A bipartisan group of more than 300 Gloucester citizens have come together to support the sales tax referendum for schools on the Nov. 3 ballot.

This year’s ballot includes the opportunity to vote for up to a 1 percent sales tax increase in Gloucester County. The 1 percent tax would exclude groceries, prescriptions, cars and fuel, and other essentials, and would expire in 20 years or less. If approved, Gloucester could move from a 5.3 to 6.3 percent sales tax.

All funds from the 1 percent increase would be used to pay for the debt associated with $48 million in improvements to Gloucester school facilities. This includes improvements to Gloucester High School including a new HVAC, a Page Middle School athletic field, and HVAC and playground replacements at other schools where needed.

Michelle Stone, chair of the Vote Yes For Gloucester group, said that “these capital improvements are no longer ‘wants,’ but ‘needs,’ resulting from years of lack of funding. These projects would ...