By Rabbi Meir Hertz: While many of us go with our busy lives, there is a tumult going on in some circles of our town on the question of whether Lakewood’s Board of Education should move the school Board elections to November, to coincide with the general elections, or leave them in April.
This question is not unique to Lakewood; it is being heatedly-debated across the State. In what started as a trickle after a new law opened up the possibility, more than 230 New Jersey school districts have already moved their elections to November, according to the New Jersey School Boards Association (NJSBA). With about a week to go before the February 17th deadline, the association predicts the number could top 300 districts, or more than half of all districts that have elections. Reportedly, most Ocean County districts have decided to move their elections to November.
The law was signed by Gov. Chris Christie last month after drawing bipartisan support. Under the legislation, a community is able to move the election date through any one of three means: a resolution by the board of education; a resolution by the municipal governing body; or, a public question presented to voters at the November General Election.
According to a memo from the Department of Education, the legislation gave no deadline for changing the election date. However, it was advised that the resolution to change be made by Feb. 17, and the county clerk be notified immediately.
Lakewood will first tackle the issue at the next Board of Education meeting, this Monday, February 13.
By moving the elections to November the voters will not be able to vote on the BOE budget. This means that the BOE members will vote and approve their budget in March, and if the budget does not increase by more than 2%, there will be no chance for the voters to show their displeasure with the budget, except by voting the BOE members out. Should the BOE want to raise the taxes even more than 2%, a special question will be on the November ballot for the voters to approve or disapprove. This lack of a direct vote on the budget seemingly is the only downside to moving the election date to November.
While this may at first seem significant, actually it is merely cosmetic. Over the last decade, the Lakewood BOE budget has been defeated 8 times by varying different margins. The average reduction made by the Township Committee before approving it was a mere $100,000, on budgets that exceed $100,000,000 – less than one (1%) percent. Except for April 2010, when the newly-elected Board members cut the proposed budget by $8 million dollars, and still realized a net surplus of $5 million at the end of that year, all the other years the reduction was minimal and unnoticeable. So the voters’ voice on the budget, even when expressed loud and clear in the voting booth, is practically useless. The ONLY real control that voters have on the budget, and on all other school Board matters, is their vote on who the BOE members will be. If we elect educationally responsive and fiscally responsible people to the BOE, we will have a good budget, and if irresponsive, and fiscally irresponsible people get elected, we will have runaway school tax increases. The Township Committee is virtually powerless to control these taxes.
The benefits of moving the elections to November seem to far outweigh the disadvantages. Firstly, the taxpayers will save over $30,000 in direct costs that are incurred by holding an extra election. Secondly, but more importantly, the voter turnout in the April BOE election is always very poor, and less enthusiastic than in November. Holding the BOE election simultaneously with the general election, gives the general public a larger say in the outcome and makes the BOE more accountable to the voters – taxpayers and parents. Especially for the yeshiva community, moving the elections from April to November will assure greater participation – the April elections almost always fall out bein hazmanim.
As major stakeholders in the BOE decisions affecting our kehilla’s tens of thousands of school-age children, we need greater transparency and accountability on the Lakewood BOE. This can be better achieved through greater and broader kehilla voter participation. One need not look far to see the marked difference: Township Committee elections held in November each year yield vastly greater transparency and accountability in Lakewood’s governing body than we have on the Lakewood BOE, where elections are held in April, and decided by a far smaller voter turnout.
“I’m pleased to see it [this option] embraced by so many districts and look forward to seeing it embraced by even more,” said state Assemblyman Louis Greenwald (D-Camden), one of the primary sponsors of the law. We’re controlling government spending and property taxes and increasing public participation in our democracy,” Greenwald said in a statement. “These are all good things.”
So, should the Lakewood BOE move the election date to November or not? While the question is a good one, and the consequences important, it is seems quite clear that both Lakewood taxpayers and the parents of school-age children are better-off with an election date in November. It boils down to a simple question: what’s more important: illusion or reality? The illusion of controlling the budget afforded by the ability to vote on it in April, or the reality of actually controlling the budget through greater voter participation and more accountability.
