PASCACK PRESS LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Speaking out against school bond

To the editor: T

HE HILLSDALESCHOOL referendum vote in March will be the largest tax increase Hillsdale has seen in decades. If the average home assessed value is $474,172 will see an increase of $95 a month for the next 30 years, how much is it going to cost a month for a home assessed at $600,000 or even $700,000?

This referendum tax is in addition to all other taxes in your tax bill. Hillsdale Public Schools is 45.2% of your total tax bill. Pascack Valley Regional is 24.4% of your tax bill. Municipal and county taxes are the remainder. This referendum is in addition to all the other increases we get each year.

How will this increase affect our local businesses in our downtown?

Everyoneʼs tax bill will go up significantly. Sadly, the people who can least afford this kind of tax increase will be affected the most.

A bond for $82.7 million over 30 years for one new building [the proposed replacement of George G. White School] is not financially responsible for the district. Has the Hillsdale Board of Education forgotten about the two other schools in Hillsdale? [Ann Blanche] Smith School is 68 years old, isnʼt it plausible that the school will need some type of capital improvements over the next 30 years?

I can not believe that this district will be able to go 30 years without bonding additional projects. No town, school or city has an unlimited borrowing capacity and as residents we can only afford so much before we are forced to move, cut expenses or make other drastic cuts at home.

There were other options to refurbish and expand the existing school that would have resulted in millions of dollars more in state aid.

The Hillsdale Board of Education made the decision to proceed with the most expensive option with the least amount of state aid while patting themselves on the back that they got $5.4 million in state aid. If the current George White building is in such disrepair, why are the students allowed to remain in the building? Why are they allowed to stay in the building until project completion of the new building across the street? If the school is “out of time” why has the Board of Education not performed necessary equipment upgrades and repairs over the years?

Erin Hampton Hillsdale

NOTE: Letter submission deadline is 11 a.m. Wednesday for the following Monday’s paper. Publication not guaranteed. Subject to editing. Email topascackpress@thepressgroup.net.

Let’s keep George G. White school

To the editor:

NOTE:Hillsdale Public Schools says on its comprehensive “Road to Referendum” web portal in part that the Hillsdale Board of Education will ask voters on Tuesday, March 14 for permission to borrow $82.7 million to replace the century-old George G. White Middle School. “Because there are more students, GW is out of space. Age has put GW out of date. Together, those factors mean Hillsdale is out of time to continue delaying action.”

EDITORʼS

IRECEIVEDA “glossy sales brochure” on the need for an all new middle school in Hillsdale. I am a 48-year resident and I recently viewed the slides prepared by the Hillsdale Board of Education to justify their project. I was shocked to see the condition of the building depicted in the slides. There is no other word to describe this other than neglected. My three children all attended White School, and my wife was a substitute teacher there for years.

I question what the BOE has