NORTHFIELD — “Unofficially it’s looking pretty good,” Superintendent Pete Bretones said last week of the school bond referendum held Sept. 17.
The special election asked voters to approve borrowing as much as $8.6 million to undertake repairs and upgrades to Northfield Community School, promising a 40 percent match on the debt service from the state.
A spokeswoman for the Atlantic County Clerk’s Office, which oversees elections, said official results would not be available until Oct. 2, but Bretones said the unofficial tally is 468 to 190 in favor, likely enough to overcome any overseas or military ballots, should they be in opposition.
Noting the building is 30 years old, Bretones said planned projects include alteration of the media center; renovation of bathrooms and locker rooms; replacement of playground equipment, gutters, downspouts and exterior doors; and interior upgrades such as the security vestibule and new kitchen equipment.
To qualify for the 40 percent state debt aid, all of the projects had to be part of the district’s long-range facilities plan.
“We are fortunate that all qualify for full 40 percent state debt relief,” Bretones said.
He said he is pleased with the voter approval, noting it’s prudent to get the aid when it’s offered. A flier distributed by the district says a passing vote ensures the district can take advantage of debt service aid funding and allows the district to bundle projects together to leverage economies of scale.
“The truth of the matter is, we don’t know if that is going to be available down the road. If you qualify now and are able to get 40 percent, that’s just good business,” he said.
Bretones said it has been a long time in the works.
“It’s a pretty intense process that started before last school year,” said Bretones, who is beginning his ninth year leading the K-8 district.
He said they first had to examine the school and identify the projects with the greatest priority, then present the plan to the Board of Education and agree on expenditures to determine the scope of the work.
While local districts such as Somers Point and Linwood have been losing enrollment, Northfield remains pretty stable, Bretones said, adding that the formal count will not be done until Oct. 15 but he believes there is an increase this year of 20 students.
The superintendent said he was happy to see the referendum pass nearly 2-1.
“One of the best things about this community is the support they have for the school. You can see that at school events, whether academic, athletic, the PTO. We’re involved, our families are involved and that was reflected through the vote. They realize the value of what we do with our schools, which are an integral part of every community.”
As far as the timeline goes, Bretones said the playground likely would be completed first.
The next step, he said, is to shop for loan to “see what and when it’s most beneficial for the district to purchase debt.”
He said that would go hand in hand with scheduling the projects, which he noted are restrained by the school calendar and the length of the bidding process.
“We’re hoping to get some level of work coming for summer 2025 and the balance in summer of 2026,” Bretones said.
– By CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff
