N.J. set to vote on Nov. school elections

New Jersey school board elections would coincide with November elections, and most school budget votes would be eliminated under an Assembly bill scheduled for a vote today.

The measure, sponsored by Speaker Joseph J. Roberts Jr. (D., Camden), is designed to reduce the number of elections and save money.

School board candidates would run on the November ballot, and budget proposals would require a vote only when they exceeded a state spending limit. The state's largest teachers union supports eliminating budget votes but opposes moving board elections to November.

April's school elections drew just 14 percent of eligible voters. Turnout for school elections has not topped 20 percent in 25 years.

- Paul Nussbaum