Court of Honor

opposed the referendumʼs $82.7 million price tag and tax increases, saying not enough consideration was given to lower-cost renovation options.

District officials, however, have said the middle school needs to be replaced, and further renovations are only “Band-Aids” to major structural problems with a 100-year-old school.

Some residents also previously criticized the district for a lack of transparency about bond referendum options.

District officials disagreed, noting the Road to Referendum web portal, video, multiple open houses, and a dedicated email for residents to get answers to school bond questions. (See “Referen- dum Outreach Is Focus Ahead Of March 14 Vote,” Michael Olohan, Feb. 27, 2023, Pascack Press.)

Since January, district officials have ramped up public outreach, holding two public middle school tours, a virtual Q&A forum, and released a fourminute-plus video on the need to replace the middle school due to its physical, mechanical and educational deficits.

School officials have estimated the bondʼs tax impacts would average approximately $1,140 annually, or $95 per month on Hillsdaleʼs average home assessed at $474,172. The tax impacts would likely be in the 2024–2025 tax year.

School finance officials had also said bond costs were likely to be refinanced over its 30-year term, reducing the tax burden on residents. Had the bond referendum been approved, the district would have received $5.4 million in state aid to construct a new middle school.

Following consideration of several lower-cost options to renovate existing facilities, the school board voted unanimously last June to support replacing the middle school with a new stateof-the-art facility, rather than renovate the aged facility and relocate students for up to two years in temporary trailers that would be located on a nearby recreational field.