Lawrence referendum will give universal AC to schools
LAWRENCE » Power to the people of Lawrence Township, who will determine next week whether local property taxes shall be increased to help finance over $25 million in districtwide school improvements that would make the buildings safer and classrooms more comfortable.
If the township’s voting base approves a referendum in next Tuesday’s special election, Lawrence homeowners will pay an estimated $30 more in annual school taxes for every $100,000 of assessed property value, a taxpayer investment that would bolster education facilities.
The tax hike, if approved, would provide every classroom in Lawrence Public Schools with air conditioning and ensure each school building is retrofitted with important security measures. Voter approval of the referendum would also require the state to pay 40 percent of the $25.1 million price tag thanks to a cost-sharing agreement that would lessen the financial burden on local property owners.
Nearly $21 million of the referendum is dedicated to transforming the district into an air conditioning haven where all classrooms would have access to cool breezes during heat waves, which would provide an unprecedented level of comfort to Lawrence Public Schools in the spring and summer months.
“The district has heard repeatedly the community’s desire for us to provide air conditioning in spaces not currently air conditioned,” the school district says in its January 2018 newsletter. “On hot, humid days, temperatures in some classrooms without air conditioning routinely reach 90 degrees… not an environment that promotes learning. Installing air conditioning is the largest cost in the proposed referendum.”
Lawrence Township is a 22-square-mile municipality with approximately 22,000 residents who live in owner-occupied households and 8,300 who live in renter-occupied housing units, according to U.S. Census data. The public school system in Lawrence is composed of four elementary schools, one intermediate school, one middle school and one high school, and the district educates about 4,000 students in grades pre-kindergarten through 12.
All seven schools and the district’s central administration building would collectively receive over $3 million in security upgrades if the referendum passes.
“Schools will be safer due to better security measures such as security vestibules, alarms when doors are propped open, modern access controls that automatically lock down a building when necessary, paging systems that allow for announcements made remotely, and a phone system that will be more efficient and reliable,” the district says in a referendum information guide.
In addition to the universal air conditioning and security upgrades, voter approval of the referendum would also lead to boiler replacements at Lawrence Middle School and Lawrence High School, replacement of windows and exterior siding and improvements to entrance stairs and ramps at the four elementary schools and installation of a new elevator and restroom renovations at Lawrence Middle School. If the referendum passes, “The daily environment, specifically air quality, will improve due to temperature control, filtering and air exchange, all of which create a better and more healthy learning environment,” the district says in the information guide. “Elevator installation will provide access to all levels of the Middle School for students, staff and visitors with mobility challenges. Boiler replacements maintain the buildings and provide efficiency and reliability.” Historically, air-conditioning has been highly common in Southern U.S. public schools and not so common in the Northeast, but studies suggest access to air-conditioning plays an increasingly important role in promoting quality education in the modern age of information technology. “Air-conditioning is no longer a luxury for schools if they want to effectively operate in hot weather or use computers,” the U.S. General Accounting Office says in an April 1995 report when New Jersey had 21.8 percent of its schools fitted with classroom air-conditioning. “Moreover, in recent years, researchers have pointed to a relationship — although inconclusive — between certain environmental conditions and student learning. In particular, air-conditioning has been cited as affecting learning.”
Hamilton comparison
Voters in the neighboring Hamilton Township School District overwhelmingly approved a $55.4 million referendum last Sep-