Since 2013, the West Milford Board of Education has held its annual election in November rather than April. In doing so, it has avoided placing its proposed school tax levy on the ballot.
In opposing the move, I argued that switching would likely have at least two unfortunate consequences:
(1) Board members would spend even less time reviewing the annual school budget which drives the size of the school tax levy.
(2) Board candidates and their positions on critical issues would be overwhelmed by the flood of partisan electioneering typical for the November ballot.
Moreover, the public would lose its one opportunity to react directly to the state of school finances and the burden imposed by the school tax levy.
By the end of my service (on the school board), I observed the predicted decline in attention paid to budget preparation.
Why? Elimination of the tax levy vote, which failed exactly 50 percent of the time in the prior 20 years and forced the Board of Education to negotiate a lower budget/levy with the Township Council, removed any need among school trustees to defend budget/tax decisions in front of the public.
Although the move to November did produce higher vote totals for Board of Education candidates - a key selling point for those promoting the switch, a very significant Board of Education under-vote in every election since 2013 suggests that many voters are not engaging with the candidates or school issues.
The demographic and fiscal realities for the West Milford public schools have changed dramatically since 2012. Enrollment has fallen by a third from its high-water mark and the state has imposed a seven-year phased reduction in school aid that will ultimately cut nearly $10 million annually from our school funding.
Our boards have chosen to offset these losses largely by transferring the burden to local residents via property tax increases. This year, even accounting for cost savings from redistricting and layoffs, the school tax levy is slated to increase by 4 percent, contributing to an overall property tax levy among the highest in the country.
The decline in the student population has also meant that households with school-age children now likely represent less than 30 percent of total township households. Thus the principal beneficiaries of the school tax levy now represent fewer than 30 percent of those paying it.
I continue to believe moving the school board election to November was a mistake.
Will returning it to April and reinstating the tax levy vote cure our current funding dilemma? Absolutely not.
But it will likely serve to focus public attention more on Board of Education candidates and their positions as well as giving the majority of local households without direct participation in the district at least a partial say in its funding and structure.
Moving back to April can be done via majority votes of the Board of Education or Township Council or via a public initiative petition. I urge both of our public bodies to consider such a move as soon as possible.
Wayne Gottlieb
West Milford
Editor’s note: Gottlieb was a member of the Board of Education from 2005 to 2014.