State law now allows school elections to be moved to November. It takes some affirmative action — someone must ask for it. The school board can do it, or the local governing body can do it. It’s possible, but not easy, for citizens to petition for it.
There are two considerations here. Moving the school vote to the general election in November would certainly allow more people to cast their ballot for members to the education board. But it also would likely mean giving up your right to say yes or no to the local tax levy to finance the school budget, which is two-thirds or more of the local property tax bill.
Moving the school elections to November to have more participation in school decisions is one thing. Giving up the vote on the budget is another. Schools run on a July-June fiscal year; the budget must be in place by July 1 in order for schools to operate. So, the law deems that if a school budget stays under the 2 percent property tax increase, it doesn’t have to be voted on.
Some people are hesitant to give up the vote on the budget. Even if the bottom line isn’t changed measurably, the budget gives the public a tangible way to stay involved in a major portion of their lives. Under these rules, for instance, last year in Hillsborough it could have been possible for the school board to pass a budget privatizing up to 270 non-teaching jobs within the school system — even though the public was seemingly against it.
Without a vote on the budget, the only way for the public to vent its anger would be to vote against the members coming up for election. At the most, though, only three members are elected each year, so it would take two years of sustained resolve to make the point.
School board members in Hillsborough, at least, were hesitant Monday to give up on the people’s power to vote on the school budget. Township Committee members didn’t discuss the topic Tuesday night.
The law doesn’t include a timetable, but. As a practical matter, some definitive decision must come soon. The deadline for people to submit petitions to run for school board is Feb. 27 — assuming an April election.
The choice to move the election to November can’t be taken lightly. Once it is done, it must stay in place for four years, at least. A municipality can’t bounce back and forth year to year — that’s too confusing, defeating the purpose of encouraging participation. Another persuasive argument is that there’s no need to be the guinea pig here. Let some other town try it and work out the kinks.
Let’s self-impose a deadline. By their respective next meetings on Feb. 13 and 14, the school board and Township Committee should make their intentions known on the April election. That will let everyone know how to proceed with their spring planning.
