By Donald Gilpin

About 100 local residents with a range of concerns and questions about plans for the October 2 Princeton Public Schools facilities bond referendum gathered in John Witherspoon Middle School’s (JWMS) auditorium Monday evening, as Superintendent Steve Cochrane presented “A Vision for Our Schools” and fielded follow-up questions.

For about an hour and fifteen minutes, Cochrane described the needs for more space and infrastructure upgrades, for a plan that aligns those improvements with the district’s educational goals, and a plan to optimize the district’s investment in a first-rate, cost-effective education.

He shared with the JWMS gathering extensive details on the tentative plans, recently submitted for approval to the State Department of Education (DOE) — plans to increase capacity at Princeton High School (PHS); to create a new 5/6 school to free up space at all elementary schools and JWMS; to acquire property at Thanet Circle for administration, transportation, and maintenance facilities; and to add security and HVAC improvements at all buildings.

“The needs of our schools are straightforward: more space is needed for a projected increase of 700 to 800 students,” he wrote after Monday night’s meeting. “Basic quality of life improvements, such as clean air and natural light, are needed for those who teach and learn in our schools. For the past two years, the Board and I have been working to create a plan that addresses all of these needs and that does so in ways that align with our educational goals.”

The $129.6 million price tag for the bond referendum and its impact on property taxes seemed to be the greatest concern, expressed in both oral and written comments delivered. The estimated tax impact on an average Princeton home assessed at $837,074 would be an additional $295 in the first year, $294 in the second year, $692 in the third year, and $220 in the fourth year, with impact dropping significantly in later years of the 30-year term. One speaker noted that the referendum is Princeton’s largest ever, “three to six times larger, on a per pupil basis than any of the other local districts.”

Several participants expressed a need for more community involvement, more discussion, and more transparency in the process. Cochrane referred repeatedly to the district’s ongoing efforts towards communication and community involvement, and pointed out the extensive information on the PPS website.

Among other concerns voiced were the operational costs of a new 5/6 building with salaries for new administrative and support personnel; “testing new educational concepts” at taxpayers’ expense; the Cranbury-Princeton send-receive agreement, which was renewed last week; effects of construction disruptions at PHS; and the reliability of the demographic and financial projections.

Though the town hall context seemed to encourage the raising of questions and concerns rather than support, one speaker asked, “Why didn’t we do this earlier?”

As the BOE looks to receive feedback from the state next month and to continue to refine its plans in the context of continuing discussions within the school and the larger Princeton community, Cochrane reflected, “I value the conversations we are having with our community about the investment in our children and in their future. I look forward to continuing those conversations and to considering various perspectives as we provide a quality and cost-effective education for all the children of this community.”