The Sept. 15 referendum would finance renovations at 10 schools and additions at three of them; district projections put the average tax increase at $38 per month in Morristown and $41 in Morris Township.
MORRISTOWN, N.J. Registered voters in Morristown and Morris Township will decide on Tuesday, Sept. 15, whether the Morris School District may borrow up to $158,394,556 for renovations across 10 school facilities and additions at Sussex Avenue Elementary School, Frelinghuysen Middle School and Morristown High School.
Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. The district says the state would contribute an estimated $46.4 million through annual debt-service aid, leaving about $112 million to be financed locally over 20 years. That aid is not a single upfront grant and remains subject to state budget appropriations each year. The district’s tax estimates assume a 4% interest rate, a 20-year repayment schedule, a 29.33% debt-service-aid rate and no growth in the local tax base.
For a Morristown home assessed at the local average of $635,443, the district estimates an increase of about $38 per month, or $456 per year. For a Morris Township home assessed at the local average of $560,500, the estimate is about $41 per month, or $492 per year. Those calculations use assessed value, which is not the same as a home’s sale price. Individual estimates will vary with assessment and the final bond interest rate. The district provides a tax-impact calculator and its assumptions.
The proposal assigns 45% of its cost to heating, ventilation, air conditioning and boiler work. Educational and activity spaces, including additions and a replacement high school swimming pool, account for 30.2%. Roofs and windows account for 11.5%, bathrooms for 6.9%, and safety and electrical upgrades for 6.4%. The district’s referendum overview says the work would air-condition all district spaces, renovate the Morristown High School and Frelinghuysen auditoriums, modernize science labs and media centers, add classrooms and expand the high school cafeteria.
The district has published category-level costs but not a project-by-project estimate. It says detailed specifications would be prepared after approval and contracts would then go through competitive bidding. The district cannot spend more than voters authorize or redirect bond money to work outside the approved proposal. It also says state law requires savings from work completed below budget to reduce taxes.
District officials say Morris has not held a bond referendum in nearly 30 years and has spent more than $55 million on buildings and grounds since 2014 through its operating budget, grants and capital reserves. Based on its average capital spending during the past 12 years, the district estimates the proposed work would take at least 35 years without bond financing. Those timelines and projected savings are the district’s estimates, not guaranteed outcomes. Its referendum FAQ says a failed proposal would also mean the district could not air-condition every space under the current plan and that projects later paid through the annual budget would not receive referendum-related state aid.
A public information forum is scheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 9, at the Morristown and Morris Township Library, 1 Miller Road. A mailed vote-by-mail application must reach the county by Sept. 8. Voters may apply in person at the county clerk’s office until 3 p.m. Sept. 14. Completed mail ballots must be postmarked by Sept. 15 or delivered to the Morris County Board of Elections or an authorized drop box by 8 p.m. Sept. 15; they cannot be turned in at polling places. The district lists polling sites and vote-by-mail instructions.