Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Polls close at 9 p.m.
Voter turnout is mixed across Westfield as residents are asked to cast their ballots for or against a $13.6 million bond referendum that would fund roof repairs and replacement on 12 Westfield school district-owned buildings. While voter turnout is typically low for school board elections, Westfield's Sept. 24th election in which residents soundly defeated a $16.9 million bond referendum that would have funded both the roof work and a lighted turf field, saw an uncharacteristically-high 24 percent of residents head to the polls. Patch surveyed six polling locations throughout town Tuesday afternoon and found a wide-range of answers when asking poll workers, "How is voter turnout today?" Poll workers at the Westfield Memorial Library said …
Monday, December 10, 2012
Polls will be open from 7 a.m. until 9 p.m.
After months of debate, Westfield residents will have a chance to cast their ballots tomorrow, Dec. 11, for or against a $13.6 million bond referendum that would fund repairs on more than three-quarters of the school district's roofs. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. In September, residents voted against a $16.9 million bond referendum that would have covered those repairs as well as paid for the installation of a lighted turf field at Westfield High School. Following the defeat by a 2:1 margin, Westfield Board of Education members said they "heard" voters and on Oct. 21 unanimously approved a referendum that does not include a turf field but will account for the full cost to replace and repair the roofs of the 12 district-owned …
Friday, December 7, 2012
Richard Mattessich says "we can't afford... to simply harp on the past."
- OPINION
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Friday, December 7, 2012
On Tuesday, December 11, 2012, voters will be asked whether they want to fund a bond referendum in the amount of $13.6 million for roofs. Many in the community agree with the Board of Education that roofs are a necessity and understand that they need to pay for them. There is disagreement over how roofs should be paid for – bond referendum or reallocation of the existing operating budget. What we really can’t afford to do right now is to simply harp on the past. My view, and I have stated it many times publicly, is that we need to bond the roofs today, and we need to make sure we don’t find ourselves in the same position the next time roofs (or other large projects) need replacement. Let me explain those two positions. First – we need to …
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Margaret Dolan says reduction in revenue coincides with increasing enrollment.
- OPINION
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Thursday, December 6, 2012
On December 11, voters in Westfield will have the opportunity to decide how they want to finance the cost of replacing the majority of outlived roofing on our school buildings. A bond is a mechanism by which state, municipal and school bodies fund large capital expenses. This bond referendum before voters will spread the cost of the roofs over 20 years. Current low bond interest rates make this a favorable time to issue bonds. The tax impact to the average homeowner is estimated at $31 in 2014. Thereafter, the tax impact actually will decrease due to other bonds which will mature and be fully paid. The bond referendum has been reviewed by bond counsel and meets all legal requirements. Roof concerns have been discussed at public Board of …
Pro-referendum letter to parents shows bias, resident asserts.
- OPINION
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Thursday, December 6, 2012
How does the BOE justify the use of public assets and the subterfuge of sending its pro-referendum letter to all the schoolchildren parents through its principals? The failure of the Board to publicly send out notices to every registered voter is reprehensible. BOE elections are notoriously low turnout. Special elections are also low turnout. To mobilize only the parents and remind only the parents is a biased act unto itself. To threaten dire results to be borne by the children of those parents borders on extortion. The Board has known for years that various roofs needed repair. They used the money in the budget for maintenance for other things or didn't include money for those repairs in the next budget. They now are faced with the …
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Westfield High School's roof is the top priority.
At Monday evening's meeting of the Westfield Board of Education, the Board unanimously approved placing a $13.6 million bond referendum on the ballot on Tuesday, Dec. 11 to fund district-wide roof repairs. Both the Finance and Facilities Committees requested approval of the bond issuance for the full amount needed to replace and repair all district buildings to be done as soon as possible. “The bond does allow us to keep moving forward,” said Board president Richard Mattessich. Westfield High School's roof has been deemed the top priority and if the bond is passed, the work can be completed during the summer of 2013. The Board also hopes work can begin on two to three other roofs in the summer of 2013 and then complete the remaining roofs…
40.65407
-74.35245
302 Elm St, Westfield, NJ
/articles/westfield-boe-votes-to-place-13-6-million-bond-referendum-on-ballot-dec-11
/locations/8051797
Friday, September 21, 2012
Facilities chair says it is not unusual to have multiple projects in one bond referendum.
- OPINION
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Friday, September 21, 2012
Some residents have questioned why the September 24 School Bond Referendum to support new roofs and a turf field is one question on the ballot. First, let me explain that this is not unusual. Four out of the last six bond referendum elections in the Westfield schools have been for multiple projects under ONE QUESTION. On September 24, the Princeton Public Schools are holding a bond referendum election with ONE QUESTION, which also includes multiple facilities projects (roofing and turf as well). In my research I have found many districts in New Jersey that have one question on their bond referendum and it includes fields and other facility projects. But that is not the driving factor for one question in Westfield. Both projects have …
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
The site includes a summary of the bond proposal, Q&A, voting information and more.
- BACK TO SCHOOL
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Wednesday, August 15, 2012
The following is a press release from the Westfield Public School District: A new website, www.westfieldnjk12.org/bond2012, has been established by the Westfield Public School District to inform residents of the upcoming bond referendum to be held Monday, September 24, from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. The capital projects which are being proposed through the bond referendum include replacement and repair of the majority of the school district’s roofs which have exceeded their life expectancy, and the installation of turf and lights at the Westfield High School field to provide a multi-purpose, safer playing field. Only capital projects can be considered for a bond,” explained Board President and Finance Chair, Richard Mattessich. “The Board has …
40.64373
-74.347862
Westfield High School
550 Dorian Rd, Westfield, NJ
/articles/westfield-board-of-ed-creates-website-addressing-sept-24-bond-referendum
10346
/locations/7629177
Fooshy
8:09 pm on Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Reduction in staff sports and fine arts programs. What about a reduction in the pay raise percentages to teachers and administrators. Nobody on the board of education is talking about that cutback. more ›