Pitman Public Schools - VOTE Tuesday, January 28
Here in Pitman, we are filled with pride in our schools and town. Generations of Pitman residents have invested in our schools and children, and The Board of Education aims to continue that tradition and build on the mission of Pitman School District to educate all students through exceptional learning experiences.
Our work to ensure our future is as bright as our past means addressing our aging school buildings – in fact, our youngest building, Pitman Jr./Sr. High School, is already over 50 years old! Maintaining these buildings means they will remain community assets for future generations of Pitman. That is critical to sustaining the strength and overall appeal of our town and district.
The special election on Tuesday, January 28 is a key part of that strategy because a voter-approved referendum would allow us to:
- Capture 34% state aid that is only available to districts that get approval of a referendum from voters in their town.
- Ensure our schools and building systems are well-maintained, comfortable, running efficiently, and safe for students, staff, and the community who use them.
- Complete infrastructure projects now, while spreading the payments over time, like how a homeowner borrows money for home repairs.
POLLS OPEN 6 AM - 8 PM
Projects at a Glance
Question 1
At Pitman Elementary, the current steam boilers, which are at least 80 years old, would be converted to new high-efficiency, gas-fired hydronic boilers to heat our school. The current patchwork of aging systems and parts would be replaced to create a cohesive system for heating and ventilation in the schools. Not only are these systems more energy and fuel efficient, they also lay groundwork that would be needed to air condition the school, if the second question passes.
Seven bathrooms at the elementary school also would be renovated to be more functional for the young students who use them.
At the Jr./Sr. High School, the track, which is sinking, and the auditorium/event parking lot off Waverly Avenue would be completely reconstructed. Additionally, other drainage issues between the track and parking lot would be addressed through repairs and replacement to underground piping. We would also replace half of the school’s roof, which is 20 years old and no longer under warranty.
Current Boiler at Pitman Elementary School
Current Restroom at Pitman Elementary School
Question 2
Approval of the second question would bring air conditioning to Pitman Elementary to provide year-round comfort for the students, staff, and community members who use the building. Researchers from the Harvard Kennedy School also link increases in classroom temperature to learning loss, making air conditioning more of an essential feature of our schools rather than a luxury. This would replace window units, which don’t allow for proper ventilation and air exchange. The Jr./Sr. High School secured funding for air conditioning upgrades as part of a state grant, and this work would continue toward our goal of air conditioning more spaces in the district.
At the Jr./Sr. High School, approval of this question would also create a dedicated security vestibule where visitors would be more securely screened before entering the building.
While not part of the referendum, the district still plans to use funds from the regular budget to install a security vestibule at PES - meaning that all Pitman schools would have these vestibules by 2026.
Current Entrance at Pitman Jr/Sr High School
Current Fans at Pitman Elementary School
State Aid + Good Timing
If these projects were completed through the district's annual operating budget, they would take decades to come to fruition and would not benefit from 34% state aid. The Board of Education carefully chose projects for the referendum that maximize state aid to help offset costs for the local community.
By timing the referendum with the final payments from the 2009 referendum, we can continue to invest in Pitman Public Schools to ensure our school buildings can last for another 100 years or more.
* Many of these projects were identified as part of the Strategic Plan process. Thank you to so many in our community who took time to engage in that process, visit our schools, and help us generate a list of projects that could be turned into a realistic referendum plan!
