Belleville one of Three Essex School Boards Holding April Elections

Three of the 41 school districts holding board elections in April are in Essex County, according to a recent report from the New Jersey School Boards Association. 

With Bloomfield voting to change its election date to November last month, Belleville, Newark and Irvington are the only Essex County municipalities left holding springtime school board elections. 

The NJSBA's release noted that the number of New Jersey districts with April school elections dwindled to 41, as 33 communities opted to move their elections to November starting in 2013.

The NJSBA reported that in 2012, 468 school districts conducted November elections and that in 2013, the number of districts with November elections will increase to 501. 

A state law designed to increase participation in school board elections passed in 2013 gave municipalities and school boards the option to moveannual school elections from April to the November General Election. April School board elections typically attract about 15 percent of registered voters. In most of the 501 districts with November elections, the change in date resulted from the local board of education adopting a resolution.

The law gave communities two additional incentives to move their school elections to November. School boards with November elections do not submit their proposed base budgets to voters, as long as the budget remains at or below the state’s two percent tax levy cap. Also, supporters of the November elections say say holding municipal and school board elections at the same time saves money. Prior to the law’s enactment, the bill’s sponsors estimated the statewide cost of the April school elections at more than $7 million.

In spite of the continued migration toward November school elections, 41 school districts have decided to stay with the April election date, at least through 2013. In these communities, voters will select school board members and approve or reject proposed school budgets on Tuesday, April 16.

“Valid arguments can be made for both November and April school elections,” NJSBA executive director Dr. Lawrence S. Feinsod said in a press release. “On one hand, November elections increase a district’s budget stability, and eliminate the cost of conducting an additional election. However, a number of school board members believe that retaining April school elections helps to preserve the non-partisan nature of school board office. Also, some feel strongly that the public should retain the right to vote on the proposed school budget.”

New Jersey Districts Conducting School Elections on April 16, 2013

County

Number of AprilSchool Elections

Names of Districts

Atlantic

0

–

Bergen

15

Cliffside Park, East Rutherford, Emerson, Englewood, Fairview, Garfield, Hackensack, Harrington Park, Midland Park, Norwood, Oakland, Palisades Park, Ramsey, Ridgewood, Wood-Ridge

Burlington

0

–

Camden

0

–

Cape May

0

–

Cumberland

1

Bridgeton

Essex

3

Belleville, Irvington, Newark*

Gloucester

2

Delsea Regional, Franklin

Hudson

3

North Bergen, Secaucus, Weehawken

Hunterdon

0

–

Mercer

0

–

Middlesex

4

Cranbury, Edison, Metuchen, New Brunswick*

Monmouth

1

Neptune Township

Morris

6

Chatham, Mendham Township, Mountain Lakes,

Pequannock, Riverdale, Rockaway Borough

Ocean

0

–

Passaic

4

Hawthorne, Passaic, Paterson*, Totowa

Salem

0

–

Somerset

0

–

Sussex

0

–

Union

0

–

Warren

2

Allamuchy, Greenwich

Total

41

* Of the school districts eligible to move their elections to November, 38 school districts have retained April elections, where voters will select candidates to serve on the school board and decide their district’s base budget. In New Brunswick, citizens voted to change from a mayor-appointed school board to an elected board, with the district’s first school board and budget election being held in April 2013. Two state-operated districts – Newark and Paterson – will conduct board member elections on April 16, but do not place their proposed budgets on the ballot.