Board discusses lowering municipal voting age for school-board elections and regional programming plans

Board members spent an extended portion of the meeting on government-relations items, including an exploratory effort to ask municipal partners whether they would consider lowering the municipal voting age to 16 for school-board elections.

Government Relations Chair said he spoke to the three mayors in the regional district and that the mayors expressed support in principle but still need to consult their municipal committees. Board members noted legal and administrative steps remain: a municipal resolution is required to change local eligibility; county clerks would need to administer ballots with the adjusted electorate; and the change would apply only to school-board votes (not state or federal elections) and likely not to referenda. Newark was cited as the only New Jersey example to date.

Board members said any district action would be preceded by an internal vote and that the district would not unilaterally impose the change on municipalities. They also emphasized the need to educate students about voting and to gather data before advancing the idea.

Separately, the government-relations report covered two other items: a proposed state funding request to expand mental-health resources at middle and high-school levels, and planning for a joint regional arts assembly in early June with Young Audiences (a Trenton-based nonprofit) involving four area districts; venue and scheduling are being finalized.

No final policy action on voting-age changes was taken; the discussion was placed at an early stage pending municipal feedback and further board consideration.