Referendum 2025

Welcome to the 2025 Referendum Page!

We are excited to have you here as we embark on an important journey for our school community. The upcoming referendum presents a unique opportunity for all stakeholders—students, parents, teachers, and community members—to engage in discussions that will shape the future of our educational environment.

Official details of the referendum will be announced on November 20, 2024. In the meantime, we invite you to explore our frequently asked questions below to stay informed with accurate and up-to-date information.

What is a referendum in general?

A school bond referendum is a vote that asks the community for permission to borrow funds through the sale of bonds to manage long-lasting school improvements. A school district can use this financial approach to access a special kind of state aid, only available through voter approval, and to spread the costs of improvements over time. Property taxes are used to “buy back,” or pay for this method of borrowing -- similar to the way a consumer uses a car or home equity loan.

Importantly, these kinds of projects qualify for a special kind of state aid that is only available to districts with voter-approved bonds. In Bloomingdale's case, we are still waiting to hear back how much the state will cover. All of our figures have been run from a worst case scenario that the state will offer no financial support.

I am just hearing about this - where can I get information?

Don't worry—you’re not late to the conversation! The Board of Education has not yet released its official referendum plan, which will be shared on November 20, 2024, at 7 PM, both at WTB School and via Zoom.

What has been shared so far? Last month, an introductory presentation was held to gather community input on part of the project. Here is the presentation that was shared:

Referendum Introduction Presentation & Community Input

Is the dome a part of the plan?

No. The Board of Education voted 9-0 on November 13, 2024 to exclude the dome from the project. There will be no dome as a part of this project.

I heard there is a presentation before the Bloomingdale Planning Board - what is that?

Representatives from the district presented before the Borough Planning Board on November 13, 2024. In New Jersey, the Department of Education has the primary authority to approve school construction plans. Consequently, our project does not require formal approval from the planning board; the Board of Education is attending solely to seek advisory input.

How will I be kept in the loop if I am not on social media?

In December, January, and February, we will roll out a comprehensive communications plan to ensure that the entire community is kept informed. This will include community-wide mailers, social media announcements, website updates (here) and both public and virtual Q&A sessions. The Q&A dates will be announced in the near future and added to our website.