boe presentation 11 19

Potential School District

ReferendumSchool District of the Chathams

2014/2015

Purpose of this Presentation

1. To outline projects being discussed by the Board of Education as potential referendum projects.

2. To gather input from the public regarding the prospect of a referendum.

Context of School District Facilities

• Southern Boulevard School 1928

• Milton Avenue School 1948

• Washington Avenue School 1953

• Lafayette Avenue School 1954

• Chatham Middle School 1957

• Chatham High School 1962

Average Age of Buildings = 64 years

Post - WWII


• School District of the Chathams formed in 1988.

• Every school building in the district pre-dates the formation of the school district.


• SDOC Enrollment in 1989/90 = 2,169 students

• SDOC Enrollment in 2001/2 = 2,955 students + 36.2% over enrollment at time of SDOC formation

• SDOC Enrollment in 2014/15 = 4,127 students + 90.3% over enrollment at time of SDOC formation

% change

over 1989/90

1989/1990 2,169 NA

2001/2002 2,955 36.2%

2014/2015 4,127 90.3%

SDOC

Year EnrollmentYear % change % change

over 1990 over 1990

1990 8,007 NA 9,361 NA

2000 8,460 5.7% 10,086 7.7%

2010 8,962 11.9% 10,452 11.7%

Population

Borough Township

Total Total


Sources: U.S. Census Bureau and district publications/student database


• To manage enrollment growth, SDOC has expanded facilities in primarily two ways:

▫ 1. Additional classroom space

▫ 2. Additional and/or improved Library-Media Centers

▫ 3. Additional and/or improved athletic facilities


▫ 1. Additional classroom space

All school buildings have been expanded since district formation, some multiple times.

▫ 2. Additional and/or improved Libraries

All have been built new or improved

▫ 3. Additional and/or improved athletic facilities

New gymnasium built at SBS in 1991.

New gymnasium built at CMS in 2006.

New gymnasium built at WAS in 2006.

Turf fields installed at Cougar and Haas in 2006.

• Previous referenda served as the main funding sources for previous additions and improvements:

▫ 1995: ~$5 million

▫ 1999: ~$25 million

▫ 2005: ~$26 million


AuditoriumsWhy invest in auditorium spaces?

Current Projects under Consideration

• Current auditorium at CMS dates to 1958▫ 511 students were enrolled at Chatham High School in 1958

830 is the seating capacity of the auditorium

993 students are enrolled at CMS today

• Current auditorium at CHS dates to 1976▫ 669 students were enrolled at Chatham Township HS in 1976

720 is the seating capacity of the auditorium

1,192 students are enrolled at CHS today


Sources: Chatham Borough and Chatham Township High School Yearbooks

• Why invest in auditorium spaces?▫ There are 1600 students in grades 3-12 who

participate in the performing arts.▫ These facilities are aged and need to be addressed,

whether via a referendum, second question, or the operating budget.

▫ Problems include: Insufficient space for storage and set construction.

Original furniture, carpet at CHS, asbestos tile floor at CMS, lighting systems, acoustical wall coverings.

Limited seating capacity for large productions and assemblies.


Duct tape holding seats together

Broken seat replaced with folding chair

Torn acoustical wall covering

Stairs to stage; torn acoustical wall covering; duct tape holding down wiring

Set construction taking place on stage

Storage in and around hallways

• How is the Board considering addressing the auditorium spaces?

▫ 1. Renovate the High School Auditorium


CHS Auditorium, Aerial View

1. Renovation of CHS Auditorium

• Replace carpeting.

• Replace seating.

• Replace acoustical wall coverings.

• Provide required ADA upgrades.

▫ Cost = +/- $900,ooo

• How is the Board considering addressing the auditorium spaces?

▫ 2. Construct a new auditorium at CMS


Chatham Middle School

Current Auditorium

2. Construction of New Auditorium at

CMS• Building a new auditorium makes possible:

▫ Sufficient seating for whole CMS student body.▫ Sufficient seating for large high school or other

productions.▫ Sufficient space for set construction.▫ Sufficient space for storage.▫ Opportunities to rent the facility to outside groups

in order to establish a revenue stream.▫ More flexible space options that could include: A space for exhibition of fine artwork. An area for outdoor theater or music performances.

• Proposed auditorium space would:

▫ Connect to current middle school via a bridge from second-story foyer near the band room.

▫ Maintain the driveway area into the school.

▫ Include additional parking.

