Mahwah superintendent: reassessment separate from March 10 referendum; construction would start in 2027 if approved

Doctor Detorno, the district superintendent, told the Mahwah Board of Education on March 4 that the townwide property reassessment is separate from the bond referendum scheduled for March 10 and will not change the tax obligation used in the referendum’s financial calculations. “The reassessment that’s taking place is separate and apart from this referendum,” he said.

Detorno said the referendum financials were prepared using current assessed values and that a later change in assessed value would not change the homeowner obligation as shared in the district’s formula. He repeated that the referendum figures “are specific to your current assessed value,” adding that changes after the reassessment would not retroactively alter the referendum obligation.

The superintendent also outlined the project schedule architects prepared for items included in the referendum. “If March 10 is a positive vote, we will begin immediately with finalizing the plans and doing all the things that we need to have shovels in the ground in 2027,” he said, and estimated that the collective program of projects would run about four to five years. Detorno said most work can proceed while school is in session and that the district will coordinate with building administrators to minimize instructional disruption; he identified the auditorium renovation as the one project most likely to affect instruction and said the district is planning a timeline to reduce that impact.

Board member Mister De Silva, during later remarks, advised residents confused about assessed value versus market value that reassessment does not automatically mean higher taxes for every homeowner: an individual homeowner’s tax bill could rise only if that property’s assessment rises more than others. “If everybody goes up equally, taxes stay the same,” he said.

Why it matters: Voters are set to decide the bond referendum on March 10. The board’s clarification aims to separate two distinct issues that have caused public confusion — the townwide reassessment and the district’s proposed borrowing — and to provide a timeline for when construction could begin if voters approve the measure.

What’s next: The district has scheduled outreach and Q&A opportunities for residents before the vote and will proceed with planning immediately if the referendum passes.