Overview Over the past year, the School District of the Chathams has explored financing certain capital projects that would improve district facilities through a referendum. The proposed referendum plan to be put before voters on April 21, 2015 addresses a range of programs and district needs, and would enhance both the overall curricular and extracurricular experience of the student body. Fast Facts • School district enrollment has grown 27% since 2005. • Chatham spends 12% less per-pupil than the average New Jersey district. • Chatham has dramatically expanded its STEM programs over the past two years. • Chatham Middle School has less STEM lab space than any school in the district. • The two auditoriums in the district date to 1958 and 1976, and virtually all of their materials are original and outdated. • Up until now all repairs and renovations in the district over the past ten years have been completed using the district’s operating budget and capital reserve account. The proposed referendum seeks to address these issues for the long term. Where can I get More Information? Attend: Board of education meetings March 23 and April 6 at 7:30 p.m. at the board offices located at 58 Meyersville Road Visit the district’s Website at www.chatham-nj.org. E-mail: Email your question to [email protected] Read: Watch for periodic updates or coverage in the Star Ledger, Daily Record and the Chatham Courier. Speak to members of the Board of Education about the plan details. School District of the Chathams Board of Education Jill Critchley Weber, President Matthew Gilfillan, Vice President Thomas K. Belding Michelle Clark Richard Connors Kim Cronin School District of the Chathams 58 Meyersville Road, Chatham, NJ 07928 March 2015 continued... Chathams school district of the 2015 Referendum Plan Phil Franz Lata Kenney John Nonnenmacher Guiding Principles The School District of the Chathams, recognizing that premier educational institutions must examine their current practices in contexts both within and beyond their communities, strives to: • Equip each of our students with the competencies and awareness to succeed academically, professionally, and socio-emotionally in a global environment. • Align our practices and policies with current, evidence-based research in the fields of learning, child development, and education. • Ensure that there is equity of opportunity for each student to access all curricular and extra-curricular programs. • Promote professional growth among our staff through ongoing collaboration, feedback, and self-reflection. Tax Impact Per $100 $ 0.0250 House Value Tax Increase Borough $700,000 $178.03 Township $700,000 $171.91 Total Referendum Cost $24,838,000 Interest Rate 3.50% Comparison of Current Referendum to 2005 Referendum Year Projects Total $ Amount of Referendum Tax Impact per $100,000 of Assessed Value Borough Township 2005 Gymnasiums at CMS and WAS; Classrooms at CMS, WAS,and LAF; Cougar Field House; Libraries at CMS and LAF; Turf Fields $26,712,000 $71 $57 2015 Auditoriums at CMS and CHS; STEM Labs at CMS; Classrooms at MAS and WAS; Cougar Field Improvements; Turf Field at CHS $24,838,000 $25* $25* This chart shows the difference in tax impact between the most recent school district referenda. As a result of historically low interest rates, the current refer- endum results in a lower tax impact than the referendum proposed and approved a decade ago. * Note: This amount reflects a $5 reduction in taxes resultant from the refunding of current debt. What is this Referendum Going to Cost me? Budgetary costs are taken from the NJDOE Taxpayers’ Guide to Education Spending, 2014 (http://www.state.nj.us/education/guide/2014/) How Chatham Compares School District Per-Pupil Budgetary Cost Chatham $12,954 New Providence $13,165 Millburn $14,608 Livingston $14,385 Madison $13,752 School District Per-Pupil Budgetary Cost Westfield $13,087 Bernards $13,897 Summit $14,291 Montgomery $13,907 Princeton $18,688 State Average $14,783