In March of 2026, the Somerset Hills community will be voting on a referendum proposed by the Somerset Hills Board of Education, which would provide major changes to all three Somerset Hills School District buildings.
The referendum will bring several changes to the district, with several significant renovations occurring at BHS. Some of these changes include a brand new culinary arts lab, a renovated TV studio, building new science lab rooms, and renovating the STARS program.
The addition of a culinary arts lab will be a part of a new culinary arts course, helping achieve the goal of bringing more CTE (Career and Technical Education) courses to BHS which includes the culinary arts, podcasting, and broadcast media.
There will also be murals added to each building, exemplifying the connection of community and school spirit.
A major aspect of the plan is enhancements to security for each of the school buildings. This includes significant upgrades to the camera system, security system, and ballistic safety film installed on all of the lower level windows for added protection.
According to Superintendent Dr. Brian Brotschul, “keeping the students and staff safe is our number one priority” which these measures would address.
At Bedwell Elementary, the plan is to add a security office in the current vestibule to vet visitors before they enter the building.
As for the communities of Bernardsville and surrounding areas, the tax impact would be net zero. Administrators within the district have tailored the plan towards the needs of the buildings while making sure to keep the overall cost at $35 million.
Board of Education president Ms. Sam Frenda explains that “we are going to be taking the debt that is expiring and we are going to replace it with the exact amount of debt that will be put towards the project” in order to keep that impact at net zero, which is key to the referendum passing.
The planning process for the referendum began in the summer of 2024, with the district conducting a “district-wide facilities audit”.
Over the winter of 24-25, the district evaluated the possible needs and formulated a package that was officially submitted as the proposed referendum in May of 2025.
The original project had a projected cost of $52 million, so multiple projects were cut such as renovations to classrooms in each of the buildings and additional roofing repairs.
Ms. Frenda explains the decisions, saying “[the chosen projects] were the curricular needs that we had identified that would be in the best interest of the students.”
Though the Class of 2026 and 2027 may not be able to experience any significant changes, this referendum is for the future of the Somerset Hills School District.
According to Ms. Frenda, many of the projects may not begin until the 2026-27 school year, with the larger projects towards the later end of the time frame.
Safety and security measures would be the first projects to be started, as the safety of students and staff is of the utmost priority for the district.
Asked for his message to the public, Dr. Brotschul suggests “It is important to reinvest in high quality programs in schools around the district, because it helps give [students] college and career opportunities and it puts them in the position to succeed in future educational opportunities.”
As for Ms. Frenda, she says, “We need to be able to provide [students] with the best education and experience to enter the world you are going to go into.”
The proposed referendum, if voted in, will bring major changes to the Somerset Hills School District’s buildings. For additional information regarding the referendum, there are resources on the district website (shsd.org), follow the Referendum 2026 Instagram account (shsd_referendum2026), follow the Referendum 2026 Facebook account (Somerset Hills School District Referendum 2026), or email [email protected].