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Akron Public Schools elections (2013)
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Method of election Elections What was at stake? Key deadlines Additional elections External links References |
Akron Public Schools |
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Four seats were up for election on the Akron Board of Education on November 5, 2013. Incumbents Bruce D. Alexander, Lisa Mansfield, Veronica Sims and challenger Dave Lombardi defeated Janice O. Davis, Debbie Maire Walsh and Scott Stetson to win the four at-large seats.
An ongoing issue for the Akron Board of Education was poor academic performance according to the Ohio Achievement Assessments.
About the district
- See also: Akron Public Schools, Ohio
Akron is the county seat of Summit County and located in northeastern Ohio. The city's population was 199,110 according to the 2010 U.S. Census.[1]
Demographics
Akron underperforms the rest of Ohio in terms of higher education achievement, median income and poverty rate. The 2010 U.S. Census found that 20% of Akron residents over 25 years old held undergraduate degrees compared to a 24.5% rate for the state of Ohio. Akron had a median income of $34,190 in 2010 compared to $48,071 for Ohio. The poverty rate for Akron was 25.8% in 2010 compared to an 14.8% rate for the rest of the state.[1]
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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
The Akron Board of Education consists of seven members who are elected at-large to four-year terms. There was no primary election on September 10, 2013 and the general election was held on November 5, 2013. Four seats on the board were up for election in 2013 and three seats were on the ballot on November 3, 2015.[3]
Candidates for the Akron Board of Education must be 18 years old, a resident of the district and not hold city office concurrent to board service. The Summit County Board of Elections required a $30 filing fee as well as at least 25 signatures by the filing deadline on August 7, 2013.[3]
Elections
2013
Candidates
- Bruce D. Alexander
- Incumbent
- Graduate, Youngstown State University
- Superintendent, Summit County Juvenile Court
- Janice O. Davis
- Graduate, Malone College and Baldwin College
- Retired
- Dave Lombardi
- Graduate, Miami University and University of Akron
- Attorney
- Lisa Mansfield
- Incumbent
- Graduate, University of Akron
- Patron Services Manager, Weathervane Playhouse
- Veronica Sims
- Incumbent
- Graduate, University of Akron
- Administrator, Akron Summit Community Action
- Scott Stetson
- Graduate, Youngstown State University and University of Akron
- Principal, Lobbyist Compliance Services, Inc.
- Debbie Maire Walsh
- Executive Director, Summit County Republican Party
Election results
| Akron Public Schools, At-large General Election, 4-year term, 2013 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan |  Lisa Mansfield Incumbent |
20.9% | 11,621 | |
| Nonpartisan | Bruce D. Alexander Incumbent |
18.6% | 10,344 | |
| Nonpartisan | Veronica Sims Incumbent |
15.8% | 8,816 | |
| Nonpartisan | Dave Lombardi |
13.8% | 7,670 | |
| Nonpartisan | Janice O. Davis | 12.2% | 6,814 | |
| Nonpartisan | Debbie Maire Walsh | 9.8% | 5,466 | |
| Nonpartisan | Scott Stetson | 9% | 5,003 | |
| Total Votes | 55,734 | |||
| Source: Summit County Board of Elections, "Election Summary Report for General Election in Summit County, Ohio," accessed December 13, 2013 | ||||
Campaign finance
Candidates received a total of $4,559.35 in contributions for this campaign, according to the Ohio Secretary of State. Veronica Sims and Lisa Mansfield were the only candidates to file reports, receiving $3,703.35 and $856, respectively.[4]
Endorsements
The Akron Beacon Journal endorsed Bruce D. Alexander, Dave Lombardi, Lisa Mansfield and Veronica Sims on October 11, 2013.[5]
Past elections
2011
| Akron Board of Education, At-large, November 8, 2011 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan | Curtis T. Walker Incumbent |
46.8% | 22,538 | |
| Nonpartisan | Tim Miller |
41.5% | 19,967 | |
| Nonpartisan | Write-in votes |
11.7% | 5,641 | |
| Total Votes | 48,146 | |||
| Source: Summit County Board of Elections | ||||
Note: Patrick Bravo won as a write-in candidate, earning 2,226 votes to defeat four other candidates.[6]
What was at stake?
Incumbents Bruce D. Alexander, Lisa Mansfield and Veronica Sims sought re-election to the board on November 5, 2013. The race also featured challengers Janice O. Davis, Dave Lombardi, Scott Stetson and Debbie Maire Walsh. Then-board president Jason Haas did not file for re-election.
Issues
Board members in Akron were faced with academic performance issues stemming from assessments by the Ohio Department of Education. The district achieved proficiency in five performance indicators out of 24 according to the 2012-2013 District Report Card. The evaluation also found that proficiency levels were at least 10% behind state averages in reading and mathematics from grades 3 through 8.[7]
Key deadlines
The following dates were key deadlines for the Akron Board of Education elections in 2013:[3]
| Deadline | Event |
|---|---|
| August 7, 2013 | Last day to file nominating petitions for local nonpartisan races |
| October 24, 2013 | Filing deadline for pre-election expense reports |
| November 5, 2013 | Election day |
| November 26, 2013 | Certification of election results by county officials |
| December 13, 2013 | Filing deadline for post-election expense reports |
Additional elections on the ballot
The Akron Board of Education elections shared the ballot with other local and county elections on November 5, 2013. Voters in Akron selected three members of the City Council and two members of the Akron Municipal Court. The ballot also featured an election for three seats on the Summit County Educational Services Center board.[3] Voters also decided on six local measures dealing with alcohol sales at specific businesses in Akron as well as three county measures related to tax levies to support parks, mental health services and the Akron Zoo.[8]
See also
- Ohio
- Akron Public Schools, Ohio
- Summit County, Ohio ballot measures
- List of school board elections in 2013
- Financial policies, education standards at stake in November school board elections
- School board election wrap-up: Incumbents re-elected overwhelmingly in November 5 elections
- School board elections review: Voters opt for experience over new blood in nation's largest school districts
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 U.S. Census, "Quick Facts: Akron," accessed September 9, 2013
- ↑ Smart Voter, "Summit County, Ohio," accessed September 9, 2013
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Summit County Board of Elections, "2013 Election Calendar," accessed September 10, 2013
- ↑ Ohio Secretary of State, "Elections & Voting: Campaign Finance," accessed December 26, 2013
- ↑ Akron Beacon Journal, "For the Akron school board," October 11, 2013
- ↑ Ohio.com, "Patrick Bravo wins write-in race for Akron School Board," November 9, 2011
- ↑ Ohio Department of Education, "2012-2013 Report Card for Akron Public Schools," accessed September 10, 2013
- ↑ Summit County Board of Elections, "Issue Synopsis," August 7, 2013
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