Clementon Elementary Bond Referendum FAQs

Bond Referendum FAQs

Bond Referendum FAQs
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Building a Bright Future for Clementon

Special Election - September 15, 2026

(This page was last updated August 20, 2026)

Understanding how school funding and capital projects work can be complex, so we've created this FAQ to keep our community informed every step of the way.

To help you easily find what you're looking for as this page grows, our questions are organized into five key areas:

Referendum Process & Timing
Financial & Funding Questions
Site Selection & Facility Planning
District Operations, Logistics & Enrollment
Educational Impact & Staffing

Referendum Process & Timing

Q: What is a bond referendum?
A: A bond referendum is a community-wide vote that determines whether a school district is authorized to borrow funds by selling bonds. An approved referendum allows the district to utilize state debt service aid, which isn't available through the regular annual budget.

Q: Is there a funding alternative besides a bond referendum?
A: Yes. New legislation enables a partnership between the Board of Education, the Borough, and the Camden County Improvement Authority (CCIA) to fund capital projects. This unique option allows the CCIA to issue bonds, which enables the project to proceed without a traditional public referendum or community vote. All three entities must be fully aligned.

Q: Why is the special election scheduled for September rather than in November?
A: State law restricts school referendums to specific dates throughout the year, with September being the designated early-fall option. Holding the vote in September locks in our approved state debt service aid immediately and allows us to put the project out to bid during the winter. Winter is when contractors compete most aggressively for work, securing the lowest possible construction costs for our community.

Q: If the referendum passes in September, when will the building be ready for students?

A: If voters pass the referendum in September, the next steps include due diligence on the land, bidding and then construction. With a September passage, we can expect to welcome students in the 2029-2030 school year.

Q: What if the voters do not pass the referendum in September 2026?

A: The Board will consider their options which include another special election.

Financial & Funding Questions

Q: Is the Clementon community paying for the entire $13.5 million school project through local property taxes?
A: No. A common misconception is that local taxpayers are responsible for the entire project estimated to be approximately $13,525,000, but the community is actually responsible for only a little more than half of the total project cost. To minimize the burden on taxpayers, the District is contributing $5,500,000 from its saved capital reserves directly to the project, effectively reducing the necessary borrowing amount before taxes are calculated. Additionally, the project has preliminary approval for $705,068 in New Jersey State Debt Service Aid. Voters are being asked to approve the remaining balance of $7,319,932.

Q: Was there an alternative proposal that would have avoided a local tax impact without requiring a public referendum?
A: Yes. A prior proposal was explored that aimed to structure funding through a shared arrangement between the Camden County Improvement Authority, the Borough, and the Board of Education to eliminate a direct local tax increase. However, because that option required formal three-way approval across all three entities, it could not be finalized. Recognizing that the agreement was not achievable, the decision is now placed directly in the hands of Clementon voters.

Q: Why can’t large-scale or new construction projects be funded through the regular budget?
A: The annual operating budget covers day-to-day costs like salaries, supplies, and utilities. A referendum allows the district to fund large-scale renovations or new construction that exceed our regular operating budget while spreading the cost over an extended period of time.

Q: Did the Board of Education ever ask the Borough of Clementon for a loan to fund the project?
A: No. The Board of Education has never requested a loan from the Borough, nor is this available or an allowed borrowing method.

Q: Why did the District move ahead with renting administrative offices?
A: The Board Office was relocated to the plaza after securing an exceptionally favorable, long-term lease at a price well below market value. This step was part of the district's strategic effort to free up critical instructional space inside Clementon Elementary School—eliminating the need for teachers to instruct students in hallways and creating dedicated spaces for small-group instruction. The plaza site also provides approximately 2,000 square feet of central storage space. By moving stored materials out of the school building, the district was able to convert a former storage room into a dedicated sensory room for students, return locker rooms to their intended physical education use, and establish a designated area for instrumental music.

Q: Will my taxes be impacted if a bond referendum passes?
A: Yes. If voters approve the referendum, homeowners will see a tax increase. The specific impact on your tax bill depends on the assessed value of your property (not the market value), the total size and interest rate of the bond, and the amount of state aid received. To determine the Assessed Value vs. Market Value of your home, please review this helpful resource, "How Do I Find the Assessed Value of my Home?".

Q: How does debt service aid reduce taxpayer costs?
A: When a referendum passes, the New Jersey Department of Education provides debt service aid for "eligible" portions of the project. Instead of local taxpayers covering 100% of the project cost, the state covers a percentage of the annual principal and interest payments, significantly lowering the local tax burden. In a preliminary approval, the State will cover an estimated 65% of eligible project costs.

