A bill allowing districts to move school board elections to November advanced Thursday.

The bill also allows school budgets to skip voter approval if they are within the 2 percent property tax cap. Otherwise, voters would have to approve the additional spending.

School elections are now held in April, and all school budgets require voter approval.

The idea behind the bill is to allow districts to move the elections to the date of the general election to increase turnout.

A Senate committee forwarded the bill Thursday. An Assembly committee also approved it.

The measure could receive final legislative approval early next year and be forwarded to the governor for a signature.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)

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