The Montclair Public School District is launching a $188 million bond referendum in the November election.

State officials have agreed to pony up nearly a third of the total cost if a massive series of proposed upgrades comes to fruition in the Montclair Public School District, administrators say.

The Montclair Public School District is launching a $188 million bond referendum as part of the general election in November to pay for “critical health and safety facility needs” across the township, including ventilation, a problem that was put in the spotlight during the coronavirus pandemic, administrators announced earlier this year.

If the referendum passes in November, the upgrades would take place over several years, concluding in December 2028.