Q: What happens if the referendum does not pass and the building is not built?
A: Rejecting the project comes with consequences that include:

Loss of State Funding: If the project does not move forward, Clementon School District would forfeit the $700,000 in state funding that has already been approved for the project. In addition, the district could lose approximately $1.7 million in annual state preschool operating aid, significantly impacting funding for early childhood education and limiting the district's ability to sustain and expand its preschool program, as the Lindenwold School is a temporary arrangement.
Compromised Infrastructure: Our school building will continue to face classroom overcrowding, strained parking, and inefficient traffic and drop-off lines that impact daily student safety.
Out-of-District Costs: In the long term, if overcrowding forces the district to send students out-of-district to meet educational mandates, the district could be faced with approximately $2.88 million per year in tuition and transportation costs for middle school students alone.

Q: Will revenue be generated through any of the proposed projects?
A: Yes. By utilizing vacated space to build a dedicated sensory room, the District will create a highly specialized program for students with specific sensory processing and special education needs. In addition to keeping our own students in the district and significantly reducing our out-of-district tuition expenses, this specialized program will allow the district to accept tuition-paying students from neighboring school districts, bringing a brand-new revenue stream into the Clementon School District.

Q: How does the NJ Senior Freeze program protect seniors from tax increases?

A: The New Jersey Senior Freeze Program reimburses eligible senior citizens and disabled persons for property tax or mobile home park site fee increases on their principal residence (main home). To qualify, you must meet all the eligibility requirements for each year from the base year through the application year. Visit the NJ Division of Taxation website for more information.

Q: How is the district planning to provide transportation for the Pre-K students who live further than 2 miles from the temporary school building as required by NJAC 6A:27-1.3 ?

A: In accordance with state statutes and Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), the district fulfills its student transportation obligations through a contract with the Camden County Educational Services Commission.

Site Selection & Facility Planning

Q: Why is a dedicated preschool building being proposed?
A: The current preschool program is limited and serves only 75 students across five classrooms, which has led to overcrowding where teachers must travel with carts and students are often displaced into hallways or distracted by shared classroom spaces. Since our existing school site is constrained by wetland restrictions, there is no physical room to expand on the current property to meet these needs. A new building would accommodate anticipated enrollment growth.

Q: Can the District expand the footprint of Clementon Elementary School instead of building at a new site?
A: Expanding the physical footprint of the existing elementary school is not possible due to surrounding protected wetlands. Environmental protection regulations strictly prohibit building outward into designated wetland zones, leaving the current building completely landlocked with no room for ground-level additions.

Q: Does the District have the legal authority to construct the new Early Childhood Center on the proposed White Horse Pike site?
A: Yes. The Clementon School District has a formal agreement in place for the property on the White Horse Pike (Block 75, Lot 25.01), giving the district full authority to proceed with the proposed construction plan if the voters approve the project. This site plan has also received preliminary approval from the NJDOE.

Q: Can the District build a new facility to house grades Pre-K through 3rd or 4th Grade to relieve more crowding at Clementon Elementary School?
A: The site is specifically designed for early childhood and maximizes the available land while directly freeing up critical square footage in the elementary building. It’s important to note that the project is engineered with long-term flexibility in mind. The site layout leaves space on the side for potential additions and structural plans allow for a future second-floor expansion if enrollment needs grow over time.

Q: Can the District purchase and convert the old CVS building on the White Horse Pike?
A: The District thoroughly explored purchasing and retrofitting the former CVS property on the White Horse Pike. However, converting an existing retail structure into a code-compliant school requires extensive square footage for mandated early childhood classrooms, secure outdoor play areas, and administrative facilities that cannot safely or practically fit on that parcel.

Q: Will the students located in the temporary Lindenwold site be able to stay there beyond this school year?

A: Yes. The plan is to continue housing our early childhood students in this temporary location until the new building is constructed.

Q: Will the new equipment and furniture purchased for the temporary Lindenwold site stay there when the children are transitioned to a permanent location?

A: No. All of the items purchased to accommodate our students in the temporary Lindenwold location are intended to be moved to the new building upon completion. This includes kitchen equipment, furniture and bulletin boards.

District Operations, Logistics & Enrollment

Q: How will school schedules, drop-offs, and pick-ups work for parents with children at both facilities?
A: School hours will remain consistent across both buildings, but key operational adjustments are in place to streamline drop-offs and pick-ups for multi-student families. To relieve morning schedule conflicts, an early drop-off option beginning at 8:05 a.m. with breakfast service is available at both sites, while preschool dismissal is scheduled slightly earlier at 2:40 p.m. to give parents adequate travel time between locations. Additionally, Clementon Elementary School will introduce a dedicated lane with a fast- pass system to expedite pick-up. In addition, before- and after-school wraparound care remains available at both facilities to accommodate varying family schedules.

Q: How will lunch and meal routines work at the new Early Childhood Center?
A: The building features a dedicated multipurpose room equipped with a kitchen. While many young children bring their own lunches from home, the kitchen ensures the district can efficiently manage, store, and serve daily meals, creating a safe, structured space for students to dine together comfortably.

