Everything you need to know about ranked-choice voting in one spot. Click to learn more!

Beaverton School District elections (2015)

From Ballotpedia
Jump to: navigation, search
2017


School Board badge.png
2015 Beaverton School District Elections

General Election date:
May 19, 2015
Table of Contents
About the district
Method of election
Elections
What was at stake?
Key deadlines
Additional elections
External links
See also
Oregon
Beaverton School District
Washington County, Oregon ballot measures
Local ballot measures, Oregon
Flag of Oregon.png

Three seats on the Beaverton School District School Board were up for general election on May 19, 2015. With an average of 2.33 candidates running for each seat up for election, the 2015 election was more competitive than the last two election cycles for the district.

Zone 3 incumbent ​Mary VanderWeele, Zone 6 incumbent Jeff Hicks and Zone 7 incumbent Linda Degman were up for election. VanderWeel and Hicks did not file to seek re-election.

Melissa Potter and Eric Simpson ran for the open Zone 3 seat, with Simpson defeating Potter. Becky Tymchuk defeated John Somoza and Daniel Vazquez to take the open Zone 6 seat. Degman defeated challenger Andrew Beach in her re-election bid.

While Degman and Tymchuk won the unanimous endorsement of the sitting school board members, the Zone 3 candidates saw divided board opinion on who should succeed VanderWeel. The incumbent and three other board members endorsed Simpson, but two backed Potter. Zone 2 incumbent Anne Bryan did not provide an endorsement for either candidate in the Zone 3 race. Beaverton Mayor Denny Doyle joined the board majority in endorsing Simpson, Tymchuk and Degman in their respective races. Candidates received endorsements from a range of other current and former elected officials, education organizations and community members.

Over five years after the first proposal was made, it appeared a land swap between Beaverton School District and neighboring Hillsboro School District would move forward in 2015. While there was vocal debate in Hillsboro, which was the point of instigation for the proposed district changes, Beaverton had not responded to calls to meet and discuss the change as of late April 2015.

See also: What was at stake in Beaverton's 2015 School Board election?

About the district

See also: Beaverton School District, Oregon
Beaverton School District is located in Washington County, Ore.

Beaverton School District is based in Beaverton in Washington County, which lies in northwestern Oregon. A small portion of the district lies in Multnomah County. Washington County's seat of government is Hillsboro. The county was home to an estimated 554,996 residents in 2013, according to the United States Census Bureau.[1] Beaverton was the third-largest school district in the state serving 39,736 students in the 2011-2012 school year.[2]

Demographics

Washington County outperformed Oregon as a whole in terms of higher education achievement, median household income and poverty rates in 2013. The United States Census Bureau found that 39.4 percent of county residents aged 25 years and older had earned a bachelor's degree or higher compared to 29.7 percent of residents statewide. The median household income in the county was $64,180 while it was $50,229 for the state. The percentage of persons below the poverty line in Washington County was 11.4 percent in comparison to 16.2 percent for the entirety of Oregon.[1]

Racial Demographics, 2013[1]
Race Washington County (%) Oregon (%)
White 82.7 88.1
Black or African American 2.1 2.0
American Indian and Alaska Native 1.1 1.8
Asian 9.6 4.1
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 0.5 0.4
Two or More Races 4.0 3.5
Hispanic or Latino 16.1 12.3

Presidential Voting Pattern, Washington County[3]
Year Democratic Vote Pacific Green Vote Libertarian Vote Republican Vote Other Vote
2012 135,291 1,817 3,543 93,974 2,398
2008 141,544 379 1,148 89,185 4,376
2004 121,140 521 963 107,223 1,461

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.

Voter and candidate information

The Beaverton School Board consists of seven members who are elected at large to four-year terms. While elected at large, each seat on the board has a zone associated with it, and candidates apply to run for a specific zone number. There was no primary election, and the general election for Zones 3, 6 and 7 was May 19, 2015.

Candidates were required to file for the election by March 19, 2015. Voters were required to register by April 28, 2015, in order to vote in this election.

Elections

2015

Candidates

Zone 3

Melissa Potter Eric Simpson Green check mark transparent.png

Melissa Potter.jpg

  • Research faculty and instructor,
    Center for Science Education,
    Portland State University
  • Ed.D., University of Oregon
  • M.A., Pacific University
  • B.A., Willamette University

Eric Simpson.jpg

  • Account program manager, Intel Corporation
  • MBA, Portland State University
  • B.S., University of Washington

Zone 6

John Somoza Becky Tymchuk Green check mark transparent.png Daniel Vazquez

John Somoza.jpg

  • Higher education
    program manager, Intel Corporation
  • J.D., Lewis & Clark Law School
  • Master's of international
    management, Portland
    State University
  • B.S., Syracuse University

