Voters reject $10M plan for Sterling High, OK Paulsboro spending

Voters sunk a measure Tuesday to make facility improvements at Sterling High School in Camden County that would have required increases in real estate taxes.

In Paulsboro, Gloucester County, voters said yes to higher taxes to improve schools.

The Sterling tally was 620 against and 538 in favor, said John Keenan, the municipal clerk for Stratford and Magnolia. Those numbers included mail-in ballots.

The Sterling question sought voters' approval of renovations including roof replacement, heating and air-conditioning replacement, new security doors, and improvements to athletic and performing-arts facilities.

The project was projected to cost $10.4 million and was eligible for $4.58 million from the state.

In Magnolia, the owner of a home assessed at the average of $147,021 would have seen a $63.88 tax increase. The taxes on a $136,103 Somerdale home would have gone up $54.71. The owner of a $157,067 home in Stratford would have paid $68.48 more.

The Paulsboro improvements were decided in two steps, each of which was approved.

The first included various improvements at the high school and elementary school, including roof replacement, heating-system repair, remediation of drainage problems, and security systems for each school.

The total projected cost was $7 million, with $4.99 million to come from the state.

The vote was 278 in favor, 63 against.

The second proposal was eligible for approval only if the first passed. It called for improvements to the high school track and tennis courts, and the baseball field and basketball court near the elementary school. The total amount is $1.1 million.

For both, the taxes on a home with the district's average assessment of $113,387 would increase $34 a year.

The vote was 239-10.