Will moving the elections to November mean an automatic 2% budget increase every year? Quite the contrary. BOE members will think three times before voting on an increase in March, if they know they will be held accountable to, and can be ousted by, all the voters in November, not just a small fraction of the voters who turn out in April, as is the case now.
Whatever your opinion on this important issue, please communicate it to our elected representatives on the Lakewood Township Committee and BOE. That’s what participatory democracy is all about. TLS.
Great article. The BOE should do the right thing and move the elections to November!
WOW!
This very comprehensive and informational document is well written and well presented. My best regards to Rabbi Meir Hertz for his dedication to all things educational in Lakewood Township. Your articles are always treasured.
Why should we move it to save $20k? That’s less than the 100k (minimum) saved by voting down the budget! Using your math it’s .002%.
Also the $100,000 is that off the tax levy or off the total budget? If it’s off the tax levy that would be more than 1% in taxes saved.
thank you rabbi hertz
I dont see any reason to keep them in April.If the whole county moves which it seems like they are , Why should our district pay the whole bill which can be over 50K
Thank you Reb Meir for a very well written opinion.
I agree with you 1000%.
It’s a real shame that we have such low turnout for elections to a body that controls such a Huge percentage of our Property taxes.
Right on, and thanks for this eye opener.
BOE, please move the election to November.
it just makes sense to move them to Nov .
R’ Mayer, do you remember our absentee ballot election due to Chol Hamoed. That was fun 🙂
This is the best move for our children. Nice article Rabbi
What Rabbi Meir Hartz forgot to mention, was that the only time that t he BOE actually cut the school budget by $8 Million, was when Chezky Zeitler, Carl Fink, and Isaac Zlatkin were voted in, and they turned over the entire Board of Ed to get those $8 Million in cuts. (Actually, they prevented an $8 Million RAISE IN TAXES that the original Board of Ed wanted)
Re-elect Chezky Zeitler, Carl Fink, Isaac Zlatkin, and Yoni Silver.
(FULL DISCLOSURE: I have NOTHING to do with any of the candidates, except that I closely follow the Board of Ed and I see who who cares about the taxpayer.)
Do not be fooled.
Those who want to control the budget come out im March or April.
By moving the election to November, NO ONE is coming out to vote for a school budget. besides, it makes no difference how they vote..
Leave the election in April, and let those who do come out and seemingly care at that special time, to deciede if the BOE should be allowed their budget.
WHERE IS OUR MONEY GOING??
Lakewood is different than all other districts.
The entire county, and state of NJ, ALL, that is ALL, every single district publicizes their budget. There is a public record of a breakdown of where your tax money is being used.
Lakewood is the only school district in NJ that does not disclose its budget.
I say, let the voting public see a breakdown of how the money is being used, before deciding if the right of vetoing the BOE budget is taken from us.
Again what is the BOE trying to hide. Move the election to NOV. All those yelling about taxes don’t have anything to do with the public school which is supposed to be helped by taxpayers. I have no children in school but I favor having my taxmoney go to help public education. The teachers in this town have been working for 2 years without a raise and they DESERVE a little extra raise. This town used to have a good school system but our BOE members have seen fit to destroy it. Come on BD Attorney you are a product of the Lakewood public school, remember how nice it was.
Board members who vote no for this resolution should be ashamed of themselves.
What does the Igud say ?
Why cant the budget be voted on and decided on even though it is a November election? Ask the public their opnion for the upcoming years spending. This is the way every business runs by reviewing its books towards the end of the year to plan for the year ahead. We should also do the same to determine where we can cut and where we need to add. Or at least ask the public about any big ticket item the board is contemplating on. This is commonly found on many November ballots regarding potential spending for different programs for the upcoming year?
lets see who votes for the increase to the school budget next year. The district must vote to settle with the teachers union
# 4 What about the students? the more we cut, the less they get