Spring Valley – The East Ramapo Board of Education last night announced a compromise on the timing of this year’s district budget vote and trustee election.
Board President said district polls would remain open an extra 2 1/2 hours, to accommodate those celebrating the Jewish holiday Lag B’Omer, which is May 16, the same day as the vote.
Some Orthodox Jewish voters had called on the district to seek the state’s permission to reschedule the vote, because many Jews attend celebrations, leaving them little time to go to the polls.
Others travel to Israel during the holiday. While those unable to vote in person could use absentee ballots, one speaker said last night that absentee ballots would be difficult to handle for a few thousand voters.
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A petition was presented with more than 100 signatures against changing the date, and tense moments persisted throughout the meeting, illustrating the divisions between the district’s Orthodox Jewish and public school communities, but after all they called the compromise a “win-win.”.
“This is not a Jewish school district,” said Kenneth Mercer, “Jewish students don’t really go to the school district” he didn’t understand what interest the school board would have in changing the election date to accommodate a Jewish holiday.