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Benton Harbor Area Schools, Michigan, elections
| Benton Harbor Area Schools |
|---|
 |
| District details |
| School board members: 7 |
| Students: 1,448 (2022-2023) |
| Schools: 6 (2022-2023) |
| Website: Link |
Benton Harbor Area Schools is a school district in Michigan (Berrien County). During the 2023 school year, 1,448 students attended one of the district's six schools.
This page provides information regarding school board members, election rules, finances, academics, policies, and more details about the district.
Elections
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Benton Harbor Area Schools, At-large
General election
General election for Benton Harbor Area Schools, At-large (4 seats)
The following candidates ran in the general election for Benton Harbor Area Schools, At-large on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | ||
| Trenton M. Bowens (Nonpartisan) | ||
| Matthew A. Bradley (Nonpartisan) | ||
| Kimual M.C. Brown (Nonpartisan) | ||
| Josef Bullocks (Nonpartisan) | ||
| Clyde Pollins Jr. (Nonpartisan) | ||
| Stephanie Rockette-Martin (Nonpartisan) | ||
| Reinaldo Tripplett (Nonpartisan) | ||
| ||||
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Election rules
Election dates and frequency
School board general elections in Michigan are held on the first Tuesday after the First Monday in November every two years in even-numbered years.
See law:
Michigan Statute Section 380.384
Below are the recent/upcoming dates for all local school districts in the state. There may be exceptions to these dates for specific districts because of local charters and district-specific exceptions and carve-outs.
- Filing deadline date: July 21, 2026
- General election date: November 3, 2026
Election system
School board members in Michigan are elected through nonpartisan general elections without primaries.
See law:
Michigan Statute Section 380.384
Party labels on the ballot
School board elections in Michigan are nonpartisan, which means party labels do not appear on the ballot for school board candidates. Michigan Election Law on school board candidate nominating petitions states, "(2)The nominating petition must be substantially in the form prescribed in section 544c, except that the petition must be nonpartisan." It also states, "At any regular election, the names of the several nonpartisan offices to be voted for shall be placed on a separate portion of the ballot containing no party designation in the following order: [...], and in a year in which an election for the office is held, local school district board member, metropolitan district officer, and district library board member."
See law:
Michigan Statute Section 168.303 and Section 168.699
Winning an election
The candidate or candidates that receive the most votes in the nonpartisan general election are elected to office.
See law:
Michigan Statute Section 168.307
Term length and staggering
All school districts other community school districts in Michigan have board member terms of either four or six years depending on the board by-laws. As of 2022, 60% of school districts in Michigan had six-year board member terms, and 40% -- including community school districts -- had four-year board member terms.
Community school districts in Michigan have four-year board member terms. Initial terms for the first board members of newly organized community school districts are two, four, or six years to stagger elections.
See law: Michigan Statute Section 380.11a and Michigan Statute Section 380.384
For community school districts in Michigan, as close to half of school board members as possible for each district are elected every two years, which means either three or four seats are up for election at each even-year election. At the first board member election after community school districts are first organized, all seven board member seats are elected. Two members are elected to two-year terms, three members are elected to four-year terms, and two members are elected to six-year terms, with higher vote totals dictating longer initial terms. After initial terms, all board members have four-year terms, which results in staggered elections: four seats up in one election and three seats up in the next election.
Michigan statute requires that at least one board member must be elected every two years at each regular even-year election. Specific seat staggering details for school districts other than community school districts are determined at the local level by the district board's bylaws. Most districts with four-year board member terms elect as close to half of board members as possible every two years. Most districts with six-year board member terms elect as close to one-third of board members as possible every two years.
See law: Michigan Statute Section 380.384 and Michigan Statute Section 168.301
Representation: at large vs. by sub-district
School board members in Michigan are elected at large by all voters in the district.
See law:
Michigan Statute Section 168.303, Section 168.307, and Section 380.384 (3)
Filing deadlines and swearing-in dates
School board candidates must file affidavits and nomination petitions or candidate filing fees by 4 p.m. on the 15th Tuesday before the November election. This means that the school board candidate filing deadline is in late July every even-numbered year.
See law: Michigan Statute Section 168.303
Newly elected school board members in Michigan officially take office on January 1 of the year following the election.
