On January 23, Cranford voters approved a $75 million bond referendum with a preliminary count of 2,928 votes in favor to 2,138 opposed as of Tuesday night. (The tally is being updated here.) State aid will contribute $19.6 million towards these projects around the school district. 

Cranford is one of only four districts that has yet to implement a finalized full-day kindergarten plan; currently, the district can only accommodate three full-day classes, with admission via a lottery system. To remedy this, the referendum plans to allocate $20.9 million for the construction of 16 new kindergarten classrooms with restrooms at Brookside Place, Bloomingdale Avenue, Walnut Avenue, and Hillside Avenue Schools. 

In November 2025, a question on the General Election ballot will ask for additional funding to support the prospective full-day kindergarten program, since bond funding cannot be utilized towards staffing and other operational costs. With voters’ consent to provide additional funding for more full-time kindergarten teachers, part-time classroom assistants, and lunchroom assistants,  Cranford could give all families the opportunity to enroll their children in full-day kindergarten in the future. 

For Cranford High School in particular, the referendum provides funding for air conditioning in the main gym and auditorium, 18 classroom upgrades ranging from a digital photography studio to an eSports room, media center and bathroom renovations, and elevator improvements.

For more detailed information regarding the other projects the referendum intends to fund, in addition to what some of these new classrooms may look like, visit the Cranford Public Schools Bond Referendum official website.