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Schools

Gloucester Township School Board Moves Election to November

The move to November means voters would have a limited say on the school district's budget.

Last night, in an unanimous vote, the passed a resolution to move the school election from April to November.

The resolution was prompted by signed by Gov. Chris Christie on Jan. 17 that allows either school boards, municipal governing bodies or an affirmative referendum by the electorate to move school elections from April to the general election in November.

By moving the election by seven months, the public will not be given an opportunity to vote on the school board budget in April; although the public will be given the opportunity to discuss the budget at public hearings in April.

New Jersey is one of a handful of states that allows the public to vote to approve school operating budgets.

The Board will be required to operate at or below a 2 percent budgetary increase cap and to submit the budget to Camden County Superintendent of Schools Margaret Nicolosi for approval, according to Superintendent Thomas Seddon.

“The Board would still hold public hearings in April to discuss the budget,” said Seddon.

If the Board wanted a larger than 2 percent increase in the budget, the public would have the opportunity to vote on the increase as a question on the ballot in November. If the public voted “no” to such a question, there is no appeal process and the decision is final, according to Seddon.

Seddon said the budget would still need to be completed in the spring and the district would begin operating on the budget in July, at the start of the fiscal year. If additional funds were required for special projects or programs, the district would have to wait until after the November election to use those funds.

“It could be as simple as starting a new program mid-year,” said Seddon.

Supporters of the election date change cited low voter turnout and the high cost of having a separate election in April. According to Assistant Superintendent John Bilodeau, the cost of school elections in Gloucester Township has been about $20,000 in past years, most of which was used to pay for poll workers. The cost had been shared with the Black Horse Regional School District.

Just last year, the Board requested a reduction in voting locations in an effort to reduce costs. For the April 2011 school elections, there were just four polling places versus eleven in 2010.

“This move saves a phenomenal amount of energy and money,” said Gloucester Township school solicitor John D. Wade.

Under the bill signed by Christie last week, school elections moved to November will remain non-partisan.

While the board did unanimously approve the resolution, board member Joseph F. Gunn said that there would be drawbacks to moving the election.

“When you move to November, you move to the same time that all public issues are discussed. We risk having education moved to the bottom of the discussion,” said Gunn.

The Black Horse Regional School District (BHPRSD) has not yet made a final decision on moving the elections to November.

Find out what's happening in Gloucester Townshipwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

BHPRSD Business Administrator Jean Grubb noted last week the regional district would need all of its sending districts—Gloucester Township, Bellmawr and Runnemede—to move their local K-8 elections in order for its board to also go to November elections.

Gloucester Township Mayor David Mayer and Council President Glen Bianchini indicated during Monday's Township Council meeting that they support the move to November school elections.

Find out what's happening in Gloucester Townshipwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Mayer pointed to township voters' approval of a 2006 referendum measure to move the bi-annual municipal election from May to the general election in November.

"I think the goal here is to get more people to turn out," Bianchini said.

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