SCOTCH PLAINS-FANWOOD — Scotch Plains-Fanwood Public Schools has launched a new website, spfk12.org/future, to engage the community leading up to the Tuesday, September 17 bond referendum. The website features details to help citizens in Scotch Plains and Fanwood learn about how the referendum would address the district’s increasing student enrollment, need for more space and necessary infrastructure upgrades.
Community approval of the threequestion bond referendum on September 17 would bring: La Grande Elementary School: A fully-renovated school to serve students in grades pre-K through 5 at 330 South Avenue, Fanwood, this would ease overcrowding in the district’s two middle schools and five other elementary schools and help to maintain class sizes.
Air Conditioning and More: Air conditioning across the entire district, as well as other upgrades to HVAC, electrical systems and fire alarms at all eight schools.
Roofs: Roof replacements at all eight schools to fix leaks and prevent costly damage.
The September 17 ballot includes three questions, which are contingent. This means Question 2 and 3 can only pass if Question 1 passes. The first question is aimed at addressing enrollment and class-size concerns by purchasing and renovating La Grande Elementary School in Fanwood.
The district’s schools currently are designed to accommodate 4,680 students, but enrollment has been much higher for at least a decade. A demographic study from November 2022 projected enrollment could rise to approximately 5,700 by the 2025-2026 school year because of new families with young children moving into the two communities, as well as housing developments under construction.
If voters approve the new school in Fanwood, it would open at the start of the 2027-2028 school year. Fifth-grade students would move back to the elementary schools, creating a neighborhood schools’ model in which students attend one of the six elementary schools based on the population density around each school and how close the student lives to the school. This would eliminate the need for temporary trailers at the middle schools and allow each elementary school to have space for dedicated music rooms, art rooms and innovation spaces.
The second and third questions on the ballot address infrastructure needs, especially ones that were identified as priorities by the community through a survey conducted last fall. One of the main reasons to fund infrastructure repairs as part of a referendum is to capture state aid.
The website includes tax-impact estimates for all three questions based on the average assessed home in each town. While these estimates are expected to change based on the Department of Education’s review, the district is committed to sharing the estimates early and transparently. The estimates will be finalized in the summer and all residents will be notified.
Everyone is encouraged to visit the website regularly, as it will be updated with essential information, including informational meeting dates and times.
The first public “Future-Ready” information session will be held virtually on Thursday, May 16, at 7:30 p.m. A Zoom link will be added to spfk12.org/future in advance of the event. Members of the public will be able to ask questions in the Q&A function of Zoom during the forum.
Additional in-person and virtual information sessions will be scheduled for August and September. For updates, visit spfk12.org/future.
