TRENTON, NJ (AP) -- Public votes on school budgets would be eliminated and April school board member elections moved to November under a measure to be voted on Monday by the Assembly.
The legislation pushed by Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts Jr. comes after this year's school election drew just 14 percent of voters. No school election in the past 25 years has topped 20 percent turnout.
``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, D-Camden.
In a related matter, the Assembly was also slated to consider legislation meant to cut administrative school costs that critics contend help drive up property taxes.
New Jersey is the only state where voters in most districts can give direct approval to their entire school property tax bill. The average homeowner in the state pays about $6,800 per year in property taxes - the highest in the nation - and schools get the largest share of that.
The bill up for consideration would eliminate budget votes, except on spending that would exceed a mandated cap.
School board candidates, meanwhile, would be placed in an area of the November ballot that would specifically note the school election as nonpartisan.
``This is a common sense solution that will do away with the added expense of holding multiple elections and, at the same time, by holding the election at a time of greater voter turnout, will ensure that a larger segment of the public has a voice in the outcome of these contests,'' said Assemblyman David Wolfe, R-Ocean, another bill sponsor.
The state's largest teachers union, the New Jersey Education Association, supports eliminating votes on budgets but opposes moving school board elections to November.
Rich Snyder, a Ramsey school board member, said the change would mix school elections with political ones.
``To make me bump heads in a politically partisan election, you won't see my name on that ballot,'' he said.
Rosemary Bernardi of the Evesham school board and Ray Pinney of the New Jersey School Boards Association both believe school elections will get even less notice if placed on the November ballot.
``We'll be competing with gubernatorial campaigns, presidential campaigns, the local mayor's race, ballot questions, the Assembly campaigns,'' Pinney said. ``All those people we'll be competing with have a lot more funds to communicate with than the school board candidates.''
Gregg Edwards, president of the Center for Policy Research of New Jersey, disagreed. He said opponents simply don't want more people voting.
``The one simple change of going to April to November guarantees higher turnout,'' he said. ``That's a pretty impressive thing to do with just one simple change. We also know it's going to save costs.''
Assemblyman Amy Handlin voted against the bill in committee.
``I can't support taking away from voters the opportunity to vote on the school budget,'' said Handlin, R-Monmouth.
About 75 percent of school budgets were approved by voters in this April's election.
