Lakewood Taxpayers to Vote on Referendum to Approve Loan for Public School building

At the BOE meeting last night in Lakewood district officials announced plans to build a permanent structure for the pre school either at the Oak street school or Clifton Avenue school. There are currently 500 students in the pre school  and schools are at a capacity with 6200 students and growing. The board will have to borrow money to build since there is nothing in the budget to pay for it.

Pre School in NJ are not mandated, districts do not have to provide it neither is it mandatory for children to attend but many districts offer it sponsored by the state through the pre School grant.

A Referendum will be placed on the ballot this November  during the general elections asking taxpayers  to approve or disapprove on  the loan. The amount is not currently known but the process has started and by August there should be a notice of the costs.

 A member of the public asked why the district could not have used the Princeton avenue building for the public school. The attorney said that the requirements did not allow the building to be used for public school classrooms and the district sold the building at the time when they were in a deficit.

The board also had a presentation updating what it will do in case of the coronavirus coming.