PPS Enrollment Decline Should Be Considered Before Vote on Newest Facilities Referendum
To the Editor:
Princeton Public Schools (PPS) has filed for another facilities referendum, its fourth since December of 2018 when taxpayers approved a $27 million dollar referendum. Taxpayers were also asked to approve a $17.5 million referendum in January of 2022 and a $13 million referendum in November of 2023. The newest referendum, scheduled for a January 2025 vote, is by far the largest referendum in recent years expecting to cost between $85-89.5 million.
The Board of Education (BOE) says the $85-89 million referendum is needed to accommodate 220 new school- age children that will arrive from 1,100 new housing units that are scheduled to be built in Princeton over the next five years.
However, enrollment in Princeton Public Schools is shrinking due to aging populations and declining birthrates. PPS reported that a recent peak in enrollment occurred in 2019 with 3,855 students and has shrunk to 3,669 students, a net reduction of 186 students. PPS blames shrinking enrollment on the pandemic and conveniently overlooks shrinking births. According to the CDC, the general fertility rate in the Unites States decreased by 3 percent from 2022, reaching a historic low.
The estimated additional tax on the average assessed home of $848,037 is $551.70. This proposed tax increase is in addition to the tax increases for the three recent facilities referenda. Renters as well as homeowners will feel the brunt of these tax increases as landlords pass on tax increases to tenants by raising rents. Our most vulnerable residents will have to choose between the increasing costs of inflation in food and energy and rent and property taxes.
This misguided expansion plan of $85-89.5 million is harmful to students as higher operating costs result in fewer teachers and larger classroom sizes. More classrooms will be vacant as enrollment continues to shrink from record low birthrates and PPS struggles to afford teachers to teach.
The Board of Education also spends money needlessly by scheduling a special election in January of 2025 when voter turnout is expected to be low. This is wasteful and undemocratic. The BOE could have added this referendum question, inexpensively, to the November 5 General Election ballot, and could add this to the June 2025 New Jersey Primary Election ballot, to save money and maximize voter participation.
This Princeton BOE lost the confidence of the community after they fired an experienced and popular high school principal and then forced the superintendent to resign. It is now time for the community to scrutinize this large referendum to prevent additional errors in judgement.
Five new BOE candidates and one incumbent are presently running for three positions. I believe that it is very important that a new Board have an opportunity to understand why enrollment is declining before scheduling a taxpayer vote on a major new school expansion plan.
The BOE should, at a minimum, postpone the proposed $85-89 million referendum and add it onto the New Jersey Primary ballot in June of 2025.