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Rowland Unified School District elections (2013)
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Three seats on the school board for Rowland Unified School District were up for district wide elections that were held on November 5, 2013. Angelena Marie Pride, Lynne Ebenkamp and Cary C. Chen defeated four candidates for three at-large seats.
About the district
Rowland Unified School District is located on the southwestern edge of Los Angeles County, California in Rowland Heights, California. As of the 2010 Census, it was home to 48,993 residents.[1]
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Demographics
Rowland Heights underperforms the rest of California when measured on the basis of median household income and percentage of residents over the age of 25 with a high school diploma. Rowland Heights outperforms the rest of California when measured on the basis of percentage of residents living below the poverty level and percentage of residents over the age of 25 with a bachelor's degree. The median household income in Rowland Heights was $52,270 compared to $61,632 for the state of California. 34.7% of Rowland Heights residents aged 25 years and older attained a bachelor's degree compared to a 30.2 in California. The US Census also showed the poverty rate in Rowland Heights was 10.5% compared to 14.4% for the entire state. The US Census also found that 85.7% of Rowland Heights residents aged 25 years and older attained a high school degree compared to a 80.8% in California.[3]
Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.
Method of board member selection
Rowland Unified School District School Board consists of five members, all of whom are elected to four year terms. All board members represent the district at large. Board member terms are staggered so that at least two members, but no more than three are to be elected each odd numbered year on the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November. There are no primary elections. Three seats were up for election on November 5, 2013. The two remaining seats were up for election on November 3, 2015.[4]
Elections
2013
Candidates
- Wild Chang
- Parent
- Cary C. Chen
- Incumbent board member
- Lynne Ebenkamp
- Retired healthcare professional
- Phillip R. Estrada
- Retired deputy sheriff
- Gilbert G. Garcia
- Incumbent board member
- Anne Ma
- Artist, teacher
- Angelena Marie Pride
- Educator
Election results
On November 5, 2013, Angelena Marie Pride, Lynne Ebenkamp and Cary C. Chen defeated four challenging candidates for three positions on the RUSD Board of Education.
| Rowland Unified School District Board of Education, General Election, 2013 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan |  Angelena Marie Pride |
20.9% | 2,462 | |
| Nonpartisan | Lynne Ebenkamp |
19.4% | 2,277 | |
| Nonpartisan | Cary C. Chen |
15.1% | 1,781 | |
| Nonpartisan | Anne Ma | 14.3% | 1,688 | |
| Nonpartisan | Gilbert G. Garcia | 13.2% | 1,553 | |
| Nonpartisan | Phillip R. Estrada | 9.8% | 1,151 | |
| Nonpartisan | Wild Chang | 7.3% | 855 | |
| Total Votes | 11,767 | |||
| Source: Los Angeles County Clerk, "NOVEMBER 5, 2013 - LOCAL & MUNI CONSOLIDATED ELECTION Final Official Election Returns" accessed December 13, 2013 | ||||
Funding
No contributions or expenditures were reported during the election, according to the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk.
Endorsements
Cary C. Chen and Lynne Ebenkamp received official endorsements from U.S. Representative Ed Royce as well as two members of the Rowland Unified Board of Education, Robert Hidalgo and Heidi Gallagos. Chen also received the endorsement of Judy Nien.[5][6]
Past elections
2011
On November 8, 2011, two seats on the Rowland Unified School District Board of Education were scheduled to be up for election. Candidates Heidi L. Gallegos and Judy Nieh were unopposed and the election was not held.
What was at stake?
Three at-large seats were up for election on November 5, 2013. Incumbent board members Cary C. Chen and Gilbert G. Garcia filed seeking re-election. They were opposed by five challengers.
Issues
Superintendent search
On March 12, 2013, the Rowland Unified School District Board of Education voted 4-1 in favor of appointing Ruben Frutos to Superintendent. Frutos began serving as interim Superintendent on September 1, 2012. The move drew criticism from some in the community who did not believe a proper candidate search had taken place because the appointment took place without the district interviewing a single other candidate. Shay Lohman, vice president of the Association of Rowland Educators said "You've made us the Walmart of school districts: the low-wage leader, You've made it clear that you don't value educators." Frutos responded to the criticism in a phone interview saying "I've developed wonderful partnerships on the administrative side and instructional side. My job has always been to find money for students and teachers. And I'm willing to listen."[7]
Key deadlines
The following dates were key deadlines for the Rowland Unified School District election in 2013:[8]
| Deadline | Event |
|---|---|
| July 15, 2013 | First day to file a petition of candidacy |
| August 9, 2013 | Close of filing period for petition of candidacy |
| October 21, 2013 | Last day to register to vote in school election |
| October 29, 2013 | Final day to apply to vote by mail |
| November 5, 2013 | Election Day |
Additional elections on the ballot
The ballot for the November 5, 2013 election in Los Angeles County also featured elections for local and municipal positions, such as elections for City Clerk, City Treasurer, Mayor and City Council.[9]
See also
- California school board elections draw over 200 candidates
- School board elections review: Voters opt for experience over new blood in nation's largest school districts
- School board election wrap-up: Incumbents re-elected overwhelmingly in November 5 elections
- California
- Rowland Unified School District, California
- List of school board elections in 2013
- Los Angeles County, California ballot measures
- Local ballot measures, California
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ US Census Bureau, "Rowland Heights, California Quick Facts" accessed October 14, 2013
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedCensus1 - ↑ US Census Bureau, "Rowland Heights, California Quick Facts" accessed October 14, 2013
- ↑ Rowland Unified, "BYLAWS OF THE BOARD" accessed October 14, 2013
- ↑ SmartVoter.org, "Cary C. Chen," accessed October 14, 2013
- ↑ SmartVoter.org, "Lynne Ebenkamp," accessed October 14, 2013
- ↑ Steve Scauzillo San Gabriel Valley Tribune, "Despite protests, Rowland Unified names Frutos as new superintendent," March 13, 2013
- ↑ [http://www.lavote.net/voter/PDFS/CALENDAR_EVENTS/11052013.pdf LA Votes, "TENTATIVE CALENDAR OF EVENTS " accessed October 14, 2013
- ↑ LA Vote, "FINAL LIST OF QUALIFIED CANDIDATES TO APPEAR ON THE BALLOT" accessed October 14, 2013
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