Public Hearing on Changing Date of School Board Elections is Feb. 13

School districts throughout New Jersey are considering moving their school board elections after Gov. Chris Christie signed Senate Bill 3184 into law last Tuesday.

NJ School Board Elections are normally held in the spring, however the law allows school boards to combine their elections with the general election in November.

The change can be adopted through a resolution by the board of education, a resolution by the governing bodies of the district or by referendum of the voters.

The Matawan Aberdeen Regional School District Board of Education has not yet decided if they want to move their election, Board President Charles Kenny said at their regular action meeting on Jan. 23.

Moving the election is expected to cut the costs of holding two elections and increase voter turnout. However, moving the election also means that Matawan and Aberdeen residents will no longer vote on the annual school district budget unless it increases the tax levy by more than 2%.

The annual reorganization of the board would also take place in January, much like it would in municipal government.

"This board has not yet decided whether to go in this direction, but needs to address the matter promptly before preperations for elections go underway," Kenny said. "As always this board is interested in the opinions of the public and all the stakeholders in our district on this important question."

The board will hold a public hearing on the topic during their Committee of the Whole workshop meeting on Feb. 13 at 7 p.m. at the Administrative Building on Crest Way in Aberdeen.

After the hearing the board plans to deliberate and then take action on this issue, Kenny said.