Cost = +/- $12.5 million

2. Construction of New Auditorium at

CMS

Site of Proposed New Auditorium

Conceptual draft; final project may be different

• 3. Convert the current middle school auditorium into instructional and other space


3. Conversion of Current CMS

Auditorium• With a new auditorium at CMS, the current

auditorium could be converted into three uses:

▫ Instructional Space

Two computer labs and one design and engineering lab to help support and allow growth in STEM programs.

▫ Office Space

To house the Special Services and Board Offices in one location, owned and operated by the district.

▫ Flexible-use Space

To provide an area for non-school-specific functions that community groups could use.


• 4. Make improvements to Cougar Field complex

• 5. Make improvements to High School field complex


• Address overall infrastructure of the site, including:▫ New home and visiting bleachers (ADA-

compliant).▫ New sound system.▫ Improved parking plan.▫ New concessions stand.▫ New fencing.▫ New macadam.▫ Walking/running path around perimeter of site.

4. Improvements to Cougar Field


• Renovate and re-design high school fields, to include:

▫ Proper grading of site.

▫ Two baseball/softball fields.

▫ One multi-purpose field.

▫ Artificial turf on all fields to provide greater length of field time in spring.

5. Improvements to High School Field

Complex


• 6. Expand our three primary schools, with:

▫ Two classrooms at SBS.

▫ Two classrooms at WAS.

▫ Four classrooms at MAS.


6. Expansion of Primary Schools

• Expanding the primary schools would:

▫ Better accommodate existing programs that are currently taught in non-classroom or shared space.

BSI, ESL, etc.

▫ Enable the Board to consider expanding programs in future years.

Full-day kindergarten, special education programming, etc.

Cost = +/- $5 million

6. Expansion of Primary Schools

• Current consideration is to expand the facilities.

• It is not possible to include a “second budget question” at the present time for Full-Day Kindergarten because the amount raised in taxation for that purpose must be expended for that purpose in the ensuing year.

Overview of Costs

Borough Township

($661,262) ($762,196)

$12,489,000 $88.67 $99.91

$3,382,500 $24.02 $27.06

$910,000 $6.46 $7.28

$4,530,000 $32.16 $36.24

$1,429,000 $10.15 $11.43

MAS Addition (4 classrooms) $2,435,000 $17.29 $19.48

SBS Addition (2 classrooms) $1,484,000 $10.54 $11.87

WAS Addition (2 classrooms) $1,116,000 $7.92 $8.93

$27,775,500 $197.21 $222.20

New Auditorium at CMS

Projects

Estimated Annual Tax Impact

Per Average Home

Cost

Grand Total

Turf Fields at CHS

Auditorium Conversion at CMS

Auditorium Renovation at CHS

Cougar Field Renovations

*Figures above represent preliminary estimates; the costs may change as projects evolve and/or are modified

Funding Options

• Bond Referendum

• Separate Budget Question

• Operating Budget

• Private Donations

• Bond Referendum

▫ Interest rates are historically low.

▫ The district has a AAA credit rating.

▫ Term of bond would likely be 20-years; this is not a permanent increase in the tax levy.

▫ District has just refunded (refinanced) current debt at a lower rate.

▫ 1995 bond is set to be paid off in the summer of 2015.

Funding Options

Context for Bond Referenda—New Jersey

• March 11, 2014▫ 13 districts put forth construction proposals▫ 11 proposals passed▫ Total dollar amount of projects was $116.1 million

• September 30, 2014▫ 21 districts put forth construction proposals▫ 17 proposals passed▫ Total dollar amount of projects was $300.2 million

• November 4, 2014▫ 5 districts put forth construction proposals▫ 5 proposals passed▫ Total dollar amount of projects was $44.9 million

• Separate Budget Question

▫ A separate budget question, or “second question,” is typically a permanent increase in the tax levy.

▫ The initial tax impact is significantly greater because it is not financed over time.

▫ After the bond is paid off, there is no commensurate reduction in the tax levy.

Funding Options

• Operating Budget

▫ It is not possible to include significant capital expenditures of the order of magnitude of the aforementioned projects in the annual operating budget because there is a 2% cap on the tax levy increase.

▫ It is possible to save money over time in capital reserve to go forward with certain projects.

Funding Options

• Private Donations

▫ Several groups have approached the school district about helping to defray some of the expense associated with the aforementioned projects.

▫ The district intends to enlist the support of these groups as it moves forward.

Funding Options

Thank you

boe presentation 11 19

Documents

school buildings

chatham high school

chatham middle school

district formation

milton avenue school

washington avenue school

lafayette avenue school

students sdoc enrollment