The Berkeley Heights Public School Referendum Explained -Part Two

The second in a Series intended to help Berkeley Heights Residents unpack the referendum

In this 2nd part of our series on the BHPSNJ referendum, we take a deeper look at the two questions that will appear on the March 10 ballot.

To reiterate, question 1 will address the paving of parking lots at all 6 schools and the overhaul of media centers at all 6 schools. These items were not identified as top priorities in the community survey, yet they appear prominently in Question 1. The District presentation notes that existing parking lots and walkways are in poor condition and need replacement for safety and drainage reasons. Question 1 also includes district-wide security and technology upgrades and a partial roofing system replacement at Woodruff Elementary School.

Question 2 will address roofing at CMS, GL and Mountain Park, electrical upgrades at GL, and mechanical systems at CMS, Mountain Park, Woodruff and Mary Kay McMillin. The District’s own presentation states that many of these systems are original, out of warranty, deteriorated and have been sources of ongoing maintenance issues. Question 2 also includes science lab renovations and STEM and robotics upgrades at both CMS and GL, reflecting the need to modernize outdated lab spaces that no longer meet curricular or technological needs.

Again, why the District made the items connected to student need dependent on the success of the question less connected to student need is something residents can ask about on 11/20.

Residents can use the tax calculator to understand their tax impact, but the link to determine the assessed value of your home does not work.

On April 24, 2025, Solutions Architect presented the results of the community survey tied to the referendum. Although I was unable to locate the actual survey instrument, you can review the posted results here. The graphics are blurry and difficult to read. The survey indicated that the quality of teaching staff was the highest priority for respondents. The next priorities were tied to student learning. Notably, the top “projects” valued by the community included science, bathroom upgrades and technology, not parking lots or media center redesigns.

While we have previously reported that the survey questions were unsatisfactory, the priorities identified by the public were still revealing. If teaching staff quality is the top priority in Berkeley Heights, why are teachers not directly involved in shaping the referendum project list. In the meaningful conversations I have had with staff over the past several weeks, not one teacher identified parking lot paving as a priority. HVAC, roofing and heating and cooling systems were the concerns repeatedly raised. Those concerns align with the District’s own descriptions of mechanical systems as deteriorated, outdated and failing.

What is missing from the proposal, and from public conversation to date, is the question of what happens if the referendum does not pass. The District states that without a referendum, projects would need to be funded through the operating budget at full price and without access to state debt service aid. Yet the District has not published any contingency plan outlining how the highest-priority needs would be addressed using existing capital funds, nor how projects would be prioritized according to what stakeholders said they value most.

Any project or allocation of funds should be connected to student achievement, and we as stakeholders should be asking what we need to do to ensure our students receive the best and most valuable education possible.

All stakeholders are invited to attend the November 20 Board meeting to hear about the referendum and ask questions. This is not a special meeting dedicated solely to the referendum. It is a regular Board meeting that will dedicate a portion of the agenda to referendum discussion.

BHPSNJ Referendum Presentation-Proposed Project Scope

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shining a light on local government

Our goal in covering the Berkeley Heights Public School referendum, as with any major local government decision, is to provide a platform for residents to make informed decisions, share their perspective, and be armed with the right questions to ask.

We hope residents attend the 11/20 meeting and avoid either cheerleading or trashing the referendum — the best approach is to ask hard questions and encourage the BOE and Administration to make changes that better serve the needs of our students while also respecting the economic realities families face in our community.

Our wiki provides a thorough fact-based analysis of what works and what needs to change.

Explore the BHPSNJ referendum analysis →