In a rare move, residents of Abington School District narrowly approved a $285 million plan to build a brand-new middle school, writes Maddie Hanna for the Philadelphia Inquirer.
The ballot question passed by just 385 votes—8,941 in favor to 8,556 against—clearing the way for one of the largest voter-approved school construction projects in state history.
The plan comes with a price tag for taxpayers: the average household will pay about $54 more per month. District officials have said renovating the current aging facility would still cost over $200 million, while urgent repairs alone would top $100 million and also require borrowing.
The referendum followed months of public debate. Supporters rallied behind the slogan “Vote Yes to Invest,” calling the project essential for modern education and long-term property values. Critics argued the cost was too high and the plans too vague.
With the vote now official, Abington joins a short list: since 2006, just 2 out of 20 Pennsylvania school funding referendums have passed, according to the PA Association of School Business Officials.
To learn more about the next steps for Abington, visit the Philadelphia Inquirer.
