From the Star-Ledger:

Spending on school board races across the state this year fell to $597,000, a figure about one third of the amount spent last year and the lowest level of spending since 2001, according to a report released today by the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC).

This drop in spending, according to the Ledger, is due to a sharply decreased level of involvement from New Jersey Education Association. According to New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC), last year the teachers’ union spent $767K on advertising; this year it spent only $24K.