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ERIC Number: ED549245
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2012
Pages: 277
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: 978-1-2673-9138-4
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
An Analysis of the New Jersey Public School District School Bond Referendum Process: A Historical Case Study of the Egg Harbor Township School District Bond Referendum of 2004-05
Werner, Michael J.
ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, University of Pennsylvania
This dissertation presents a historical case study of the Egg Harbor Township School District bond referendum that passed with an exceptionally high 92 percent of votes in January 2005. The methodology used in this study resulted in both an examination of the components of the New Jersey Public School District bond referendum process as well as an analysis of these components that led to this particular referendum's passage. The school bond referendum of 2005 secured the funds necessary for the rapidly developing community of Egg Harbor Township to build two new primary (K-1) schools and add an expansion to the high school. In this study, data were collected from volunteered participants using an online questionnaire, open-ended questions and interviews. Participants were selected for this study based on their perceptions and involvement in this school bond referendum campaign. Of the thirty-four participants, four groups of stakeholders were identified--(1) Egg Harbor Township School Board and Strategic Planning Committee Members, (2) Egg Harbor Township School District Administrators, (3) Employees of the Private Sector (School Design and Marketing Firms), and (4) Employees from the New Jersey Pinelands Commission. Documents, including published newsletters mailed to residents, approved school design plans, proposed referendum costs, and Egg Harbor Township demographic data were collected and studied to identify and analyze the factors that contributed to the referendum's passage. The literature on public school bond referenda have conveyed that a number of different factors exist that can influence the outcome of a vote. Four predictors of referenda, borrowed from an earlier study, considered for this dissertation included: (I) Educational Culture, (2) Tax Revolt (i.e., Taxpayer Willingness to Pay), (3) Taxpayer Capacity to Pay, and (4) Voter Turnout. The findings of this research are geared to assist public school administrators and school board members with planning and preparing for a school bond referendum campaign. With an enhanced understanding of how to acquire passage for a school bond referendum, it was a goal of my research to improve a public school district's ability to prepare strategies to keep their facilities updated for current and future generations of students. As public school building designs continue to evolve with educational trends, and the costs of public school construction and renovation remain a local responsibility, understanding how to secure the local funding will continue to take an administrative precedence in the planning of public school facilities. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]
ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway, P.O. Box 1346, Ann Arbor, MI 48106. Tel: 800-521-0600; Web site: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml
Publication Type: Dissertations/Theses - Doctoral Dissertations
Education Level: Primary Education; Early Childhood Education; High Schools; Secondary Education; Elementary Education; Elementary Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: New Jersey
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A