Ocean City voters will go to the polls in a special school election on March 11 to decide on borrowing $2,497,421 to help pay for a renovation of a school built in 1965.
The school district received confirmation last week that the state will pay for 40 percent of the $5,998,198 project.
Touting his commitment to education, Gov. Chris Christie announced the funding in early December. But the state Department of Education could not confirm to Ocean City that the money was actually coming until late January.
The uncertainty left the Ocean City Board of Education with a scheduled election, but no idea how much it would be asking of taxpayers.
With the state paying $2.4 million and the district contributing about $1.1 million from a capital reserve fund, voters will be asked to fund the remaining $2.5 million through a bond issue.
The election will be 3 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, March 11. A public information session on the project is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 19, in the Community Room at Ocean City High School.
The project is planned for summer 2015, but the district hopes to take advantage of historically low interest rates by holding the bond referendum in March.
The school needs a new roof, heating and cooling systems, plumbing and electrical systems, windows and doors. It has no air-conditioning, and some of the windows are 48-year-old originals.
