Wednesday, October 08, 2003

By Shawn Menzies smenzies@sjnewsco.com

WOOLWICH TWP. -- Three of the five voting districts in the Kingsway Regional School District approved a $16.9 million bond question, unofficial results report. Approving the measure by 57 votes, four municipalities cast ballots in the Kingsway school construction referendum on Sept. 30 -- the townships of East Greenwich, South Harrison, and Woolwich, which has two voting districts; and Swedesboro.

The tally -- unofficial until Gloucester County election officials record several provisional ballots -- was 1,226 for the proposal, or 51 percent, and 1,169 against, or 48 percent. Election officials said the remaining provisional ballots -- about 12 -- would not change the outcome of the vote. The breakdown for each voting district is as follows, according to county election officials: n In East Greenwich Township, voters approved the question by an overall vote of 574 to 461. Ten absentee ballots were split 5 to 5. n In Swedesboro, residents defeated the bond question 88 to 153. Absentee ballots accounted for 2 votes for and 1 vote against. n In District 1 in Woolwich Township, voters approved the question 175 to 146; but in District 2, voters defeated it 195 to 179. The two districts totaled 1 absentee vote in favor and 7 against. n In South Harrison Township, voters approved the question by 2 votes, 209 to 207. Two absentee votes were in favor, while one was against.

The approval of the bond question in the Kingsway district moves forward a plan to purchase land and construct a new 800-student middle school, along with improvements to the existing high school building, all designed by the Mt. Laurel architectural firm of Garrison Architects. The total cost for the project is $24.8 million. The state will pay $7.9 million of the project, leaving the local share at $16.9 million, officials said. The question was approved with 20 percent of all eligible voters participating.