A contentious presidential election helped draw large numbers of voters to the polls Tuesday, where three school initiatives in Monmouth County were on ballots with other hotly contested races.
Many communities used the opportunity of high voter turnout to have their residents weigh in on numerous school issues such as large spending projects, merger questions and the chance to rename a building.
Highlands and Sea Bright schools
Highlands and Sea Bright asked voters whether their towns should work together to bring Sea Bright students into Henry Hudson Regional School District. Officials in both towns said it could lower school taxes for residents.
In Sea Bright, voters supported the initiative with a vote of 686 to 141, according to unofficial results. Highlands voters also approved the measure, with a vote of 2,069 to 347.
Manalapan-Englishtown Regional School District
In Manalapan-Englishtown Regional School District, voters decided whether to borrow $115 million for school improvement projects, including upgrading fire alarms and public alert systems, making sidewalks and bathrooms compliant with Americans with Disabilities Act requirements, and rehabilitating aging roofs and windows. By approving the local spending initiative, an additional $43 million in state aid will become available for the projects…