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P.O.
Box 909 ● Trenton, NJ 08605-0909 ● Phone: 609.695.7600
● Fax: 609.695.0413 ● Web: www.njsba.org/PI
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CONTACT: Frank Belluscio (fbelluscio@njsba.org) Mike Yaple (myaple@njsba.org) (609) 278-5202 Annual Election 2011: Second Ballot Questions
TRENTON , April 18, 2011—Eleven school boards in New Jersey have proposed additional school-funding questions for the Annual School Election on Wednesday, April 27, the New Jersey School Boards Association reported today. Of the 538 school budgets that voters will decide this month, boards of education in only 11 school districts have presented voters with second ballot questions which usually, but not always, ask to exceed the district’s proposed base budget. Several years ago, it was common to see 70, 80, or more than 90 of such second ballot questions asking voters to spend beyond state budget caps, but fewer school boards are proposing such questions due to state restrictions and because of boards’ efforts to control of costs in a difficult economy. During the April 27 school elections, voters in about 90 percent of New Jersey’s school districts will also select school board candidates, and they will decide their local school district’s “base budget” for the coming school year. The base budget must remain within the state’s newly created 2-percent property-tax levy cap, plus any adjustment allowed by law, such as increases in health-benefit costs and enrollment. Second budget questions School boards may also present one or more additional ballot questions to fund specific projects or staffing positions, giving voters the opportunity to approve programs not part of the base budget – but which the community might find important. The additional ballot question, often called a “second question,” must cite the program or position that will be funded and must state whether it is a recurring or one-time expense. (A 2008 law that required a 60-percent supermajority of participating voters to approve second ballot questions has expired. This year, only a simple majority of voters needs to approve school spending questions.) The 11 districts that have general-fund second ballot questions include:
The combined cost of all 11 districts’ additional ballot budget proposals is $3,307,990. Construction proposals The Annual School Election also serves as one of five dates during the year when school boards ask voters to approve school construction proposals. On April 27, voters in eight school districts will decide proposed school construction referendums. Construction referendums are proposed in:
Construction referendums typically ask voters to approve long-term borrowing by issuing bonds. (An exception is the Penns Grove-Carneys Point construction proposal for $3 million in science lab and auditorium renovations. That would be supported by $775,000 in funds already available in the district’s reserve accounts, with the remainder coming from state grants. Voter approval is required for the transfer from reserve accounts.) The total amount of proposed school construction in the seven districts is $50.8 million. Of that, $11.4 million would qualify for state funding. Other questions School boards may also present voters with non-spending questions in the Annual School Election. There are two such questions this year.
Municipal questions New for 2011, municipalities can ask voters in the Annual School Election to approve spending over the state’s 2-percent tax levy cap. The 14 municipalities with non-school above-cap questions include: Bordentown Township, Brick Township, Carneys Point, Hardwick, Jackson Township, Lambertville, Lumberton Township, Mansfield, Medford, Mount Holly, Northvale, Oxford, Plumsted Township and Shrewsbury Rejected budget and second-ballot questions If voters reject the base budget, the proposal is reviewed by the municipal governing body, which may make cuts or leave the budget intact. Current law provides a process for a school board to apply to the commissioner of education for restoration of a municipality’s cuts to a defeated base budget, but only if the cuts would prevent the school district from providing an adequate education or if it would undermine the district’s financial stability. Budget appeals are rare; there were none in 2008, two in 2009, and one last year. If voters reject a second ballot finance question, however, the issue does not go to the municipal governing body for review and there is no appeal; the voters’ word is final. Unless there is outside funding, the specific program or staffing proposed by the second question is lost for the year and the school board cannot transfer funds within the budget to retain the program or position. Summary of Additional Ballot Finance Questions (“Second Ballot Questions”) Voters in 11 school districts will act on second ballot questions asking for spending outside of the base budget, or to exceed to the state-imposed 2-percent cap on the tax levy. The districts include:
All of the proposals would result in a permanent increase in the district’s budget, except for Springfield Township, where 36% of the cost would be one-time; South Hunterdon Regional; and Kittatinny Regional. Source: New Jersey School Boards Association Annual School Election Wednesday, April 27, 2011 SUMMARY OF ALL BALLOT PROPOSALS
Percentage of second ballot finance questions approved by voters, 1997-2010 (with number of questions in parentheses): 2010 – 0% (6) 2003 – 33.7% (89) 2009 – 0% (11) 2002 – 47.5% (99) 2008 – 12.1% (33) 2001 – 65.6% (91) 2007 – 45.9% (87) 2000 – 79% (100) 2006 – 33.0% (72) 1999 – 72.8% (92) 2005 – 41.8% (74) 1998 – 55.8% (104) 2004 – 52.0% (75) 1997 – 66.5% (176) o Other ballot questions (not related to the school operating budget or construction) o Construction referendums: 8 districts o Other non-spending questions: 2 districts (Change number of board members; change regional district’s funding from being based on each town’s property value to a system based on per-pupil counts)
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The New Jersey School Boards Association is a federation of 588 local boards of education and includes 44 charter school associate members. NJSBA advocates the interests of school districts, trains local school board members, and provides resources for the advancement of public education. ###
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