Election Move Likely for Red Bank Area School Districts

Ultimately, the threat of partisan school elections wasn’t enough.

With Gov. Chris Christie dangling the carrot of budget-free ballots before their eyes, school districts throughout the state have jumped at the opportunity to move their elections from a traditionally low voter-turnout April to the politically issue-laden November slot.

Though it’s not yet official, President Ann Roseman said Red Bank, along with Shrewsbury, Little Silver, and Red Bank Regional School Districts are joining the list of “yays” for the move. Each is expected to approve the election move in the upcoming weeks.

Individual school boards must decide on a date swap by Feb. 17. In order for Red Bank Regional to move the election, however, it needs approval from each of its sending districts, Red Bank and Shrewsbury among them. Roseman said she was of the understanding that the other districts, internally, have already made the decision to move the election date. The last hurdle, it seemed, was Red Bank, which too has likely decided that a move is best for all.

The most significant benefit of moving the elections is Christie’s promise that school budgets kept below the 2-percent increase cap each year won’t have to appear on the ballot. Several districts, most notably Red Bank Regional, have had their budgets fail even when kept within Christie’s mandated cap. The penalty for districts that fail to see their respective budgets passed include having to present it to the local councils, which can cause significant delays in a process that, by the state’s own rules and regulations for districts with compliant budgets, should not have been delayed to begin with.

“If you’re under the cap, which is already quite low, it’s a pretty arduous task to make the public aware of the nuances of the budget,” she said. “It’s a compelling incentive. It makes it difficult to keep (elections) in April.”

Red Bank Superintendent Laura Morana said the move is financially beneficial to participating districts. The costs of running an election, including staffing the various polls, will be passed up the line when school board elections become part of the general election.

It’s unclear how much money Red Bank will save, though the total is likely in the thousands of dollars.

With the expected move of school board elections comes the benefit – or detriment, depending on how you perceive it – of increased voter turnout. Voter turnout is expected increase significantly, especially in districts like Red Bank . But, with the increase in voter turnout comes an increase in uninformed voters, some who may vote based on a candidate’s assumed political affiliation, regardless of their experience or platform.

In Red Bank, where members of the public attend board meetings almost as regularly as Halley’s Comet passes by Earth, the concern is that what has always been a non-partisan election could be a jumping off point for candidates looking to make inroads in their respective political parties. With voters voting party first, the town’s children suddenly come up second.

There’s also the issue of filing date. Those seeking board seats must submit their petitions to the county clerk prior to the primary date, which comes five months before the election. Now, candidates must submit their petitions just two months before the election. The move could limit petition and foster a new era of board of education election campaigning.   

“People run on slates,” Roseman said. “What’s to stop them from starting to include board (of education) members on those slates? Around the country there are people who believe the best way to advance politically is to place their ideologues in local elections. What’s more local than a board of education?”

Though the election move seems the likely conclusion, Red Bank is hosting a special board meeting on Feb. 7 at 7 p.m. at to discuss the issue with the public.