Buying Westminster Not A Solution To Princeton Schools Current Needs: BOE
PRINCETON, NJ — While the Municipal Council made public its plans to purchase the Westminster Choir College (WCC) campus last week, the Princeton Board of Education said they intend to go ahead with their referendum plans as the district needs are more imminent.
The ordinance that was introduced last week mentioned that the purchase of the WCC would help serve Princeton Public Schools among other Municipal Departments.
During a special meeting held last week, BOE president Dafna Kendal read out a statement saying the high school’s proximity to the Westminster Choir College property “makes it a unique opportunity” for schools.
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However, this plan was considered in the past as well.
“In 2017, the Board looked into purchasing the property for school expansion. However, after a review by counsel and architects, it was determined that the property would be in litigation for many years. The Board withdrew its offer to purchase the property and, with the community’s approval, successfully pursued other plans to increase capacity at Princeton High School and Princeton Middle School,” Kendal said.
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In the past week, the BOE has received queries on how the purchase would solve the schools’ pressing capacity issues.
“After review and discussion with our counsel and architects, and with deference to the judicial process, we think it is likely that it will be at least a few years before the ownership of this property has been completely settled and utilization of the property can truly begin to be discussed,” Kendal said.
“As a public board of education, there are also various educational facility requirements that need to be satisfied, and approvals obtained, as a prerequisite to the acquisition and/or use of a building for educational purposes, all of which take time.”
Princeton classrooms are currently at or near capacity. And because of this, the Board will continue with their plans for a referendum in early 2025 to expand capacity schools.
“We still believe this referendum is the most cost-effective, sustainable, and timely approach to meet the rising enrollment in our schools. Without this timely referendum, we would need to consider other options including trailers and redistricting to solve the district’s current needs,” Kendal said.
“As our community grows, we are excited to welcome new students to our schools.”
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