Abington voters said yes to a $285 million middle school, in what may be largest-ever Pa. school referendum
The referendum is expected to eventually cost the average taxpayer $54 a month.
Abington School District voters on Tuesday cleared the way for the district to build a new $285 million middle school, approving a ballot question authorizing borrowing the money.
The referendum, which passed with 8,941 votes in favor compared to 8,556 against, is believed to be the largest approved in Pennsylvania.
The project will eventually cost the average taxpayer $54 a month, according to the district.
A district spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday.
The ballot question followed a planning process to consider options for the aging Abington Middle School that began in 2023. It spurred dueling campaigns, with residents opposing the proposed building as too expensive and lacking concrete plans.
Supporters, promoting a “Vote Yes to Invest” message, touted the project as critical to the district’s future, both for educational benefits and property values.
They also pointed to consequences of not approving the measure. The school district had said that renovating the existing middle school would still cost $206 million; urgent repairs would cost more than $100 million and also require the district to borrow money, officials said.
School referendums are relatively unusual in Pennsylvania, and typically don’t succeed: Of 20 proposed since 2006, just two have passed, according to the Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officials.