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VOTE
NO ON NOVEMBER 3rd
THE ELECTED SCHOOL BOARD REFERENDUM
IS NOT ABOUT OUR CHILDREN'S EDUCATION
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People who want an elected board talk about taxes, transparency and democracy—but not about education or Montclair's magnet schools.
This referendum puts our magnet schools, our property values
and our children at risk. |
This referendum puts orderly funding of our schools at risk. And it would require annual school elections costing taxpayers $50,000
a year.
- We won’t just elect new BOE members every April—we’ll be voting on the school budget as well. We don't on any other budget—not at the local, state, or federal level. Putting the school budget up for a vote every year will make our schools the sole target of frustration with property taxes or other grievances with government
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- It would take a serious cut in the school budget to affect our property taxes. A 1% cut in property taxes requires $2 million cut from the school budget. Cutting our property taxes by 5% would mean losing 140 teachers. Is this what we want for our children?
This referendum won't increase transparency in the BOE. But it
will put politics in our schools.
- Voter turnout for school board elections is very low -- about 12% to 15% of registered voters. Candidates need only ten signatures to get on the ballot, compared to 275 to run for an at-large seat on the Montclair Town Council.
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People with grievances, people with a single interest, and people who want only to cut the budget will be motivated to run.
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Candidates for the Board of Ed must raise thousands of dollars for their campaigns. Will you be able to donate enough money to make sure your voice is heard?
This referendum puts our magnet schools at risk
- Sustaining Montclair's nationally recognized magnet schools takes commitment and resources. An appointed Board of Ed is the best way to provide the right mix of people, backgrounds and skills to continue our historically integrated public schools.
Are we willing to put our magnet schools up for a vote every year? |
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