EDISON – After drawing extensive criticism from the township’s Jewish community, Edison school board officials agreed to change the date of next month’s school bond referendum to Dec. 9. The election was originally scheduled to fall on Rosh Hashanah, one of the holiest days of the year on the Jewish calendar.
Acting Superintendent John DiMuzio said that the referendum date was changed to avoid “the appearance of insensitivity on the board’s part.”
If approved, the referendum will allow the school board to proceed with a $57 million project to build a new elementary school and additions to three other schools to address overcrowding issues. Voters rejected an identical proposal in April by 375 votes.
State Sen. Barbara Buono (D-Middlesex) is drafting a bill to authorize the state to change the four possible dates for special school board elections if it is discovered they fall on religious holidays.
