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May 11, 2023
Dear Montville Township Public Schools Community,
At the May 9, 2023, Montville Township Board of Education Meeting, the Board viewed a Referendum Proposal Presentation, which was followed by a Financial Presentation. As mentioned in earlier letters this year, district enrollment currently exceeds capacity at the elementary school level. Elementary enrollment for fall 2023 is projected to exceed capacity by 149 students and will continue to grow.
While much of this enrollment is attributed to increased birth rates, the recent demographic study also outlines additional growth from more people moving into town with families. Overall, growth will continue to challenge class sizes at the elementary level.
Montville Township Public Schools are highly desirable due to outstanding results including high test scores, a near-perfect high school graduation rate, 94% of students attending college, and consistently impressive ratings and rankings by various agencies.
To continue to meet the community’s priority of small class sizes and strong small-group instruction that supports student success, from elementary school through graduation and into the workforce, a referendum is under consideration.
A referendum allows the community to review the current and projected data, and vote on how to meet the needs of students today and in the future. Additionally, a referendum, that voters approve, will allow the district to access a different funding source from the State. This is funding that all taxpayers pay into, but the funding only returns to a district through an approved referendum.
The presentation the Board viewed on May 9 outlines the district’s current and future challenges regarding enrollment, as well as upgrading aging heating and cooling units, which will also be more energy efficient. A benefit of a voter-approved referendum would be the opportunity for the district to move forward with identified upgrades, including school entrance security vestibules, while the cost to the district of those upgrades would be reduced by the additional source of state funding.
In the coming weeks and months I will be sharing more information with you and the entire community. I welcome your questions and insights as we work together to support our students today and into the future.
Respectfully,
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