Politics & Government

Public Opinion Sought on School Election Change

Moorestown Board of Education will hold off on a vote so it can get input from the public, president says.

Before it decides whether to move the school election to the fall or take the budget off the ballot, the Moorestown Board of Education wants to hear from you.

The board was set to take action this coming Tuesday (Jan. 24) on , but Board President Don Mishler said they’ll be holding off on a decision so they can solicit input from the public.

“I want to know what everybody else is thinking because I represent them,” Mishler said Friday.

The board is still meeting Tuesday—the public portion begins at 7:30 p.m. after an executive session—so it can hear from any residents who may want to put in their two cents on the issue.

Mishler said his opinion on the proposed changes has evolved since he first became aware of the legislation, with a number of concerns cropping up.

He said he’s worried about the potential for school elections—if moved to general election time—to become overly politicized and the possibility of “lame-duck” sessions if board members are unseated in November, but stay on till the end of the year.

While other governing bodies—freeholders, town council members—go through the same process, Mishler said, “The difference is, they’re used to living with it … It will be new for us.”

He suggested the board may go through a phase where certain decisions are called into question because of this lame-duck status.

The idea of being able to pass a budget without having to worry about voters shooting it down is “interesting,” Mishler admitted.

On the other hand, he said, “It’s really the only thing the school gets out of (the change). 65 percent of our tax dollars are used in the schools. Don’t you want to have a voice in that? … While it’s enticing, it’s not that enticing.”

As for the suggestion that voter turnout might be higher, Mishler said turnout for Moorestown school elections is generally not that bad; it all depends on how contested the board seats are and whether there are any hot-button issues.

According to county records, approximately 3,200 people voted in the 2011 school election (counting the number of votes on the proposition question) out of about 14,000 registered voters, or roughly a 23 percent turnout.

Mishler said the school district takes steps to encourage people to vote and, “We’re happy with what we’re doing … It’s an individual decision to vote or not.”

He encouraged anyone who wants to share their opinion with the board to either come to the meeting Tuesday or email the entire board using the link at the bottom left of the board of education page on the district website.

The board is scheduled to meet on Feb. 1, 2 and 3 to interview (in executive session) and at one of those meetings they may take action on the proposed election changes.

Solicitor John Comegno told the board earlier this week Jan. 31 was the rumored deadline for districts to enact the change if they want it to be effective this year. Mishler said he hadn’t heard anything more on that since the meeting.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here