These Bergen districts are asking voters to OK millions for fields, classrooms and more

Four Bergen County school districts will hold referendums on Tuesday that ask voters to weigh in on school expansions, upgrades and repairs. Of the four, the biggest proposal comes from the Carlstadt-East Rutherford Regional High School District, which is looking for $55 million to fund a major expansion of Becton High School. Haworth, Midland Park and Northern Highlands are also holding elections.

Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., and drop boxes are located throughout Bergen County. Although drop boxes are available 24 hours a day, ballots must be placed in them by 8 p.m. on election night. For a list of drop box locations, visit the Bergen County Board of Elections website.

Becton Regional High School

The proposed $55 million expansion to the Henry P. Becton Regional High School campus would add STEM labs, a facility to learn trade skills and increased resources for special education students, among other amenities. It also would accommodate hundreds of new students from Maywood in grades 9-12 who are entering the Carlstadt-East Rutherford district after Maywood ended its sending relationship with Hackensack High School.

The expansion would cost the typical taxpayer $176.17 annually in East Rutherford and $171.80 in Carlstadt, school officials said.

With the addition of students from Maywood, Becton's enrollment is expected to grow from about 480 students in previous years to more than 900 when the transition is complete. Maywood pays more than $10,000 in tuition per student.

The 90,000-square-foot expansion, if approved, would include an addition to the main high school building that would host six STEM industrial labs with a rooftop solar observatory.

Across the street, a new building named the Bec Tech Vocational & Trades Building would allow students to learn about trades such as electrical, masonry, plumbing, automotive, HVAC, green construction, welding, carpentry and woodwork.

Haworth school district

The Haworth school district is asking voters to approve $8.3 million in additions and renovations to its sole, K-8 school building. The money would pay for four additional classrooms for flexible use, space for pre-K classes and special-needs students, an expanded, regulation-size gym with bleacher seating, and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) areas.

Of the proposed amount, $2 million is available from the district's capital reserve fund, and state aid would cover approximately $500,000. Borrowing for the project would increase taxes on an average home assessed at $630,000 by $297 annually.

Midland Park school district

Voters will weigh in on a proposed $5.6 million to install synthetic turf fields and modify and upgrade existing fields to address drainage issues.

If the measure is approved, a new synthetic turf field would be installed at the Midland Park High School stadium with a drainage system tied into the stormwater system. Light poles would be installed and the fencing modified.

Schiffer Field would get new multipurpose synthetic turf fields, new dugouts, lighting and fences.

The natural grass Lower Sunset Field would be regraded and get a new irrigation system.

The two synthetic fields would cost approximately $5.1 million and upgrades to the grass field would cost $516,000.

New Jersey is expected to kick in $370,000 toward the projects. The district's capital fund would contribute $350,000.

Because the current bond obligation is "rolling off," taxes would rise about $151 per year for the average home, assessed at $400,000, if the proposal is approved. However, if voters reject the measure, taxes would decrease by about $140 as previous bonds are paid off.

Northern Highlands Regional High School District

Voters will weigh in on an $8.8 million spending proposal for improvements, classroom renovations and a new multipurpose field house, among other items, at the regional high school in Allendale.

Highlights of the proposal are a $3.8 million two-story field house on the site of former tennis courts and a $3.1 million renovation of its Lower Field east of the high school. An additional $1.9 million in renovations are proposed for the school's art room, television room, planetarium and library/media center. Four classrooms would be retrieved by moving the school's sports exercise facilities to the new field house.

The regional school was formed by Allendale and Upper Saddle River and includes students from Saddle River and Ho-Ho-Kus on a send/receive basis. Only voters from Allendale and Upper Saddle River will vote in the referendum.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: What you should know as Bergen NJ schools plan referendums March 15