See law:
Michigan Statute Section 380.384 and Section 168.302
Recall elections
- See also: States that allow school board recalls
Recall procedures
| State | Specific grounds required? | Signature requirement | Petition circulation time | When recalls can start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan | No | 25% of voters in the jurisdiction in the last gubernatorial election | 60 days between collection of first signature and collection of last signature; recall petitions are eligible to collect signatures for 180 days | For two-year terms, recalls cannot start until an official has been in office for six months, and they cannot start in the last six months of an officer's term For four-year terms, recalls cannot start until an official has been in office for one year, and they cannot start in the last year of an officer's term |
Recall efforts
2024 (Gavin)
An effort to recall Elnora Gavin from her position on the seven-member Benton Harbor Area Schools Board of Education in Michigan did not go to a vote in 2024. The Berrien County Election Commission rejected the petition at a clarity hearing on June 17, 2024.[1][2][3]
2024 (Bowens)
An effort to recall Trenton Bowens from his position on the Benton Harbor Area Schools Board of Education in Michigan did not go to a vote in 2024. Recall supporters did not file signatures before the petition expired after 180 days.
The recall petition against Bowens was filed with the Berrien County Clerk’s Office in the summer of 2023.[4] It was approved for circulation at a clarity hearing on July 19, 2023.[5] This was the fifth recall petition filed against Bowens in 2023. The four previous petitions were rejected in clarity hearings.[4][6][7][8][9]
The recall effort started after the board voted on 4-3 against replacing a boiler at Benton Harbor High School on March 14, 2023. Bowens was one of the four members to vote against the replacement.[8][2]
At the time the fifth recall petition was filed, Bowens was serving as vice president of the seven-member board. His term was scheduled to end in 2024.[3]
About the district
School board
Benton Harbor Area Schools consists of seven members serving four-year terms. To find information about school board meetings, click here.
| Name | Year assumed office | Year term ends |
|---|---|---|
| Trenton Bowens | 2028 | |
| Matthew Bradley | 2028 | |
| Stephanie Rockette-Martin | 2028 | |
| Reinaldo Tripplett | 2028 | |
| Angela Doyle | 2026 | |
| Elnora Gavin | 2026 | |
| Dashuna Robinson | 2026 |
Join the conversation about school board politics
District map
Overlapping state house districts
The table was limited to the lower chamber because it provides the most granularity. State house districts tend to be more numerous and therefore smaller than state senate or U.S. House districts. This provides an impression of the partisan affiliations in the area.
Budget
The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[10]
| SOURCE | AMOUNT | AMOUNT PER STUDENT | PERCENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal: | $10,381,000 | $6,436 | 32% |
| Local: | $10,094,000 | $6,258 | 31% |
| State: | $11,944,000 | $7,405 | 37% |
| Total: | $32,419,000 | $20,099 |
| TYPE | AMOUNT | AMOUNT PER STUDENT | PERCENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Expenditures: | $24,300,000 | $15,065 | |
| Total Current Expenditures: | $23,027,000 | $14,275 | |
| Instructional Expenditures: | $9,483,000 | $5,879 | 39% |
| Student and Staff Support: | $4,611,000 | $2,858 | 19% |
| Administration: | $3,952,000 | $2,450 | 16% |
| Operations, Food Service, Other: | $4,981,000 | $3,088 | 20% |
| Total Capital Outlay: | $457,000 | $283 | |
| Construction: | $164,000 | $101 | |
| Total Non El-Sec Education & Other: | $488,000 | $302 | |
| Interest on Debt: | $280,000 | $173 |
Academic performance
Each year, state and local education agencies use tests and other standards to assess student proficiency. Although the data below was published by the U.S. Department of Education, proficiency measurements are established by the states. As a result, proficiency levels are not comparable between different states and year-over-year proficiency levels within a district may not be comparable because states may change their proficiency measurements. To protect student privacy, percentages are reported as ranges for groups of 300 students or fewer. If five or fewer students were included in a data set, the data will display as "PS."[11]
