Science labs at the ​middle and high schools are more than outdated; some equipment is non-functional as age has taken its toll. Many sinks are not usable. Technology to support experimentation is lacking. Rooms were not designed to support the hands-on, inquiry-based approach that is central to modern laboratory science and experimentation. Equipment and design shortcomings prevent the instruction of higher-level courses like Advanced Placement Chemistry. 

Renovations would include new equipment and furnishings to support the teaching of technical and experimentation skills. New ceilings, flooring, light fixtures, cabinets and HVAC would bring those labs into the modern era. The new layout would be more flexible for both the students and teachers, and it would meet guidelines of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

The high school Media Center is primarily dedicated to book storage, limiting its potential as a modern, flexible space for collaboration, innovation, and learning — a transformation our students deserve. This space could be home to programs such as Digital Arts or Broadcast Journalism, and activities like that require more open space. 

Reimagine the Media Center with a new, flexible layout with an open floor plan and one classroom available for general use. That would allow more courses in this academic area, while continuing to showcase books. It would include a TV studio with broadcasting capabilities, editing booths, control rooms and storage rooms. For maximum flexibility, the new Media Center would have a College & Careers Center to help students explore their future paths. With a new ceiling, light fixtures, flooring, wall treatments and HVAC, this space would transform from a book storage site to a center of interactive learning. 

NPSD has put operating budget funds toward the high school’s auditorium, but those are not enough to overcome the wear and tear that room has endured over decades of heavy use. The stage’s wood flooring had already buckled from water damage before severe rain in July 2025 damaged it beyond repair. In 2021, the auditorium gained a new sound system and stage lighting; the rest of the auditorium is lacking.

More significant improvements require more funding than can be carved from the everyday budget. The Zero Tax Impact Referendum is an opportunity to make those improvements without raising the property tax rate associated with school debt.

Insurance funds are expected to pay a share of the costs to rebuild the stage. (See flood-related FAQs.) With voter approval, bond funds would be used to enlarge it and install a new curtain. Flooring and some seating was also damaged, so insurance and bond funds could be combined for replacements. Legally, the referendum plan cannot be changed even though the insurance evaluation may not be complete by the vote date.

New seating would include options for people who use wheelchairs, scooters and rolling walkers. A new ceiling, flooring and light fixtures would give this community asset a much-needed facelift. Along newly painted walls, new panels would enhance the room’s acoustics -- helping students sound even better during performances.

Modernized, what we now call the Home Ec room would be redesigned with a series of multi-function stations to minimize traffic and maximize concentration. Appliances that are about 50 years old would be replaced. The room would gain safety features such as cooking hoods with fire suppression systems. A new ceiling, flooring and light fixtures; new cabinets; and new HVAC systems would transform the room to be safer and more versatile.The new design and equipment would allow our students to access a Culinary Arts program similar to their peers in other New Jersey high schools. 

The high school’s locker rooms are used daily for required Physical Education courses and athletics. The tiles, the floor, the plumbing and the actual lockers have not been updated in 34 years. Showers are no longer operational. ​More than a cosmetic concern, the boys and girls locker rooms were designed with tall columns of lockers in the middle of the space. Today those are recognized as barriers to a security sightline. 

Reconfiguring those rooms with new lockers would improve security; it would also enhance accessibility. Plumbing and ventilation would be updated to make the showers usable. Overall, the updated locker rooms would reflect the caliber of North Plainfield athletics and match the quality of our athletic facilities.

Two-stage vestibules are the standard in school security, letting a person come into an enclosed entryway for screening before gaining access to the entire school. The middle school and intermediate school have them. For equity, the referendum proposes building them at all three elementary schools and the high school.

Also at the high school, the interior could be redesigned to improve security. The main office, the nurse's office and the guidance office would be reconfigured so these well used spaces could optimize student engagement and maintain traffic flow while appropriately restricting wide access. 

These measures would be the continuation of NPSD’s intent to make schools as secure as possible. Observation cameras are in place throughout the schools and funds are earmarked each year to expand their coverage. The middle school piloted a screening system to check visitors’ identification against databases, and NPSD just ordered the same systems for all schools.

NPSD used federal, pandemic-related funding to replace systems for HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) in three schools. The newer system at Somerset Intermediate does not need to be replaced at this time. 

The September 16 ballot proposes to bring equal attention to East End and West End Elementary Schools. Those systems are 30 to 40 years old, and upgrades would help the district move away from a repair-as-we-go existence to more stability for the everyday operating budget. 

A comprehensive, electronically controlled HVAC system would eliminate the use of window air conditioning units in East End and West End instructional areas. They were bought in the COVID era, but those kinds of units aren’t meant to last much more than five years.

Windows and doors are integral to security and climate control. NPSD has been using the operating budget to replace doors in all schools. Windows are part of the referendum plan. 

At the middle and high schools, most windows are 25 years old. These older windows don’t make an efficient barrier between the climate-controlled interior and the weather whims outside, leading to energy loss and condensation build-up. Despite repairs about five years ago, many old windows just don’t function well.  

The referendum proposes replacing frames and windows in the middle and high schools – finishing a job the Board of Education has been working toward for several years.