Livingston Superintendent Mark Stern told the Board of Education on Tuesday, Oct. 13, that the district's proposed $228 million school construction referendum is "a necessary investment at the right time."

Stern's remarks, reported by the West Essex Tribune, came as the district advances a bond proposal that would add 61 classrooms and could raise property taxes by roughly $1,000 a year for the average homeowner.

"This proposed referendum is a necessary investment at the right time, grounded in data and benefits to our physical and programmatic opportunities for students, teachers, staff and community members," Stern said at the meeting.

The bond would fund new construction at Heritage Middle School (34 classrooms), Livingston High School (20 classrooms), Harrison and Hillside Elementary Schools (three each) and Burnet Hill Elementary School (one), according to NJ.com, which reported the financial details in July. The plan also calls for a 16,523-square-foot addition to Mount Pleasant Elementary for a dedicated pre-K center and would convert Mount Pleasant Middle School into an elementary school with 18 classrooms.

The pressure is enrollment.

The district says it currently has 463 students classified as "unhoused," meaning enrollment exceeds building capacity. That number is projected to reach 1,116 by the 2030-2031 school year, according to the district's referendum resources page. Several approved housing developments are driving the growth, including Canterly Place (300 apartments), 70 S. Orange Ave. (221 apartments) and Esplanade Livingston (160 units).

For a home assessed at Livingston's average value of $729,272, property taxes would rise an estimated $1,015 to $1,130 per year, depending on how the borrowing is structured. Phoenix Advisors representative Sherry Tracey presented those figures to the board on July 14, NJ.com reported.

The district expects roughly $20.7 million in state aid to offset costs, though the final amount could change after projects are submitted for state review. Livingston schools still carry about $50.9 million in outstanding bond debt, scheduled to be fully retired by 2038.

In July, Stern had described the figures as preliminary. "All the numbers we talk about are preliminary," he said at the July 14 meeting, as NJ.com reported at the time. On Oct. 13, he called the referendum "a necessary investment at the right time."

Residents are expected to vote on the referendum on April 20, 2027.

The district encourages residents to send questions to [email protected].