P.O. Box 909 ● Trenton, NJ 08605-0909 ● Phone: 609.695.7600 ● Fax: 609.695.0413 ● Web: www.njsba.org/PI

A D V I S O R Y

CONTACT:                       Frank Belluscio(fbelluscio@njsba.org)
                                       Mike Yaple (myaple@njsba.org)
                                       (609) 278-5202                                                
                       

2008 School Election Data

Voters in more than 90 percent of New Jersey’s communities took part in the Annual School Election on Tuesday, April 15, 2008. On the ballot were nearly 1,600 local board of education positions, 549 proposed school budgets, 33 second questions, and 15 construction proposals.

The New Jersey School Boards Association provides the following information about the April 15 school election:

Post-election information:

• Voters OK Three-Quarters of Proposed School Budgets Voters approved approximately 74 percent of the proposed school budgets during the April 15, 2008 school elections.


• New Law Stymies Approval of Most Second Ballot Questions While many school districts' base budgets passed on April 15, only four of the 33 proposed second-ballot finance questions were successful.


• Voters Approve $73 Million in School Construction Proposals on April 15 Voters approved 12 of the 15 referendums on the April 15 ballot, for a total of $73.75 million in school construction.


• Annual School Budget Election Results, by County, 1998-2008 – Chart illustrates the percentage of proposed school budgets passed statewide and in each county since 1998.

Pre-election statistics and resources:

• Facts and Figures about the Annual School Election – Yearly fact sheet provides information on school board candidates, average length of service, and statewide budget election results since 1976.


• Candidates Seek to Fill Nearly 1,600 School Board Seeks Statewide – Report includes the number of vacant seats and the number of candidates, statewide and by county.
• Voters to Decide School-Funding Questions on April 15 – Report summarizes all finance proposals on the April 15 ballot, including the subject of second ballot questions and a list of districts submitting second ballot questions to voters.


• Voters to Decide $136 Million in School Construction Proposals on April 15 – The Annual School Election is one of five dates in the course of the year on which school boards can propose construction questions to voters. Voters in 15 districts will act on construction bond issues on April 15.


• The 2008 Annual School Election – Your Vote is Essential – Commentary article by NJSBA’s president includes a list of frequently asked questions about the Annual School Election.


• School Election 2008: Questions and Answers – Prepared by the NJSBA Legal Department, this document addresses a wide range of topics related to school elections, including important deadlines, tabulating results and election irregularities.
• 2008 Annual School Election Poster – To promote awareness of the Annual School Election, NJSBA distributes a poster statewide with the help of the League of Women Voters of New Jersey.

For additional information about the Annual School Election and issues facing New Jersey’s local boards of education, call Frank Belluscio or Mike Yaple at (609) 278-5202.

The New Jersey School Boards Association, a federation of district boards of education, advocates the interests of school districts, trains local school board members, and provides resources for the advancement of public education.