Staff member outlines timeline and benefits of proposed Moorestown school referendum

A staff member for the Moorestown Township Public School District outlined the timeline and aims for a proposed school referendum, saying the district is "waiting to hear back from the state" before the board chooses which projects to place on the ballot. "When we hear back from the state, the board will then be left with the decision as, okay, what do we keep? What do we let go?" the staff member said.

The staff member said the district could present the referendum as a single question or split it into two questions to separate larger items from smaller, ancillary additions. "It could be 1 question... And the voters will then vote on that question," the staff member said, noting that ballot language must be decided and approved by Jan. 11, 60 days before the proposed vote. The staff member said the vote, if the referendum goes forward, "would be on 03/11/2025."

On who may cast ballots, the staff member said registered voters age 18 and older are eligible, adding that seniors at the high school who are 18 and registered would be able to vote. Voters will be able to cast ballots in person or vote ahead of time by mail, the staff member said, and urged community turnout: "We would encourage everybody, to get out in this community and vote, their conscience in terms of what it is that they believe."

If approved, the staff member said the referendum would fund campus changes intended to ease parking and expand athletic facilities. "Part of this is, the creation of more space on the high school campus that will allow for additional parking and safer parking and additional athletic facilities that'll be here," the staff member said. The plan also calls for moving buildings and grounds to a separate bus depot to free up an entire wing at the high school for expanded educational programming.

The staff member described ongoing outreach to explain the proposal, saying there has been "a great deal of community engagement" and offering to meet with local groups to answer questions. The staff member added a personal note that, while they do not live in Moorestown, "in these 2 years here, it became very apparent to me that this is a district and a community that cares a great deal about their kids and a great deal about their school system."

No formal decision to place a referendum on the ballot was recorded in this discussion; the timetable and ballot composition remain contingent on the state response the staff member referenced.