Chatham: Voice Your Opinion On the Referendum at Feb. 28 School District Public Meeting

This Saturday the Chatham community will have one last chance to express their concerns to the School District before the $25 million bond referendum comes up for a vote on April 21.

Residents from every corner of the Chathams have voiced their opinion in numerous letters to the editor on Patch, speaking out on the referendum and proposed $14 million Chatham Middle School Theater.

Chatham Borough parent Peter Hoffman urged local residents to attend the meeting, and voice their opinions on the contentious vote.

“The School Board is providing an opportunity for the public to have their say on a multi-part referendum which if approved will have a material impact on property taxes for many years to come. While voters have a long history of approving school budgets and second questions in Chatham, the percentage of voters participating in those important decisions has been abysmally low. With a significant debt borrowing on the ballot, it’s more important than ever for all Chatham citizens to learn about the Board’s capital plans, including a brand new performing arts center, and to let their opinions be heard.”

Some local residents have supported the proposition of dividing the vote six ways so that residents could vote on individual projects, while others have expressed support for the Board of Education, and keeping it as a single vote. The referendum consists of the following six proposals.

• Renovations to the HS auditorium.
• Convert the MS auditorium to classroom and professional spaces.
• Construction of new MS auditorium.
• Construct six additional elementary classrooms.
• Upgrades to Cougar Field.
• Upgrades to HS athletic fields.

The public meeting will be held at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 28 at the Chatham High School auditorium. Click on the links below to read the letters to the editor submitted by local residents speaking out on the vote.

Flyer courtesy of Peter Hoffman

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Westfield* Clark-Garwood* Cranford* New Providence-Berkeley Heights * Scotch Plains-Fanwood* Springfield* Summit* Chatham* West Orange

More on Patch:

• Township Resident: Taxpayers Will Shoulder Cost of New School Theater for 20 Years
• Chatham Parent: Why I Support the Referendum and Board of Education
• Resident: Is a $14 Million Chatham Middle School Theater Reasonable?
• Chatham Parent: Let the Voters Decide How the $22 Million Referendum Should Be Spent
• Chatham Resident: $14 Million Middle School Theater Is Unjustifiable Waste of Taxpayer Money
• Breakdown: Where Did Your Chatham Taxes Go In 2014?