What's next for Palisades Park schools after public rejects $61 million plan?

PALISADES PARK — School officials are planning to meet with the borough administration to work together after a $61 million proposal to address old and overcrowded schools was rejected by voters Tuesday. 

The vote was overwhelming — 819 to 309 — Tuesday against the proposal, which would have included major upgrades to the schools and additional classroom space. 

While $17.2 million would have come from the state, the rest would be shouldered by local homeowners and raise taxes $372 per year on the average home, assessed at $490,000.

"We want to work together and ensure the health and well-being of the children, faculty and staff," said Joseph Cirillo, superintendent of schools. "It's unfortunate the vote went the way it did. The community was very much heard with the number opposed to it." 

Cirillo said he has been in touch with Borough Administrator David Lorenzo and Mayor Christopher Chung and is waiting for a meeting with them to discuss the next steps. 

The council was vocally against the referendum measure, and Democrats Michael Vietri and Son "Andy" Min, who won reelection to the council, sent out campaign flyers encouraging residents to vote against the proposal. 

"We will continue dialogue with the borough and hope to have a better outcome in the future," Cirillo said. "We also need to consider the population and growth in our community. Renovations are very well needed, but so is expansion."

The growing population, Lorenzo said, shouldn't be a surprise and is something the Board of Education should have been working to address. 

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"It was neglect on their part to address this, but we will do our best to work with them to reach a medium outcome," Lorenzo said. "We are looking for the best interest of all and not just a knee-jerk reaction from inexperienced and inept board members and advisers." 

Last school year's graduating senior class had 92 students, but the incoming kindergarten class had 168 students. The district has a total of 1,800 students, 200 of them in preschool and kindergarten, this school year.

On a walk through the elementary school last week, Cirillo pointed out rooms where fifth-grade teachers said their class sizes were 32 or 34 students. The state Department of Education recommends a cap of 23 students in fifth-grade classrooms in low-income districts.

"None of this happened overnight," Lorenzo said. "We didn't just wake up this year and say it is overpopulated."

Kristie Cattafi is a local reporter for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

Email: cattafi@northjersey.com Twitter: @KristieCattafi