Cinnaminson voters approve $57.7 million school bond referendum by nine votes
The Sept. 15 election was too early call in preliminary results, and district officials were anxiously awaiting the outcome after mail and provisional ballots were counted and verified.
Voters in Cinnaminson narrowly approved a $57.7 million school bond referendum, according to the latest unofficial results.
The Sept. 15 election was too early call in preliminary results, and district officials were anxiously awaiting the outcome after mail and provisional ballots were counted and verified, according to township spokesperson Lori Perlow. A final certification by county election officials is pending.
The referendum was approved by nine votes, 1,744 to 1,735, according to the district. Results for a second question were previously announced with voters rejecting a $18.3 million spending proposal 1,927 to 1536.
The bond proposal was the largest in the history of the South Jersey school system. The first question had to pass for voters to consider the second question.
“We are deeply humbled by our community’s trust and investment in our schools,” Superintendent Stephen Cappello said in a statement. “Waiting for every mail-in ballot to be counted was an inspiring reminder of civics in action and proof that every single vote truly matters.”
The district plans to use the funds for improvement projects, classroom additions, HVAC upgrades, new water fountains, and renovated bathrooms.
The plan will add about $399 annually in taxes on a home assessed at the township average of $236,538, according to officials. The state will contribute $16.8 million.
Cappello said the approval will allow the district to address critical infrastructure needs and relieve crowded classrooms. Bidding timelines and construction plans will be finalized in the coming months, he said.
Question 2 would have generated funds to add classrooms at Memorial School, a new gym at Eleanor Rush Elementary, and a new synthetic stadium field at Cinnaminson High School.
Voters in Clementon overwhelmingly rejected a $13.5 million school bond question in the Sept. 15 special election that would have added about $243 annually to the tax bill for a home assessed at the borough average of $115,178. The funds would have been used to build an early childhood center for preschoolers.
The election was one of five times during the year that school boards may ask voters to approve a bond issue or special question. They are typically used to pay for projects districts cannot readily fund through their annual general operating budgets.
So far, the Collingswood and Bordentown Regional School districts have announced bond questions for the next special election, which coincides with the general election on Nov. 3.
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