BY WALTER ELLIOTT
NEWARK – Registered voters here and in Irvington, when they get their April 16 Board of Education Members Election sample ballots, will then most likely learn that they have lost their annual ability to vote on their public school district budgets.
Voters, like in most years, will get to choose from more BOE candidates than there are available board seats. Newark has an overall 10 candidates on the ballot for four board seats. Irvington has four candidates vying for three seats.
The annual school budget public questions, however, are basically gone from the ballot.
“Local Talk” has learned from the Essex County Clerk’s Election Division April 9 that a state law had been passed over the last 12 months where public districts are no longer required to put their proposed next school year budgets on the ballot – with an exception.
The exception is when the proposed budget would exceed a two percent increase from the current, or last, year’s budget. The two percent mark is usually used as a budget cap limit to help school property taxpayers.
Newark and Irvington voters were the last “Local Talk” districts who could approve a school budget or have it sent back to a board of school estimate for revision.
Newark, Irvington – welcome to the bulk of other “Local Talk” school election voters.
East Orange and the South Orange-Maplewood school districts have never but their regular budgets up for public vote. East Orange is a mayor-appointed district. The two-town South Orange-Maplewood district holds their own annual board of school estimate.
Most of the other public districts moved their school board elections from April to November in the last decade. The State Legislature allowed the move – at the expense of voting for their annual budgets. The exception when a budget increase or a special project would exceed the two percent cap.
Both municipalities still have more candidates than seats – and establishment incumbents being challenged by independents.
In NEWARK, there are nine candidates seeking for a trio of three-year terms.
Former Newark Public Schools Board President Dawn Y. Haynes and fellow incumbents Vereliz Santana and Helena Vinhas are running on the Newark Schools Forward ticket.
It is no coincidence that “Newark Schools Forward” and “Moving Newark Forward,” which fielded a slate of mayoral and council candidates in 2022, have similar names. They both have the endorsement and support from Mayor Ras Baraka’s organization. Both the April 16 and May 14 elections are nonpartisan – meaning that the candidates cannot identify themselves with a political party.
Previous candidate Che J.T. Colter and newcomer Muta El-Amin are running together on their “It Takes A Village” platform.
Former NPS BOE Student Representative Debra Salters is running on her own “Saving Our Children” banner. Fellow election veteran Sheila Montague is declaring “Newark Schools Can Be Better.”
Latoya Jackson advocated “Listen Learn Lead.” Jimmie White is flying his “Parents Stand on Business” flag.
A 10th candidate – NSF’s Kanileah Anderson – is looking to fill a fourth seat that has more than a year left on an unexpired term. Anderson, unless a write-in campaign is mounted, is running unopposed.
In IRVINGTON, voters are to choose from two incumbents and two challengers to fill Irvington Public School’s board seats.
Incumbents Annette L. Beasley and John F. Brown plus newcomer Shante Barr are running together as “The Children’s Team.” They had previously run under the “Irvington Schools Strong” slogan similar to Mayor Anthony “Tony” Vauss’ “Team Irvington Strong” Township Council ticket.
Challenging is Conrad McPherson on his own “Persistent, Passionate, Purposeful” banner.
It should be noted that the April 16 and May 14 ballot design is in the accustomed “County Line’ layout. They are not affected by the anticipated June 6 Democratic Party primary ballot, which is likely to switch from the county line to the ballot block layout.
Participating registered voters have the choice between mail-in or in-person voting April 9-16. Those who have received Vote By Mail Ballots have the option to mail the ballot in or deposit in a designated drop box – so long that the ballot is postmarked or dropped off on or before 8 p.m. April 16.
Physical in-person polling stations are to be open in designated locations 6 a.m. – 8 p.m. April 16. One may want to check with essexclerk.com to check whether their polling stations have moved. The polling stations, unlike past recent elections, will not be open for early voting.
Details may be found at essexclerk.com and the “Essex Votes” app.
