general classroom. Here you see uh some images of the existing spaces uh pictures typically
worth a thousand words. So looking at these rooms you can see older fixed furnishings within the science labs um and lecture mode in the science labs. Uh classroom spaces today don't follow the chalk and talk technology or chalk and
talk uh processes anymore. Students are more engaged and more involved. And a science lab that has flexible movable furnishings, more perimeter storage and utilities allow the space to be configured in a manner that supports uh
uh the curriculum. The existing 2D and uh 2D and existing art rooms are older and inefficient. These are going to be renovated to house the new technology, robotics, and manufacturing labs.
In these rendered images, you can see what those technology and manufacturing labs could look like. You can see computer areas. You can see a robotics table. Uh you can see uh workts and work areas as well as uh you know computing
areas. Uh the existing technology lab and robotics classroom will also be renovated to house the the art classrooms and allow robotics to move to the old art rooms. Uh here you'll see rendered images of what those new art
rooms 2D and visual arts can look like. Um and again these are rendered images. All of the concepts that you're seeing tonight are conceptual only. When and if the referendum passes, we'll move into design development with the staff and
the administration to develop the spaces in total. The existing home living and student store will be renovated for greater efficiency and better layout as well as to create space uh for the culinary arts classroom. In these
rendered images, you can see uh the new culinary arts space as well as the new stars uh program as and student store uh reimagined in this image. Again, flexibility of the spaces is critical to
allowing the curriculum to grow and expand. Now, we'll move to the middle school. Um the middle school's work is focused on the interior and the main level. Uh we are renovating several existing classrooms in the main hallway to
accommodate three equal-sized science labs. Uh currently there's uh one large uh science lab and two smaller science labs. Those will be uh reclaimed uh into larger science labs and two general
classrooms so that you'll now have three uh legitimate science labs in one corridor in the same space and then picking up two extra uh general uh classrooms as well. In the middle school, the the need is no different.
The science labs are older and inefficient and again the intent is to create a more flexible uh environment for the students and staff at Bedwell. Uh the uh first uh lower level is going to receive some upgrades
that include uh the long corer that you see here in purple as well as the stairwell. Uh they're dark and dimly lit. They're not really inviting at the lower level because it is a lower level of the building, but we are going to renovate that existing corridor and stair tower including lighting and
graphics to create a brighter and more inviting environment down at the down at that level. We are also going to renovate three existing classrooms. We're going to create two larger classrooms for um STEM labs and one
smaller room for speech. At the interior first floor level, we're going to start at the entrance. Currently, the building has a secure vestibule, but uh at the present time, people need to be enter the building in order to be vetted. Uh we are creating a
security office adjacent to the secure vestibule which will allow people to come in and be vetted prior to being allowed in the building. It adds a level of security uh for the building. uh at the kindergartens we are going to renovate the two toilet rooms uh to
create uh ADA accessible toilets and we are also providing as you see in green an exterior corridor which is going to provide access to both classrooms uh wherein right now you have to cross through classroom 221 uh just to get to
the second classroom. So, we're going to create a fix to that situation by renovating and pro providing a new exterior corridor. Uh, the existing media center, which you see in the center of the screen, uh will be renovated. Right now, there is a
classroom in the media center and it's at the back of the media center. So, you the only access uh to that classroom is by going through the media center. By simply switching uh the media center forward, we're able to provide access off of the main corridor uh eliminating
the need to enter the media center to access that classroom. And we're able to renovate the media center uh the larger whole space into various smaller areas including reading space, uh collaboration space, quiet uh study
space, uh etc. And here is an image of the existing secure vestibule and the uh security desk in the hallway. So again, people have to come into the building to be vetted and sent on their way throughout the building. Here is what the
re-imagined security vestibule and office look like. You'll now come into a transaction window, hand your license, and then be vetted and given a badge and then be allowed into the building. And here is that security office from the uh
