Bill that alters school budget votes for some NJ districts advances

Katie Sobko, NorthJersey.com
Updated ·2 min read

A bill that would change the budget process for a dozen New Jersey school districts cleared the state Senate Education Committee on Thursday morning.

What does the bill do?

Introduced just last week by state Sen. Paul Sarlo, D-Bergen, the bill would eliminate the requirement for certain school districts to hold a vote on their budgets in April. There would be an exception for proposed budgets that are above the 2% tax levy cap.

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Right now, the districts that hold April school board elections are also required to get voter approval on their budget, even if it is below the tax cap. That would no longer be the case, but any proposal for additional funds above the school district’s tax levy cap would still need voter approval.

The bill also would allow for districts that hold November elections to ask voters to approve additional funds or to issue school bonds in an April election.

The press conference room in the newly-renovated New Jersey Statehouse in Trenton on Wednesday, March 22, 2023.
The press conference room in the newly-renovated New Jersey Statehouse in Trenton on Wednesday, March 22, 2023.

It also would establish that the annual reorganization meeting for a district with an April school election will be between May 1 and May 7 and that member terms begin on May 1 and end on April 30; for districts with November school elections, member terms begin on Jan. 1 and end on Dec. 31. If a district moves its election from November to April, member terms are to be shortened accordingly.

School districts throughout the state used to hold their elections, including getting voters to weigh in on their spending plans, in April, but a law in 2012 allowed districts to move their elections to November. Those districts no longer need voter approval of their budgets.

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Which NJ school districts are affected?

A handful of New Jersey's school districts still hold elections for school board candidates in April. Those that have kept elections in the spring, or switched back after moving them to November, are:

  • Cliffside Park

  • Fairview

  • Passaic

  • Totowa

  • Fredon

  • Montague

  • Irvington

  • Newark

  • North Bergen

  • Weehawken

  • West New York

  • New Brunswick

Katie Sobko covers the New Jersey Statehouse. Email: sobko@northjersey.com

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NJ school budget votes: New bill may create these changes