Collingswood voters reject $4.56 million school operating referendum
Voters in Burlington Township approved an operating bond, and voters in the Bordentown Regional School district passed an $86.1 million capital bond.
Collingswood voters rejected a $4.56 million school operating bond Tuesday to pump more funds in the budget and keep schools afloat.
It was the first bond of its type in the South Jersey school system. District officials said it was needed to close a structural deficit.
In preliminary unofficial results, the Collingswood bond question was rejected 2,863 to 2,646. It would have added $1,324 annually to a tax bill for a home assessed at the borough average of $448,000.
“We deeply appreciate every community member who engaged in this process and made their voice heard. While these initial results are not what we had hoped for, our primary focus remains unchanged: delivering a strong, supportive education for all Collingswood students,” Superintendent Fred McDowell said in a statement Wednesday.
Without the funds, McDowell has said the district would likely face significant budget cuts, including reducing teacher positions, increasing class sizes, reducing elective courses and athletics, and possibly cutting student mental health services for the 2027-28 school year.
For the current school year, Collingswood raised taxes, cut positions, closed a school, and consolidated its middle school and high school campuses to help bridge a $3.3 million budget gap.
McDowell has sounded an alarm for another tough budget cycle next year and an expected budget deficit. He said Collingswood’s school tax level yields about $480,000 annually — far short of the $4 million needed to cover salaries, benefits, and state mandates.
Residents had mixed feelings about the bond proposal.
“I think in general I had to weigh the future of our schools with the current lack of affordability ... but in the long term, with two kids, I need a school system not to crumble,” said Emma Rose, 40.
Donald Nigro, a software engineer, and his wife, Patricia, an attorney, both voted against the referendum.
“We don’t have confidence in the members of the school board to be fiscally responsible,” Patricia Nigro said. “I just felt like they need a little more scrutiny and a little more fiscal responsibility.”
Collingswood was among four districts statewide that turned to operating bonds Tuesday to add to their budgets in the wake of declining state aid. The question enables districts to exceed the 2% property tax levy cap.
Voters in Burlington Township approved a $567,000 operating bond, and voters in the Bordentown Regional School district passed an $86.1 million capital bond that will raise their property taxes.
Elsewhere in the state, voters in Oradell in Bergen County rejected a $73,000 operating referendum to fund an armed law enforcement officer and educational programs.
Burlington Township officials said the funds would be used to hire two additional elementary school teachers, add a music teacher and expand the music program, reduce class sizes, and expand middle school athletic programs.
The approval, 3,033 to 2,179 vote, will mean a permanent increase in the district’s tax levy. It will add $50 to the annual tax bill for a home assessed at the township average of $234,975, said district spokesperson Liz Scott.
Voters in the Bordentown Regional school district who reside in Fieldsboro, Bordentown City, and Bordentown Township approved their bond referendum 3,663 to 2,260.
Superintendent James Altobello said the bond, one of the largest in the district’s history, would be used for renovations at all five district schools.
The bond will add $588 to the average annual tax bill in Bordentown Township, $456 in Bordentown City, and $420 in Fieldsboro. The state will pick up $34.4 million of the costs.
Voters in Washington Township in Burlington County approved a measure to reduce the school board from five members to three.
Staff writer Lacey Latch contributed to this article.
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