What to Know About the Clearview Bond Referendum

The district placed a referendum on the Nov 8th ballot to fund $59 million in improvements to Clearview facilities. It is important for all residents to understand the referendum and the impact it will have on our students and community.

To My Harrison Neighbors,

As the Township Committee liaison to the Clearview Board of Education I attend the monthly meetings and share updates with my fellow committee members. As you may have heard, the district placed a referendum on the Nov 8 ballot to fund $59 million in improvements to the school facilities. It is important for all residents to understand the referendum and the impact it will have on our students and community.

Most importantly, Clearview timed the bond proposal as old debt is retiring, meaning the district could fund $59 million in projects with no increase in the tax rate. To be clear there will be no increase in your taxes because of the referendum. Further, up to 40% of the project costs will be covered by state aid if the referendum is approved. At a time when state aid is being reduced year-over-year, this is an opportunity to secure state funding.

The district created a website about the referendum, clearviewregional.edu/future, that I encourage you to visit. Here’s a summary of some projects that are proposed:

Security: Schools have no greater responsibility than our children’s safety. Clearview wants to enhance its existing security systems with protective glass and anti-intruder hardware on classroom doors. New public address systems that work in conjunction with recently installed threat alert technology also would help protect students and staff.

Climate control upgrades: Clearview has been dealing with a climate control imbalance in its buildings for years. With funding from an approved referendum, the district would upgrade to modern HVAC systems with better filtration and efficiency. The gyms would also get long-overdue air conditioning.

Innovation: Our community invested in a High School STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Lab by approving a 2015 referendum. The current proposal includes a STEM Lab at the Middle School to expand an area of instruction expected of high-quality districts. In addition, the theater would also receive modern sound and lighting systems. 

Turf: From Little League to Friday night football, games bring our community together. Clearview has proposed turf for use by multiple sports. Most surrounding high schools have turf, so making the switch from grass would keep our students competitive. Turf is weather-resistant and would be available to community groups when not being used by the school.

The proposed projects would maintain the exceptional quality of the Clearview district, benefiting not only the families who use the schools, but all Harrison Township property owners. Please take the time to learn more and if you have questions feel free to email me directly at [email protected].

Together for Harrison Township,

John Williams
Committeeman