Residents in Aberdeen Township and Matawan have rejected a $400,000 question that sought voter approval to increase security at schools in the Matawan-Aberdeen Regional School District.
The question was on the Nov. 6 election ballot.
The question authorized by the Board of Education was defeated by a count of 5,416 “no” to 3,903 “yes,” according to results posted online by the Monmouth County Clerk’s Office.
The results are unofficial until they are certified by the county.
Voters in Matawan rejected the proposal, 1,799 to 1,221. Voters in Aberdeen Township rejected the proposal, 3,617 to 2,682, according to results posted online.
Voters were asked to approve the hiring of up to to six Class III special law enforcement officers who would have been assigned to work in district schools. Class III officers are individuals who have recently retired from full-time careers in law enforcement.
Additional tax revenue in the amount of $400,000 would have been collected from property owners in Matawan and Aberdeen Township to pay for the Class III officers, according to the proposal.
In proposing the ballot question, administrators said, “The district initiative mirrors similar initiatives in other districts throughout the state seeking additional personnel for security purposes now that the state has approved the use of a new Class III armed officer for the purposes of educational settings.
“The school district continues to implement various security measures, including a visitor management system, security vestibules, and other physical and systematic improvements,” administrators said.
The school district educates 3,700 students and operates seven schools in Matawan and Aberdeen Township.