inside the existing media center. Uh again, it's dated. It has uh you know, a host of book stacks central to the space. Uh our goal is to move the book stacks to the perimeter and allow the interior to be more flexible uh with again soft
seating uh various movable book areas, study carols, uh and a smaller circulation desk as well. Uh the uh this is a picture of the STEM lab which is currently being
underutilized. Uh the intent would be to redesign it in such a manner that allows flexibility. It allows better power and technology requirements within the space. Uh additional storage, more workstations. Uh so this is an idea of what that STEM lab could look like
re-imagined. So in recap, the Bernard's High School, it will receive annex-wing renovations including the STARS program, the culinary arts uh lab uh creation. Uh science lab renovations including STEM,
chemics, bio, and robotics and technology. Uh TV broadcasting studio uh renovations. Uh partial roofing system replacement. Upgrading the existing security system. the installation of ballistic safety
film on all lower level windows and doors. Um that will provide uh additional time for first responders and then enhancing the school community through school spirit and branding. Uh it's a relatively inexpensive way to have high impact in spaces like
cafeterias, multi-purpose rooms, gymnasiums, and corridors. The middle school will receive science lab renovations to create three equal-sized science classrooms, partial roofing system replacement, upgrades to the existing security system,
installation of ballistic safety film on all lower level windows, and enhancing the school spirit and branding. And the elementary school will receive renovations to the kindergarten classrooms, including updating the accessible toilets, constructing an
exterior toilet, which will provide uh direct access to the second kindergarten classroom. Constructing a new security office to tie into the secure vestibule. Uh this is one project that was in fact ineligible for state aid. uh upgrading the existing security system,
installation of ballistic safety film on all lower level windows, partial roofing system replacement, and enhancing the school branding and spirit. So, now we'll talk a little bit about the proposed costs for these projects, our referendum budget breakdown. It
should be pointed out that these budgets include escalators and multipliers because these projects are not going to be completed in a year. They're several year projects. Uh we've broken out the the cost of these projects by the high school, middle school, and bedwell. Uh the high school total project cost is
about $22 million, but as you can see in the center of the chart, we are receiving $6.5 million in debt service aid, which reduces the net taxable cost to $15.3 million. At uh the middle school, uh we're
looking at about 6.8 million in renovations with 2.1 million in debt service aid. reducing that cost to 4.7 million. And at Bedwell, we're looking at $9.3 million in total project cost with $2.6 million in debt service aid,
which reduces that cost as well to 6.6 million. All total, the referendum project cost is about $38 million. We're receiving almost 11.3 million in debt service aid, uh, reducing the net taxable cost to $26.6 million. This
equates to receiving a discount from the state in terms of aid at 29.8% on these projects. If these projects are completed uh peace meal and over time, it would cost the district 100% out of
the capital uh budget. So the estimated tax impact with debt service payments declining after March of 2026, these project costs will be replaced will replace a portion of those debt service payments that are
rolling off. What that means is that uh the taxable impact to the communities will decrease over the life of the 20-year bond. So in Bernardsville Burrow at a average assessed home at $975,586
will receive a reduction in their tax payment. The same goes for Far Hills and Peepac Gladstone. The next slide will explain a little bit more detail. So on the average assessed home in Bernardsville Burrow, the existing tax
impact is $836 per year. Uh the new average tax impact over the life of the bond will be $527 per year. This is a significant reduction in the taxes over the life of the bond. At Far Hills, the existing tax
impact is $340 a year. That will be reduced to $214 per year. Uh in PPAC Gladstone, uh the impact is $531 per year, which will actually be reduced to $335 a year. I should point out that
these tax uh calculations are based upon a 4% interest rate over 20 years. Costs may fluctuate by the time the bond sale arrives. Um but it if bonds were to be sold today, the rates would be closer to
3.7% than the 4%. So chances are that we could see uh interest rates lower than the projected conservative 4%. So what exactly does your vote mean? If you vote yes for this referendum, you
the district will receive the educational and capital projects uh at a reduced tax impact over the life of the bond. If you vote no for this referendum and uh it fails, the existing facilities will remain as they are. The district
will continue to have to do these projects out of capital uh at a little bit at a time over the years. You will also forfeit the debt service aid, the 11.3 million in debt service aid that was approved under the referendum.
