School bond referendum fails

Sparta voters turned down a proposal to issue bonds to finance $82.3 million in projects at all five district schools, according to unofficial results of the vote Tuesday, Sept. 16.

The Sussex County Clerk’s Office reported 2,102 “no” votes, about 62 percent of those cast.

Nearly 20 percent of the 17,146 registered voters in Sparta cast ballots in the bond referendum.

School district officials had said some of the projects would have to be done even if the referendum failed. Those include upgrades to heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC), electrical and other systems.

The officials had emphasized that the state would pay $16.9 million, or about 20 percent of the total, if the referendum was approved.

Among the proposed projects was a 46,625-square-foot addition at Alpine School, which officials said is overcrowded.

In the referendum was approved, the owner of the average home in Sparta, which is assessed at $372,229, would have paid about $336 more a year starting in 2026.