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The Asbury Park Board of Education voted this month to shift its election back to the spring.

The vote to move back to an April election date was 6-0 with an abstention from Angela Ahbez-Anderson. Board members Corey Lowell and Connie Breech were not present.

“The Asbury Park School Board and District are striving to ‘Build a Brighter Future’ for our students,” Board President Nicolle Harris said. “One of the things we are determined to do is be more transparent and to work cohesively. With this being one of our primary focuses, we decided to move the election from November to April to allow voters a chance to have a say on the school district’s budget.”

School districts were first given the option to move marry their elections with the November general election in 2012. Voters cast their ballots for school board candidates and any proposed referendum or capital spending budget but there is no vote on the annual school budget.

Harris said, the November elections allowed the district to automatically submit budgets with an up to 2 percent increase.

“In the past and even presently, there have been many questions and scrutiny as it pertains to our budget,” Harris said. “This change will allow more transparency. It is our goal to work together with the community and not to keep them in the dark on this, or any issues that affect the education of our children.”

The Board of Education election will be held April 19. Voters will choose to fill three seats on the BOE as well as whether or not they will approve the 2016 school district’s budget.

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