We'll cover some facts and frequenc frequently asked questions. As noted, we've been approved for 11.3 million in state aid. Uh that is only effective if the referendum uh passes. Uh we're carrying 4% in interest on all tax
calculations and the goal was to maintain a net neutral impact. Ultimately, we are going to see a reduction in the taxes over the course of the bond. We all know that there have been significant increases in construction industry uh due to material cost
increases, shipping increases, material shortages. Uh however, none of that matters under the referendum. We still need to manage the project and work within the overall budget numbers uh and will need to adjust the designs accordingly. We cannot spend one penny
more than that is approved by the voters. Um, we cannot uh bring money in from another account. We can't bring money into the referendum. It has to be the amount that's been approved by the voters. Why can't the board stockpile or save monies that can be used to pay for these
types of projects rather than go out for referendum? Unfortunately, the while the board is uh uh allowed to allocate funds through capital reserve, they can only be saved within the state's imposed cap. And additionally, they will not be able to receive debt service aid on projects
completed out of the capital budget. Our referendum is the district's one and best opportunity to bring the facilities up to current standards at one time and receive debt service aid. When Dr. Brochel originally talked about the process, there were about $75
million worth of projects that were listed for the district. There were several projects that didn't make the cut. You see them listed here below. among them additional media center renovations and roofing and toilet room renovations and they were simply uh held
off because the district wanted to maintain that netneutral tax impact to the to the communities what happens to children before during and after construction safety and security uh is always a priority and
when we plan projects we try to minimize the interaction between construction and students Typically work is completed during the summer months or at other times when students are not in school. We want to be able to maintain a a sound educational environment where students
can attain classes without uh disruption. The New Jersey Senior Freeze Program. The New Jersey Senior Tax Freeze Program is available to seniors who meet eligibility requirements. It is a simple uh application that can be um uh looked
at online. Uh, and what that would mean is that if the referendum were to pass and you were eligible for this program, in this particular case, there's no increase, but their taxes would not be affected either way if you were part of the seniorities program.
When would the work begin and when will it be completed? The schedule for these uh the implementation of these projects will be carefully developed after the passage of the referendum with a detailed timeline that works best for the district. Uh for us with a timing of
a March referendum, we've already missed the summer bidding schedule and we would need to strategically bid projects at at uh appropriate times. If we were to bid projects in March or April, we would definitely be a lot higher this time of year than we would if we were to bid
projects in September or October or November. So projects that require more time to design and develop will be done at later in the 2026 year or the summers of 27 and 28. By allowing us to be flexible with the bidding schedule, it ensures that we receive the best pricing
for these projects. Why include culinary arts, CTE, career and technical education in this referendum? So the board adopted a long range facilities goal to support STEM robotics and uh career and technical education. following a comprehensive
needs assessment uh with solutions architecture. Culinary arts is part of uh career and technical education and the district sees that it represents far more than just cooking. It integrates business, marketing, media, accounting,
entrepreneurship and supply chain skills. Culinary arts effectively meets a number of career pathways for students by expanding upon s on by expanding upon the on-site CTE programming. It provides the students with multiple career
pathways and prevails prevails them to evolving future careers that also include opportunities at Bernard's High School. So, there's a QR code and a link uh to the district's website. All of this information is on the district's
website. This presentation, a voiceover presentation is also available. You don't have to sit through the entire presentation. You can look at the technical information packages which include the tax portion, the cost portion, the project portion. There's
also an email address referendums.org. Uh if there are any questions associated with the referendum, they can be forwarded to that email address and they will be responded to. and the answers will be posted on the frequently asked questions section of the website. I
thank you for taking time out of your your evening to listen to this presentation to learn more about the referendum. The referendum uh is on March 10th. The polls will be open from 6:00 a.m. to uh 8:00 p.m. uh for all people interested in voting.
>> Thank you very much.