Allentown City School District elections (2013)
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Four seats on the Allentown City School Board were up for election on November 5, 2013. Each seat on the Allentown City School Board is at-large with voters throughout the city selecting from a common pool of candidates. The candidate field was narrowed in a primary election held on May 21, 2013.
Mike Welsh, Debra Lamb, Ellen Bishop and David Zimmerman defeated Kenneth Woolley Jr. to win the four at-large seats.
About the district
Allentown is the county seat of Lehigh County, which is located in eastern Pennsylvania. The population of Allentown is 118,974 according to the 2010 Census.[1]
Demographics
Allentown underperforms in educational achievement and median household income compared to the rest of the state. According to the 2010 Census, the percentage of residents with a high school degree (75.2%) is lower than the state of Pennsylvania (87.9%). The percentage of residents over 25 with a bachelor's degree or higher is also lower in Allentown (16.4%) compared to the state overall (26.7%). The median household income in Allentown is $35,737 compared to Pennsylvania's statewide median of $51,651.[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 Allentown City School Board consists of nine members elected to four-year terms. Each member is elected at large and represents the entirety of the district. The primary election for Allentown City School Board was held on May 21, 2013 and the general election was held on November 5, 2013. Four seats were up for election on November 5 and the remaining five seats were up for election in November 3, 2015.[3]
Elections
2013
Candidates
The following candidates ran for the Allentown City School Board.[4]
At-large
- Debra Lamb
- Incumbent
- Vice president of development, Lehigh Valley Children's Centers
- David Zimmerman
- Incumbent
- Data analyst, Lehigh Valley Heath Network
- Ellen Bishop
- Incumbent
- Retired pediatrician
- Mike Welsh
- Insurance agent
- Graduate, DeSales University
- Kenneth Woolley Jr.
- Retired district teacher
Election results
| Allentown City School District, At-large General Election, 4-year term, 2013 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Cross filed |  Mike Welsh |
22.8% | 6,184 | |
| Cross filed | David Zimmerman Incumbent |
22.4% | 6,092 | |
| Cross filed | Debra Lamb Incumbent |
22.5% | 6,111 | |
| Republican | Ellen Bishop Incumbent |
19.1% | 5,189 | |
| Democrat | Kenneth Woolley Jr. | 13.3% | 3,601 | |
| Total Votes | 27,177 | |||
| Source: Lehigh County Election Results, "Allentown City School District," accessed December 12, 2013 | ||||
Endorsements
No candidates received any endorsements for their campaigns.
Campaign finance
No contributions or expenditures were reported during the election, according to the Lehigh County Voter Registration Department.[5]
Past Elections
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What was at stake?
Four seats, including Vice President Debra Lamb's, were at stake in this election. Debra Lamb, Ellen Bishop and David Zimmerman sought re-election while Andrew Weiss did not run for another term. The three incumbents faced newcomers Mike Welsh and Kenneth Woolley Jr. for the four open seats. Issues facing the board at the time included the district's budget deficit as well as poor performance on state and federal assessment programs.[4]
Key deadlines
The following were key deadlines for the Allentown City School Board election.[3]
| Deadline | Event |
|---|---|
| February 19, 2013 | First day for filing nominating petitions |
| March 12, 2013 | Last day to file nominating petitions |
| March 27, 2013 | Last day to withdraw from ballot |
| May 21, 2013 | Primary Election Day |
| August 1, 2013 | Last day to circulate and file nomination papers nominating independent candidates |
| August 8, 2013 | Last day for candidates who have filed nomination papers to withdraw |
| August 12, 2013 | Last day for candidates nominated at the Primary to withdraw |
| August 22, 2013 | Last day to file substituted nominations |
| September 16, 2013 | First day to receive Official Absentee Ballot Applications |
| October 7, 2013 | Last day an elector may register to vote or make change to their voting record to be eligible for the General Election |
| November 1, 2013 | Last day to receive Official Absentee Ballots in County Board of Elections by 5:00 PM |
| November 5, 2013 | Election day |
Additional elections on the ballot
In addition to the school board race, residents of Allentown had statewide, countywide and citywide items on the ballot. They voted on a Judge of the Superior Court in a statewide race. They also voted for a county executive, five county commissioners, and four district judges in a countywide race. In the citywide race, they voted for mayor, city council, judge of elections and inspector of elections.[6]
See also
- Pennsylvania
- Allentown City School District, Pennsylvania
- List of school board elections in 2013
- Lehigh County, Pennsylvania ballot measures
- Local ballot measures, Pennsylvania
- 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
- Pennsylvania school boards to see large turnover
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 U.S. Census, "Quick Facts: Allentown," accessed August 6, 2013 (dead link)
- ↑ Lehigh County, "Election Results," accessed August 6, 2013
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Lehigh County, "Lehigh County Election Calendar," accessed August 7, 2013
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 The Morning Call, "Five of six Allentown School Board candidates advance," accessed August 7, 2013
- ↑ Lehigh County Government Voter Registration, "Campaign Filing Reports, accessed December 17, 2013
- ↑ "Lehigh County," "Elections," accessed August 7, 2013 (dead link)
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