Polling place change?
By LINDSAY HICKS
Cherry Hill Sun
5/23/2007

Expert says polls should be removed from schools; BOE opens discussion

Cherry Hill Public Schools Superintendent David Campbell opened discussion about moving polling places from schools to protect students’ safety, a topic experts say pops up on Boards of Education agendas across the country more frequently after school-related tragedies.

Campbell addressed the issue at the May 8 board meeting after receiving feedback from parents who dislike the idea of offering public access to the schools during school board and any other election, according to the Public Information Officer Susan Bastnagel.

CHPS already planned an in-service day for Election Day in November, but polling places open at 2 p.m. during regular school days for others.

The Superintendent’s Advisory Committee will begin exploring options and developing recommendations to present at a future board meeting, Bastnagel said, noting aligning in-service days with election days is one possibility.

Assistant superintendents, directors of departments and the public information officer work with the superintendent on the advisory committee.

Concerns among residents, school and government officials about polling locations are not limited to Cherry Hill. Evesham Township Public Schools Business Administrator John Deserable and Voorhees Public Schools Superintendent Raymond Brosel are among local administrators who have started similar conversations in their districts, according to spokespeople.

Ken Trump, president of the National School Safety and Security Services, said discussions on school security during election days have picked up in recent years, particularly following Columbine in 1999 and the events of Sept. 11.

Regardless of any high-profile incident, removing polling places from schools makes sense, he said.

“School officials spend extensive time, money and effort throughout the school year to reduce and monitor access to schools with security and police personnel, locked doors, cameras and other measures,” Trump stated. “Yet on one or two days in the year, they open their buildings to anyone and everyone for elections, having no idea who is in their schools. It does not make sense and is counter to their day-to-day efforts the rest of the year.”

Moving polling places from schools is not a simple task for a district, especially considering Cherry Hill’s service to 46 voting districts and the potential effects to an already low voter turnout, Bastnagel explained.

The public information officer said students’ safety is top priority, so members of the school community would have to develop better strategies to encourage voting if locations move.

Trump said political concerns have slowed the movement of many polling places from schools.

“Many school and political officials are hesitant to move polling places from schools because they don’t have the political courage to tell mom, dad, grandma and grandpa that they can’t vote in the schools they have voted in for many years, but yet they want these same people to vote for levy/tax increases and elected officials,” he stated.

“Sadly, it will likely take a high-profile incident at a school on Election Day before some political and school officials put safety in front of politics as their primary concern.”

The National School and Security Services offers recommendations for school and community officials who make their schools available for voting who must maintain the safety and security of students and staff.

“Wide-open doors and facilities, limited (if any) supervision, and leaving the school on ‘auto pilot’ during election day simply are not options in today’s society,” according to the organization.

Recommended precautions include preparatory meetings among administrators, offering one entrance to polling locations from the outside, encouraging students to park off campus to enhance visibility, increase communication and review emergency plans.

CHPS Board President Anne Einhorn said the discussion at last week’s meeting was very preliminary and not all members were present, but the conversation will continue.

The new board president also said she plans to add the discussion item to the June policy committee meeting agenda, and Township Council would also need to become involved in the conversation.

Major changes cannot happen quickly, but the board will continue working on the issue, she said.