MANASQUAN — The official results are in on the Manasquan School improvement bond referendum now that mail-in ballot counts have been completed on Feb. 6. The final results are 676 yes votes and 530 no votes for the $13.7M bond.
The next step for the Board of Education [BOE] to begin the improvements is to go out for bid for the construction company that will complete the upgrades, according to Business Administrator Peter Crawley. Currently, the BOE is speaking with their architects and financial advisors about the design work for the project and the next phase of the operation.
Mr. Crawley told The Coast Star that there are several different trades that need to be involved with completing the project due to the vast variety of construction, so there will be several different bids. He is hoping to start some small construction projects over the summer of 2023 and continue to complete any non disruptive projects over the school year. Other improvements will be constructed over the summer of 2024 and potentially the following year as well.
Mr. Crawley said the plan is to move quickly from this point and “get to work on securing the bond … hopefully secure a good competitive rate,” now that the results are finalized.
Superintendent Frank Kasyan shared his gratitude for residents showing their support for the bond.
“I’m just very proud of the community,” he said. “It was a great effort…people were actively engaged with making sure that this was a success.” He added that this is “what makes Manasquan magical” and that the referendum will “impact a decade of students.”
Board of Education President Alexis Pollock stated that she is “grateful to all the parents, teachers, administrators, board members, alumni and friends of the Manasquan School District who helped to inform their friends and neighbors about the referendum and to get out the vote.”
Eighty percent of the bond will cover improvements to the Manasquan Elementary School [MES] and 20 percent will go to improvements at the high school [MHS].
Check out our other Manasquan stories, updated daily. And remember to pick up a copy of The Coast Star—on newsstands Thursday or online in our e-Edition.
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