By VASHTI HARRIS
Staff Writer
JAMESBURG — Jamesburg’s Board of Education currently has one vacant seat on a nine-seat board. On election night, Nov. 8, residents approved the borough’s ballot proposal to reduce the board from nine members to seven.
Currently, the board has eight members and one vacant seat, according to Jamesburg’s website. Therefore, in the meantime, the board is attempting to fill the vacancy, and the vacancy has been advertised, according to Beth Brooks, the board’s business administrator/board secretary.
“We did not receive any candidates. The opening was put on the [ballot on Nov. 8],” Brooks said. “We are hoping to appoint via the write-in candidate list from the election. We are working on contacting write-in candidates.”
According to Jamesburg Superintendent Brian Betze, the school board has had trouble finding enough volunteers to serve, so a question was included on the general election ballot to ask residents if they are in favor of reducing the size of the board.
The proposal was approved where 71 percent of the voters voted “yes” and 29 percent voted “no,” according to results posted on Middlesex County’s website.
“It will happen during a two-year period, so next November instead of [nine seats] there will only be eight seats available; then, the following year instead of eight seats available, there will only be seven. It will be a two-year process to get down to seven seats, and nobody will be kicked off the board,” Betze said.
“There are many write in candidates with 1 or 2 votes. The board is accepting the nomination from the highest votes received. We had 2 write in candidates accept and we are waiting on the 3rd candidate,” Brooks said.
For more information, visit www.jamesburg.org/jps.
Contact Vashti Harris vharris@gmnews.com.
