Potential Referendum to be Discussed at BOE Meeting

A potential referendum to be presented to voters will be discussed at a pre-agenda meeting of the Brick Board of Education on Wednesday night.

The Community Facilities Committee, a citizens' group organized by previous boards of education in town, has proposed moving forward with 34 improvement projects worth $116 million. The group has called on the board to hold a referendum - the only way the district could raise such an amount of money - to raise $77 million from taxpayers to support the project. The remainder would be paid by the state through a number of grants that will expire Jan. 31, 2012.

In order to hold a referendum in December, the board must approve a polling date by the end of August to meet state deadlines. A January election could be scheduled by the end of next month.

Board President Sharon Kight said there is no vote planned on whether to hold a referendum at Wednesday's meeting. That may take place at the board's regular meeting, slated for next Thursday, Aug. 18. A motion to authorize a referendum vote appears on the agenda for that meeting.

The list of 34 projects favored by the committee was narrowed down from a larger list of 82 projects that were approved for state grant funding. The improvement projects include a number of energy-saving projects, new electrical and cooling systems for a number of schools, and a major renovation project at Brick Township High School that would include a new gymnasium and six classrooms.

The meeting will be held Wednesday night at 7 p.m. at Brick Township High School.