NJDOE Clarifies Issues Surrounding New School Elections Legislation

A separate section of November’s ballot will be set aside for school board candidates, and the county clerk will now be in control of the school board elections, the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) said on Thursday, Jan. 26.

The school district will also save a significant amount of money by moving the elections.

The NJDOE released answers to the frequently asked questions concerning its new policy three days after the voted 7-1 to adopt the that allows it to move school board elections from April to November and to pass its budget without going out to vote.

School board elections will remain non-partisan and the county clerk will design the ballot, the state said.

Under the new law, the clerk has the “authority to determine the specifications for, and the final arrangement of, the official ballots,” according to the state.

The state added that, “the school board candidates will not be aligned with any political party or partisan candidates.”

This was a concern as the Galloway Board of Education discussed the topic on Monday night, Jan. 23. Board Member Rich Dase didn’t want school board elections to become political, and while the board members weren’t sure what the ballot would look like, many thought school board candidates would be separate from political candidates.

The NJDOE confirmed those thoughts on Thursday.

The county clerk is also the filing officer for those elections and will rule on objections to nomination petitions.

will not have municipal elections this year, but the decision to move this year’s election to November should immediately pay dividends for the school district, which should see a high turnout for this year’s presidential election.

The highest turnout for a school election in the last four years was 3,885 in 2010, according to Galloway Township Schools Business Administrator Tim Kelley.

There’s also the issue of cost savings.

After spending $17,000 on elections each of the last two years, the school district will not have to cover the base cost of conducting an election, the NJDEP said.

This includes payment of board workers, voting machine transportation, overtime for county election personnel, rental of polling places, or other inherent costs of an election, the NJDOE said.

The state or the county already covers those costs as part of the November elections.

However, under the new law, school boards would pick up additional costs election costs relating only to school board elections in November.

“It is anticipated that such added costs would be minimal, if any,” according to the NJDOE. “The new law provides that the board of education and the respective board of election can enter into an agreement regarding cost, pursuant to guidelines to be issued by the Secretary of State.”

School boards wouldn’t be responsible for costs related to printing a ballot.

If the school district had not decided to move its elections to November, there was a chance it would have to had to pay more for an April election, NJDOE said, stating that if fewer school districts conduct spring elections, fewer districts would be sharing the cost, so those that continue with April elections would pay more.

Special elections are not covered by this new law. This includes the December that was defeated by eight votes. That referendum, which focuses on roof replacement at , and elementary schools, fire alarm replacement for Smithville, Roland Rogers and , and drainage system and parking lot improvements for Arthur Rann, goes back for a vote before the public March 13.

Despite the fact that the budget will not go before the public, budgets will be handled the same way municipalities handle their budgets, meaning the school board will still have to hold public hearings and allow the public to have a say.

The deadline to file to run for school board is now June, according to the NJDOE.

Election hours will be uniform with the general election, meaning the polls will be open from 6 a.m.-8 p.m.