Hillsborough School Referendum Voter Registration Deadline Nears

HILLSBOROUGH, NJ — The deadline for Hillsborough residents to register to vote in the upcoming March 12 schools $8.09 million referendum is Tuesday, Feb. 19.

Residents will be asked to decide on whether to implement a full-day kindergarten program as well as laying out a plan for long-term financial stability.

To obtain a voter registration form, to check to see if they are registered, or for voting by mail residents should visit the New Jersey Division of Elections website.

If a voter has previously requested a mail-in ballot and is uncertain if they will be receiving one for this special school board election, contact the Somerset County Clerk’s office at 908-231-7013.

Sample ballots will be mailed to all registered voters on March 6. Check the ballot for the designated polling location as it may be different from previously held state and federal elections.

Some important dates to keep in mind for this upcoming referendum vote include:

• Feb. 19: Voter registration deadline
• March 5: Deadline to apply for a mail-in ballot by mail
• March 11: Deadline to apply for a mail-in ballot in person (may be done until 3 p.m. on the day before the election at the County Clerk’s office)
• March 12: Referendum Date
• March 12: Deadline for post office receipt of mail-in ballots as well as deadline for in-person submission (by 8 p.m. at the County Clerk’s office)

Referendum Information:

If the referendum is approved by voters, it will increase 2019 property taxes approximately $25 per month on the average Hillsborough home assessed at $389,300. This is equal to approximately $6 per month for every $100,000 of assessed home value. This tax estimate is based on the November 2018 ratables. The finalized tax rate will be based on the Township's February 2019 ratables which have yet to be released, according to the district.

If passed by voters, the full-day kindergarten would be implemented for the start of the 2019-2020 school year. The program would be held at all six elementary schools in the district. Expenses associated with the implementation include staff, supplies, training, technology, transportation costs, and the lease of modular classrooms to be used for offices and/or specialty classrooms.

Additionally the passage of the full-day kindergarten would help the school district gain more funding from the state, the district claimed.

In comparison, Hillsborough is one of three districts in Somerset County — Bridgewater and Montgomery are the other two — that only offers a half-day kindergarten program. Additionally about 90 percent of districts in New Jersey have a full day kindergarten.

If the referendum does not pass, the number of teachers and staff would need to be considered as well as increasing class sizes.

The district would also be forced to contemplate increasing fees for students to participate in athletics and co-curricular activities, raising fees for technology, and eliminating programs that the Board could no longer afford, the district stated.

Click here for more information on the referendum.

(Image via Shutterstock)

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