The Lawrence Township Board of Education voted to file a bond referendum question with Mercer County and to accept the state's preliminary eligible costs, formal steps that put a March school construction referendum on the ballot.

Board Secretary Tom Eldridge said the district received more state aid than anticipated and reiterated that "the only way Lawrence Township Public Schools receives assistance from the state is through debt service aid," adding that "to receive debt service aid, you must bond." He told the board a successful vote would allow the district to raise funds through bonding to carry out a facility-focused educational program.

The board's action accepts the state's preliminary eligible costs (PEC) for the district's projects and authorizes staff to file the referendum question with the Mercer County Clerk. The board also approved the set polling times and other ministerial steps needed to place the question before voters.

Why it matters: Approval of these resolutions formally begins the legal and administrative process required to take a bond issue to a public vote. If voters approve the referendum, the district may issue bonds that trigger state debt service aid for eligible construction work.

During the meeting Board President Michelle Bose said the district will undertake an outreach program to inform voters. "The public can expect many forms of messaging," Bose said, and the board scheduled two public engagement events: a community conversation for middle- and high-school families on Jan. 14 in the Lawrence High School media center and a districtwide town forum on Feb. 4 in the Lawrence Middle School auditorium.

The board record shows limited debate on the resolutions; school business staff summarized the PECs and state aid increase and answered procedural questions. No changes to the projects or cost estimates were recorded during the meeting.

Votes at a glance: The board moved and approved two SPM resolutions (SPM 1: submission of the referendum question; SPM 2: acceptance of the preliminary eligible costs). The motions were moved by school business staff (mover not otherwise identified in the transcript) and carried on voice/roll call votes by the full board present.

Next steps: Following the board's vote the district will file the referendum question with county officials and continue community outreach and information sessions ahead of the district's scheduled election date for the referendum. Specific ballot language, final project lists, tax-impact estimates and official filing documents were not read into the record at this meeting and are "not specified" in the transcript.