More school referendums possible for Verona

Verona residents may have to brace for another referendum coming their way.

Board of Education members preached the importance of planning ahead and responsible spending, which could lead to a referendum.

“… As we  get ahead of the wave in our buildings and grounds work, we want to responsibly plan for the future so maintenance doesn't reach the sort of immediate action we had to take in the past,” Board of Education President John Quattrocchi said.

Verona voters approved a $15 million referendum in 2014 that included remediation of the high school fields, a new music room at the high school, technology upgrades through the district, and other renovations. 

A future potential referendum would be for a smaller amount of money than the 2014 version, according to Quattrocchi. District officials will examine the possibility through the summer and into the autumn months, he continued. 

AROUND TOWN: Co-worker thanks Verona man for lifesaving moment

VERONA: Anthony Fasano Bocce Bash returns to Verona Park

Some of the items that could be addressed would be roof and window replacements, renovation of the stage riggings at all six schools, and replacement of the H.B. Whitehorne track surface, the board president said. 

“Those three things, they’re emergent but they’re not dire,” he added.

In 2005, district officials hired an engineer to perform an analysis of maintenance needs for Verona. The study showed around $67 million in remediation needed. In 2006, voters approved a $33 million referendum before the 2014 one, which still left around $19 million in repairs.

“In addition, it’s now 12 years of further wear and tear on our infrastructure,” observed Quattrocchi.

The district's newest building, Verona High School, is around 70 years old.

Rather than go for the large referendums such as in 2006 and 2014, the plan could be to do smaller but more frequent bonding approvals, he explained. 

Board member Glenn Elliott called it the responsible way to plan ahead.

“We don’t want to wait until we have to issue a referendum for $30 million,” Elliott said. “We want to do a little bit at a time.”

Email: jongsma@northjersey.com