By Donald Gilpin

Princeton residents will have a number of opportunities to learn more about the Princeton Public Schools’ (PPS) $89.1 million facilities bond referendum before they vote on a three-part question on January 28, 2025.

Two upcoming forums — a virtual forum on Monday, December 9 at 7 p.m. (link to be shared shortly before the event) and an in-person forum on Saturday, January 11 at 9 a.m. in the Princeton Middle School (PMS) auditorium — will provide information and chances to ask questions.

The community is also invited to tour one or all of the school buildings included in the 2025 bond referendum proposal: Community Park Elementary School on December 10 and January 8 at 3:30 p.m.; Littlebrook Elementary School on January 7 and 14 at 4 p.m.; PMS on December 5, 12, and January 16 at 3:30 p.m.; and Princeton High School (PHS) on December 8 at 10 a.m., 13 at 6:30 p.m., January 15 at 6:15 p.m., January 24 at 5:30 p.m., and January 26 at 10 a.m.

“We are really excited about the referendum, PPS Board of Education President Dafna Kendal wrote in a November 26 email. “We believe that it is a very cost-effective way to add classroom spaces to our buildings to ensure that we are able to continue the high level of teaching and learning that is the hallmark of the Princeton Public Schools.”

She continued, “We also understand that the tax impact of all three questions might be too big a lift for the community, so we’ve prioritized the questions in order of our most critical needs. We will have many opportunities for engagement over the next two months, and we’re excited to share our plans to address student enrollment growth in our schools with the community.”

In a November 21 email to the community, PPS Interim Superintendent Kathie Foster noted that the public schools “need immediate expansion and improvements to continue providing students with high-quality programming, maintain elementary class sizes, and honor our neighborhood schools” as they accommodate students from more than 1,000 new residential units in the next few years.

Foster went on to emphasize that the referendum prioritizes “cost-effective, value-based” improvements. “As with all that we do, students — and their families — are the driving force behind the facilities bond referendum,” she wrote. “We put extensive care and thought into creating a financially responsible plan that would continue the exceptional education and student experiences at Princeton Public Schools.”

The three questions on the January 28 ballot will be: Question 1, Community Park expansion and renovations and PHS end-of-life HVAC replacement and upgrades at a cost of $37.9M with an estimated annual tax impact of $222, based on an average assessed home value of $853,136; Question 2, which cannot pass unless Question 1 passes, PMS expansion and renovations and PHS renovations, at a cost of $38.3M, with an estimated annual tax impact for Questions 1 and 2 of $447; and Question 3, which cannot pass unless questions 1 and 2 are approved, Littlebrook expansion and renovations, at a cost of $12.9M with an annual tax impact of $532 for all three questions.

If all three questions pass, debt service aid from the state is estimated at $19.9M ($11.4M if only Question 1 passes, $18.5M if 1 and 2 pass).

If the referendum does not pass, likely results will be redistricting happening sooner, class sizes growing with some programming shifts due to lack of classroom space, and changes in “the neighborhood school feel that currently characterizes the elementary schools,” according to the PPS website.

To learn more about the January 28 facilities bond referendum, visit princetonk12.org/future. To sign up for one or more of the building tours, visit princetonk12.org/buildingtours.