Think how easy it would be: Head to the polls once a year and in one trip not only accomplish voting for your favorite governmental candidates, but school board members as well. One legislature says this notion needs to be reality and needs to happen soon, citing a dismal voter turnout for school elections held in April.

State Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts, a Democrat from Camden, said he wants to see the elections moved up to a time when voters are more engaged and to a time when voter turnout far eclipses that of what is produced in April. By June, he said he would introduce legislation requesting that along with a conditional elimination of voter-required approval on school budgets altogether.

"It’s time for New Jersey to wake up to the reality that the April school elections are a poor way to decide the direction of public education in districts across the state," said Roberts. "It makes no sense to continue holding elections in which a super-minority participate. Greater voter turnout will lead to greater accountability when it comes to property taxpayer’s money."

The notion, however, is getting mixed reviews by those who are most affected by the school board elections and even those that are in charge of running multiple elections year after year.

Dismal turnout

Statewide, no school board election year in the past 25 years has topped a 20-percent voter turnout and this year, only 14.3 percent of the state’s 4.8 million registered voters came out to cast their votes. Locally, the numbers weren’t much better. Collaboratively, only approximately 13.9 percent of the South Bergenite coverage area’s six local districts’ voters came out to exercise their right to vote.

Local board members and state officials however, despite the low turnout, aren’t so sure a measure to move the school board elections to November would be the easiest task and don’t necessarily agree it could help bolster the amount of votes cast without politics playing a large part.

"The NJSBA opposes moving the annual school election to November," said New Jersey School Boards Association (NJSBA) spokesman Mike Yaple. "The concern is that party politics would enter into school board races, despite state officials’ best attempts to prevent this. Anyone who attends enough municipal, county or state governmental bodies will probably see how divisive issues can become, just because officials belong to different parties. It would be folly to believe that party politics wouldn’t creep into school boards. Public schools should never become a partisan issue."

Bill Barnaskas, president of the Lyndhurst Board of Education, said there’s no doubt that a November school board election would get tied up in political affiliations.

"Anyone who believes that November school board elections would not become politically motivated are either unrealistic or being disingenuous," he said.

Leslie O’Keefe, superintendent of the Rutherford School District agrees, but said low voter turnout could mean that voters are just happy with the status quo. She attributed last year’s mayor and council race in Rutherford in which over 50 percent of voters hit the polls because they were irritated with both the fiscal situation in the borough and the problems associated with the EnCap project.

"I would hate to see school boards get caught up in partisan politics, which appear to be very negative and destructive," said O’Keefe. "In the spring, if people are agitated with something, they will come out to vote and the only time they usually do in masses is when there’s an issue. Maybe the low turnout is simply due to the fact that people are generally satisfied with the status quo."

No budget vote

Roberts’ legislation could also mean that voters having a say in budgets would be eliminated as well. Roberts said that unless a school budget isn’t proposed over the state-mandated four-percent cap, then there should be no reason to put it on the ballot.

Despite the low voter turnout, those who do come out, however, have astoundingly supported school budgets statewide. Statewide, voters approved 74 percent of all school budgets and locally in the South Bergenite coverage area, not one failed. North Arlington, which initially reported a tie on the budget was the closest to falling short; however, after official results were tabulated, it slipped by with three votes giving the thumbs up, 473 to 470.

O’Keefe, whose district’s budget featured only a 1.7-percent tax increase on the average borough homeowner, was voted through with no problem with 904 approvals compared to 619 that said no. Despite that fact, O’Keefe said, depending on the mood of the taxpayer it’s a gamble whether budgets, even fiscally responsible, will be looked upon favorably on any given year. She said a budget so important to the education of district children should not have to suffer that gamble if it’s properly assembled.

"I don’t think we should have voting on the school budget if we present it in a fiscally responsible manner," said O’Keefe. "It’s absolutely ridiculous when everyone else in government can present an extravagant budget and then it’s end of discussion. This is the lowest increase we have done in eight, nine years and I’m glad to see the community had supported it, but why have another level of scrutiny?"

Improving turnout

Yaple said that even though the low voter turnouts are occurring; his organization is doing its best to bolster it. He said every year the NJSBA sends out media releases reminding voters to hit the polls, runs editorials and letters to the editor in news outlets and in some years, have been able to work with the governor’s office to tape PSAs and radio spots. However, he said the turnout will always be greater in November no matter what.

"Many people will say that the lackluster turnout is not a great surprise," he said. "Larger elections simply attract more interest than smaller ones. Every four years, presidential races garner, far and away, the most voters. It’s not that something bad is occurring; it’s just that major offices build more enthusiasm."

It’s not only school officials, however, who have an opinion on a spring vote moving to November. Those who tally the votes in both of the months, April and November, say consolidating elections may be ideal if it’s properly initiated.

"If the logistics were right and the two elections were placed on the same ballot, it would be the most wonderful thing that could happen," said Lyndhurst Township Clerk Helen Polito, whose staff of three organize, run and tally election results. "If the election was the same day with two different ballots, it would defeat the purpose. Now, running two separate elections is cumbersome and more expensive than people realize."