DA, Regionalization Program Draw Best Attendance in Years

Lawmakers to Address School Election Bill

Davy Issues Final Draft of Accountability Regs  

Mandatory Training Via Webinar

Schools May Search Student Cars, Says Appellate Court

After-School Programs, School Law Topics Featured in School Leader

Congratulations to Certified Boards

State Board Approves New Rules for Alternate Route Teachers

Board of Directors Highlights

NJSBA At Your Service  

Techspo 2009 Set for January

Click here for a pdf version of this issue of School Board Notes

State lawmakers are poised to move legislation on Monday that would dramatically change New Jersey’s Annual School Election. The bill is expected to contain two changes supported by NJSBA: eliminating any public vote on school budgets below state caps, and removing the 60-percent supermajority voter approval for second ballot questions above cap. However, it would also contain a provision NJSBA opposes: Moving the school elections to November.

The measure to be discussed Monday will likely be an amended version of S-1861, a bill introduced in May by Sen. Shirley K. Turner, chair of the Senate Education Committee. S-1861 is similar to A-15, a separate bill the Assembly passed in June. Both bills call for moving school elections to November, while eliminating the vote on school budgets under cap. An amendment to eliminate the 60-percent voter approval for additional ballot questions is expected to be added to the new legislation on Monday, according to Statehouse insiders.

Mixed Bag NJSBA has longstanding policy to support abolishing the public vote on school budgets that are below predetermined spending caps. Most states do not require public votes on school budgets, in the same way that New Jersey municipal and county governing bodies are able to create budgets without annual voter approval.

NJSBA sharply opposed the recent law that created the supermajority approval requirement for additional ballot questions, noting that no other public vote in New Jersey – not even a change to the state’s constitution – requires approval by 60 percent of voters.

However, NJSBA policy clearly opposes the third element of the legislation: To hold school elections on the same day as the general elections in November. Many legislators support the idea as a way to bolster voter turnout for school elections, which traditionally hovers around 15 percent. In addition, lawmakers contend that consolidating elections would save tax dollars. However, school boards members maintain that November board member elections would result in partisan politics dominating local education issues on a wide scale, in spite of best efforts to prevent it from occurring. NJSBA will seek amendments to have this provision removed.