Marlboro BOE Moves Board Elections to November

The joined the political ticket after a vote in August pushed its school board elections to November.

The , after Gov. Chris Christie gave boards across the state the chance to change its voting date from April to November in order to consolidate costs and create shared services between local and state government and school boards.

, unless the district proposes a budget which exceeds the state 2 percent cap.

The original February vote ended in a 4-4 tie, and a school board election was held months later, . Of the more than 25,000 eligible voters in Marlboro, 2,068 people voted.

Board member Bonnie Sue Rosenwald, who originally voted to move the election, said the voter turnout numbers were a sign that the district was wasting money on a separate election.

“This, by far, was the most dismal turnout ever in the history of the school board election,” she said.

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Rosenwald said that despite a large amount of discussion in the media and around town, residents did not respond by acting.

"I said to people 'If you want the board to listen, use your finger and come out and vote...show us that you really don't want us to move this election by coming out and voting."

Business Administrator Cindy Barr-Rague said in February that the Board of Education saves almost $50,000 per year by moving the election, costs which are earmarked for election practicalities such as polling booths and proper public notice.

Marlboro Township was left holding the bill this April, after sharing the costs with the Freehold Regional High School District came off the table when .

But some board members fear politicizing an election that should stay far away from the political world.

Member Cynthia Green said she is worried that voters turning up for a general election vote will not already know anything about school issues.

"You can have 10,000 people come out in November, and maybe not one of them knows anything about the schools," Green said. "I want people who come because they are interested in the schools, that know about the schools. Not because they are coming to vote a particular slate of political candidates."

Board Vice-President Victoria Dean said that the most recent April election was already political, with robo-calls to residents from Mayor Jon Hornik endorsing candidates and township mailers.

"We have 5,600 students, not even half of their parents came out," Dean said. "It's not just the money issue, I don't think we're giving the voters enough credit, [we can't assume] that they will come out in November and they aren't going to be informed."

The vote to move the election to November was an 8 to 1 vote, with board member Joseph Waldman voting against the move, saying he doesn't feel right about taking the school budget vote away from the public.

“I don’t think it’s right to take that (budget) vote away from them...This is the only piece of their tax dollars that they have an actual say in,” he said. 

Moving the school board election lengthens the term of members by 7 months.