Q: Will the proposed new early childhood center serve preschool students from neighboring towns?
A: No. Clementon residents receive priority admission, and there is no current plan to accept out-of-district students. In the future, if extra spots remain unfilled after all local children are enrolled, accepting tuition-paying students from neighboring towns could be explored as a secondary strategy to generate revenue.

Q: Why can't Clementon send more students to neighboring districts like Pine Hill to create more classroom space?
A: Pine Hill is currently not accepting outside students due to their own limited capacity.

Q: Why not establish the new building as a dedicated 6–8 middle school to separate older students from elementary children?
A: Constructing a standalone middle school requires specialized facilities such as science labs and athletic spaces that do not fit the blueprint or budget of the new project. Instead, the district plans to repurpose existing school space specifically designed to meet the academic and social needs of middle school students.

Q: How is enrollment projected to change over the next decade?
A: Based on demographic projections compiled by the New Jersey Department of Education, Clementon Elementary School’s total PK–8 enrollment is projected to increase from 596 students (in 2023–2024) to a peak of 725 students in 2027–2028, before leveling out to approximately 700 students through 2033–2034. Overall, the district is preparing for long-term growth of over 100 additional students across PK–8.

Q: What is driving the sudden jump in total enrollment starting in 2027–2028?
A: The primary driver behind the overall enrollment increase is prekindergarten expansion. From 2023–2024 through 2026–2027, prekindergarten enrollment remains steady at 48 students due to space constraints. Starting in 2027–2028, prekindergarten capacity is projected to nearly triple to 135 students with increased space and remain at that expanded level through at least 2033–2034.

Q: Are elementary (K–5) and middle school (6–8) numbers expected to increase?A: No. Enrollment in grades K–8 is projected to remain relatively stable. Grades K–5 are projected to stay steady in the mid-to-high 300s (ranging from 350 to 380 students). Grades 6–8 are projected to gradually increase from 181 students in 2023–24 to a peak of 225 in 2031–32 before stabilizing around 211 students. Because K–8 enrollment remains stable, our facility planning heavily focuses on managing prekindergarten expansion and optimizing space across existing grade levels.

Q: What source was used to generate these enrollment projections?
A: The projections use the "Medium Model" based on October 15th official enrollment counts reported to the New Jersey Department of Education, with baseline figures provided directly by Clementon Public Schools. These estimates help district leaders plan responsibly for future staffing, operations, and facility needs.

Educational Impact & Staffing

Q: What positive developmental impacts does high-quality preschool provide for our children?
A: Expanding access to high-quality early education builds foundational skills in literacy, mathematics, and critical thinking while fostering essential social-emotional growth, behavioral self-regulation, and self-confidence. By providing equitable access early on, the program closes opportunity gaps and prepares children for long-term academic success in general education settings. While reading to children at home is exceptionally beneficial for vocabulary and bonding, high-quality preschool complements home reading by offering structured peer socialization, early screening for developmental needs, and specialized instruction that prepares students for the classroom environment.

Q: How does this project benefit our existing elementary and middle school students?
A: By relocating the preschool program to a dedicated early childhood education building, the district will create additional space within the existing school to better serve students in grades K–8. This expansion will allow the district to establish a dedicated sensory room for students with special needs, increase middle school elective offerings, and maintain smaller class sizes across the elementary grades to strengthen foundational learning and provide more individualized support for students.

Q: How is the district managing the ongoing staffing costs and hiring needs for the new Early Childhood Center?
A: Staffing decisions are evaluated carefully to ensure every position directly matches the educational, emotional, and cultural needs of our students while remaining fiscally responsible. Over the past three years, the district has prioritized hiring targeted, highly qualified professionals which include trauma-informed educators, staff experienced with our community’s socioeconomic landscape, and bilingual team members. Having bilingual staff ensures clear communication and strong connections with all families. The district continues to align staffing structures closely with student enrollment to maximize support without adding unnecessary overhead. In addition, all expenditures for the pre-k program are fully state-funded and are not funded on the local tax levy, which also benefits the existing k-12 population of Clementon.

Q: How will the district handle additional staffing costs for nurses, maintenance, and support roles, and is there a risk that future enrollment drops will leave the building underutilized?
A: The district is fully prepared to staff and operate the facility efficiently, supported by existing personnel and long-term demographic research. All core staff for the new building are already existing district employees whose positions are funded solely through state and grant dollars rather than local taxes, fulfilling a specific grant requirement. A current district nurse will relocate to the new site, our established maintenance team will transition to support the facility, and our existing Child Study Team (CST) will provide counseling and specialized services as needed without creating duplicate positions. Furthermore, comprehensive demographic studies project a steady, year-over-year increase in enrollment over the next ten years, ensuring the building will remain actively needed and fully utilized to serve Clementon families for the long term.

Have Questions?

Please email your questions directly to Mr. Bruno Berenato @ berenatob@clemsd.org. We will make every effort to reply in a timely manner.
Submit your question anonymously using this form. We will review and post relevant questions/answers on our FAQ page.

Clementon School District