Becky Tymchuk.jpg

  • Non-profit consultant
  • B.S, Willamette University

Daniel Vazquez SBE.jpg

  • Consultant and small business owner
  • B.A., University of Oregon

Zone 7

Linda Degman Green check mark transparent.png Andrew Beach

Linda Degman.jpg

  • Incumbent
  • Member from 2012-2015
  • Bond program director, Portland Community College
  • MPA, Portland State University
  • B.S., Portland State University

Andrew Beach.jpg

  • Principal broker, Berkshire Hathaway Real Estate
  • B.A., Portland State University

Election results

Zone 3
Beaverton School District,
Zone 3 General Election, 4-year term, 2015
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Nonpartisan Green check mark transparent.pngEric Simpson 50.3% 10,573
     Nonpartisan Melissa Potter 49.4% 10,391
     Nonpartisan Write-in votes 0.2% 52
Total Votes 21,016
Source: Washington County, Oregon, "Official Summary Report Special District Election: May 19, 2015," June 4, 2015 and Multnomah County, Oregon, "Official Summary Report Special District Election: May 19, 2015," June 3, 2015
Zone 6
Beaverton School District,
Zone 6 General Election, 4-year term, 2015
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Nonpartisan Green check mark transparent.pngBecky Tymchuk 52.2% 10,923
     Nonpartisan John Somoza 27.9% 5,851
     Nonpartisan Daniel Vazquez 19.6% 4,105
     Nonpartisan Write-in votes 0.3% 57
Total Votes 20,936
Source: Washington County, Oregon, "Official Summary Report Special District Election: May 19, 2015," June 4, 2015 and Multnomah County, Oregon, "Official Summary Report Special District Election: May 19, 2015," June 3, 2015
Zone 7
Beaverton School District,
Zone 7 General Election, 4-year term, 2015
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Nonpartisan Green check mark transparent.pngLinda Degman Incumbent 74.2% 15,374
     Nonpartisan Andrew Beach 25.5% 5,288
     Nonpartisan Write-in votes 0.3% 71
Total Votes 20,733
Source: Washington County, Oregon, "Official Summary Report Special District Election: May 19, 2015," June 4, 2015 and Multnomah County, Oregon, "Official Summary Report Special District Election: May 19, 2015," June 3, 2015

Endorsements

Four of the seven candidates running in this election were endorsed by at least one sitting board member each. The table below shows endorsements from sitting school board members and Beaverton City Council members for each candidate. All of the candidates received endorsements from individuals and organizations. Endorsements sections for each of the candidates may be viewed by clicking the following links:

Zone 3

Zone 6

Zone 7


Candidate endorsements
Candidate Sitting school board members
Zone 1
Susan Greenberg
Zone 2
Anne Bryan
Zone 3
​Mary VanderWeele
Zone 4
Donna Tyner
Zone 5
LeeAnn Larsen
Zone 6
​Jeff Hicks
Zone 7
Linda Degman
Zone 3 candidates
Melissa Potter Green check mark transparent.png Green check mark transparent.png
Eric Simpson Green check mark transparent.png Green check mark transparent.png Green check mark transparent.png Green check mark transparent.png
Zone 6 candidates
John Somoza
Becky Tymchuk Green check mark transparent.png Green check mark transparent.png Green check mark transparent.png Green check mark transparent.png Green check mark transparent.png Green check mark transparent.png Green check mark transparent.png
Daniel Vazquez
Zone 7 candidates
Linda Degman Green check mark transparent.png Green check mark transparent.png Green check mark transparent.png Green check mark transparent.png Green check mark transparent.png Green check mark transparent.png N/A
Andrew Beach
Candidate Other elected officials and organizations
Beaverton Education Association Oregon School Employee Association Mayor of Beaverton Denny Doyle Beaverton City Council Member Lacey Beaty Beaverton City Council Member Marc San Soucie
Zone 3 candidates
Melissa Potter Green check mark transparent.png Green check mark transparent.png Green check mark transparent.png Green check mark transparent.png
Eric Simpson Green check mark transparent.png
Zone 6 candidates
John Somoza
Becky Tymchuk Green check mark transparent.png Green check mark transparent.png Green check mark transparent.png
Daniel Vazquez
Zone 7 candidates
Linda Degman Green check mark transparent.png Green check mark transparent.png
Andrew Beach

Campaign finance

See also: List of school board campaign finance deadlines in 2015
Campaign Finance Ballotpedia.png

Candidates received a total of $27,463.58 and spent a total of $27,742.29 in this election, according to the Oregon Secretary of State. These totals include in-kind contributions and expenditures, as well as funds from prior campaigns. They do not include outstanding loans, personal expenditures or accounts payable; John Somoza and Andrew Beach were the only candidates with such outstanding expenditures.[4]

