By vincent todaro
Staff Writer
EAST BRUNSWICK — The Board of Education has passed a resolution opposing the idea of changing the annual school election dates so that they are held in November alongside the general elections.
At its July 25 meeting, the board voted to officially state its opposition to a state Senate bill that would enable the date change, with school officials arguing such a switch would politicize the process.
Board Vice President Charles King, who helped push the resolution, described the school board in East Brunswick as being "as non-political as you could possibly imagine." For example, the school board candidates, he said, do not receive endorsements from any major political party.
The board’s vote comes in light of state Senate bills S990 and S1028, which propose changing the election of board candidates and the referendums on school budget questions from April to the second Tuesday in November. The bills have some support from those who believe the change would increase voter turnout in school elections, which in many communities is traditionally low. In most local communities, voter turnout in school elections has been as low as 10 to 20 percent of registered voters in recent years.
"The East Brunswick Board of Education supports increased citizen participation in school board elections, but has serious reservations about efforts to move the elections to November," the resolution says.
"Adding the names of school board candidates to the November general election ballot would unnecessarily and unfairly politicize local school board races."
King said that if the elections were changed to November, slates of board candidates would run with support from a party, thus compromising the integrity of the school district.
"The schools run much better when no politics are involved." he said.
Though some school officials may have expressed displeasure with the Township Council’s recent vote urging the school board to televise its meetings, King said he does not feel the board’s business is "politicized" by these types of communication. He said the council, in its vote, was informing the board of its own positive experience with airing meetings.
"They were saying, ‘It worked for us, it probably will work for you,’" he said. "It was not an effort to dominate us."
King said that having school board elections at the same time as the general elections would cause politicians to become involved in supporting board candidates.
"They’re running for their election at that time, and it seems that would be a natural connection," he said.
Mayor William Neary said he could understand the board being concerned with the possible switch of election dates, but he noted that the township has a long history of keeping politics separate from the board.