Hoboken School Board Proposes to Move Election to November

The Hoboken Board of Education will vote on a resolution on Tuesday night that will propose to move the annual school board elections from April to November. 

The board's governance and personnel committee decided to put a resolution on the agenda, said the committee's chair Theresa Minutillo in a phone interview on Thursday. Minutillo as well as fellow board member Irene Sobolov said they believe the move will increase voter participation. 

"It's an idea I support," Minutillo said about moving the elections. giving municipalities the authority to move elections if they want to.

Last time the board of education extended voting hours on election day, but still turn out was low. 

Besides increasing turn out, Minutillo said, the move may save the school district significant money. "Last year we spent $90,000," Minutillo said. Even if the district saves half of that, Minutillo continued, "that's a teacher's salary."

Moving the election to November means that the public will no longer be able to vote on the budget. Last year, Hoboken's school budget was at the lowest possible tax levy and the budget couldn't been changed. (It overwhelmingly passed last year and the year before). 

Peter Biancamano, who won his first school board election last year, said that "it shouldn't be up to any government body to decide." He said that extending the board members' terms should be up to the voters and that it should be decided by referendum. 

In an email, board member Maureen Sullivan said that "I don't have a big problem with moving the election to November, but it's a mistake to give up the right to vote on the budgets. The more direct democracy, the better." Sullivan, whose term is up this year, added that she thinks that the people should decide the move, not a governing body.

A petition drive has been set in motion to prevent the election move, and put the issue on the ballot.  

To Minutillo and Sobolov—both serve on the governance and personnel committee, together with Kids First colleagues Leon Gold and Board President Rose Marie Markle—extending the board members' terms is not a problem, because everyone's terms are extended. 

It's likely—yet not certain—that the measure will pass on Tuesday with at least four board members (the members of the governance committee putting forward the resolution) in favor of the move. A five-vote majority is needed to approve the resolution.