Candidate Receipts Disbursements Cash on hand
Zone 3
Melissa Potter $5,230.00 $4,823.06 $406.94
Eric Simpson $1,994.15 $5,017.28 -$3,023.13
Zone 6
John Somoza $1,250.00 $500.00 $750.00
Becky Tymchuk $10,350.00 $9,522.29 $827.71
Daniel Vazquez $7,464.43 $6,878.68 $585.75
Zone 7
Linda Degman $0.00 $0.00 $347.01
Andrew Beach $1,175.00 $1,000.98 $174.02

Candidates whose committees expected to receive or spend more than $3,500 in a calendar year were required to file campaign finance reports according to the following rules:[5]

  • Transactions occurring before March 7, 2015, were required to be filed by the 30th day after the date of the transaction.
  • Transactions between March 8, 2015, and April 6, 2015, were required to be filed on April 14, 2015.
  • Transactions between April 7, 2015, and May 19, 2015, were required to be filed by the seventh day after the date of the transaction.

Committees who did not expect to surpass the expenditure or contribution threshold were allowed to file a "Certificate of Limited Contributions and Expenditures". If they later surpassed the limit, they were then required to file all transactions from the calendar year.[5]

Past elections

What was at stake?

2015

Issues in the election

Election trends

The Beaverton School Board saw two new members following the 2015 election as the incumbents for Zones 3 and 6 did not file to seek re-election. While those open seats saw two and three candidates file for their races, respectively, the Zone 7 race featured one challenger to the incumbent. An average of 2.33 candidates filed per seat up for election, and none of the races were unopposed.

In comparison to the last two election cycles, 2015's election was more competitive. No incumbents filed for the 2013 school board election, so all five seats up for election were filled by newcomers. A total of 10 candidates filed for all the races collectively, for an average of two candidates per seat up for election. One of the races was unopposed.

In contrast, three incumbents ran for and won re-election to the three seats up for election in 2011. Only two other candidates filed for the races, making the average candidates per seat up for election just 1.67. As in 2013, one race was unopposed.

Issues in the district

Land swap with Hillsboro School District

Dramatic current and expected population growth in the South Hillsboro and South Cooper Mountain areas led to calls for a land swap between Beaverton School District and neighboring Hillsboro School District. Hillsboro made moves to begin such a transfer. As of late April 2015, Beaverton officials had not responded to requests to meet and discuss the potential redistricting. The fairness of the swap, additionally, was up for debate.[6]

Previously, a simple land transfer from Hillsboro to Beaverton had been suggested but strongly resisted. The new proposal would swap a portion of each district. Opposition to the trade from the Hillsboro perspective included the fact that the district would be receiving less valuable property than it would be giving to Beaverton. However, because the need for a new elementary school would shift from Hillsboro to Beaverton with the land trade, some claimed the district would save money in the long run.[6]

Resistance to the plan did not grow purely from economic concerns. Some took issue with the motivations and methods of those supporting the plan. In 2010 and 2012, developer Ed Bartholemy pursued a one-way land transfer from Hillsboro to Beaverton. The Hillsboro board refused his proposal over concerns that it would affect future enrollment, land value and funding.[6]

In early 2015, Bartholemy had a lunch meeting with Hillsboro Board of Directors members Glenn Miller and Monte Akers. Also attending was Washington County Chairman Andy Duyck. Bartholemy's appointment to the Washington County Planning Commission came from Duyck. While fellow school board members Janeen Sollman and Adriana Cañas criticized the private meeting, Miller defended the meeting and became a strong advocate for the property swap.[6][7]

According to Hillsboro School District CFO Adam Stewart, the property proposed to be given to Beaverton would be worth at least $68 million and would contain over 750 students. By comparison, the property Hillsboro would stand to gain from Beaverton would be worth at least $41 million and would contain as many as 610 students. Hillsboro board member Miller argued that his district would save money by avoiding the construction costs of a new elementary school needed in the area.[6]

Key deadlines

The following dates were key deadlines for the 2015 Oregon school board elections:[8][5]

Deadline Event
February 7, 2015-
March 19, 2015
Candidate filing period
March 19, 2015 Deadline for candidates to withdraw
March 23, 2015 Candidate statements for voters' pamphlet deadline
April 7, 2015-
May 19, 2015
Seven day campaign finance reporting period
April 14, 2015 Campaign finance report due
April 28, 2015 Voter registration deadline
May 5, 2015 Last day to mail ballots
May 19, 2015 Election Day
June 8, 2015 Certified election results deadline
June 23, 2015 Last day to file recount demand
July 1, 2015 New school board terms begin

Additional elections on the ballot

See also: Oregon elections, 2015

In addition to school board elections, district residents voted for water, fire and recreation district directors and commissioners on May 19, 2015.[9]

Recent news

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Beaverton School District Oregon. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

See also

Beaverton School District Oregon School Boards
School Board badge.png
Seal of Oregon.png
School Board badge.png


External links

Footnotes