The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:
| School year | All (%) | Asian/Pacific Islander (%) | Black (%) | Hispanic (%) | Native American (%) | Two or More Races (%) | White (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-2021 | <=1 | PS | <=1 | <50 | PS | <50 | PS |
| 2018-2019 | 4 | <50 | 3 | 11-19 | PS | <=20 | <=20 |
| 2017-2018 | 4 | PS | 3 | <=10 | PS | <=20 | <50 |
| 2016-2017 | 5 | PS | 5 | <=10 | <50 | <=20 | |
| 2015-2016 | 5 | PS | 4 | <=10 | PS | <50 | 21-39 |
| 2014-2015 | 5 | PS | 5 | <=10 | PS | <50 | <=20 |
| 2013-2014 | 9 | 8 | 10-14 | PS | <50 | 30-39 | |
| 2012-2013 | 10 | PS | 10 | <=10 | PS | PS | 20-29 |
| 2011-2012 | 10 | 10 | <=10 | PS | 11-19 | ||
| 2010-2011 | 60 | PS | 59 | 70-79 | PS | 60-79 | 60-79 |
The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:
| School year | All (%) | Asian/Pacific Islander (%) | Black (%) | Hispanic (%) | Native American (%) | Two or More Races (%) | White (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-2021 | 3 | PS | 2 | <50 | PS | <50 | PS |
| 2018-2019 | 7 | <50 | 7 | 20-29 | PS | <=20 | <=20 |
| 2017-2018 | 7 | PS | 6 | 11-19 | PS | <=20 | <50 |
| 2016-2017 | 11 | PS | 11 | 11-19 | <50 | <=20 | |
| 2015-2016 | 10 | PS | 10 | 11-19 | PS | <50 | <=20 |
| 2014-2015 | 12 | PS | 12 | 11-19 | PS | <50 | <=20 |
| 2013-2014 | 31 | 29 | 40-44 | PS | >=50 | 50-59 | |
| 2012-2013 | 30 | PS | 29 | 40-49 | PS | >=50 | 50-59 |
| 2011-2012 | 28 | 28 | 30-39 | PS | 30-39 | ||
| 2010-2011 | 56 | 55 | 70-79 | PS | 60-79 | 60-79 |
The following table shows the graduation rate of district students each school year:
| School year | All (%) | Asian/Pacific Islander (%) | Black (%) | Hispanic (%) | Native American (%) | Two or More Races (%) | White (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-2020 | 55-59 | PS | 55-59 | PS | PS | PS | |
| 2018-2019 | 42 | 40-44 | <50 | PS | PS | ||
| 2017-2018 | 65 | 65-69 | <50 | PS | PS | ||
| 2016-2017 | 66 | 65-69 | PS | PS | PS | ||
| 2015-2016 | 70-74 | 75-79 | >=50 | PS | PS | ||
| 2014-2015 | 65-69 | 65-69 | PS | PS | PS | ||
| 2013-2014 | 70-74 | PS | 70-74 | PS | PS | PS | |
| 2012-2013 | 52 | PS | 50-54 | PS | PS | ||
| 2011-2012 | 75-79 | 75-79 | PS | PS | |||
| 2010-2011 | 68 | 65-69 | PS | 60-79 |
Students
The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[12]
| Year | Enrollment | Year-to-year change (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 2022-2023 | 1,448 | -4.2 |
| 2021-2022 | 1,509 | -6.9 |
| 2020-2021 | 1,613 | -10.1 |
| 2019-2020 | 1,776 | -9.3 |
| 2018-2019 | 1,941 | -11.0 |
| 2017-2018 | 2,155 | -4.6 |
| 2016-2017 | 2,254 | 2.4 |
| 2015-2016 | 2,200 | -10.6 |
| 2014-2015 | 2,433 | -9.2 |
| 2013-2014 | 2,658 | -4.2 |
| 2012-2013 | 2,770 | -13.2 |
| 2011-2012 | 3,137 | -1.5 |
| 2010-2011 | 3,183 | -17.8 |
| 2009-2010 | 3,748 | 3.2 |
| 2008-2009 | 3,629 | -6.2 |
| 2007-2008 | 3,855 | -5.0 |
| 2006-2007 | 4,048 | -7.3 |
| 2005-2006 | 4,344 | -9.3 |
| 2004-2005 | 4,748 | -6.7 |
| 2003-2004 | 5,064 | -5.1 |
| 2002-2003 | 5,324 | -0.9 |
| 2001-2002 | 5,373 | 3.8 |
| 2000-2001 | 5,171 | -9.7 |
| 1999-2000 | 5,672 | 0.0 |
| RACE | Benton Harbor Area Schools (%) | Michigan K-12 STUDENTS (%) |
|---|---|---|
| American Indian/Alaska Native | 0.1 | 0.6 |
| Asian or Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.0 | 3.6 |
| Black | 92.5 | 18.1 |
| Hispanic | 2.6 | 8.9 |
| Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | 0.1 | 0.1 |
| Two or More Races | 2.4 | 5.1 |
| White | 2.4 | 63.6 |
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.
Staff
The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[13]
As of the 2022-2023 school year, Benton Harbor Area Schools had 70.27 full-time classroom teachers. The student-teacher ratio was 20.61.
| TYPE | NUMBER OF TEACHERS |
|---|---|
| Prekindergarten: | 2.50 |
| Kindergarten: | 7.00 |
| Elementary: | 21.00 |
| Secondary: | 31.17 |
| Total: | 70.27 |
Benton Harbor Area Schools employed 8.70 district administrators and 8.89 school administrators as of the 2022-2023 school year.
| TYPE | NUMBER OF ADMINISTRATORS |
|---|---|
| District Administrators: | 8.70 |
| District Administrative Support: | 4.00 |
| School Administrators: | 8.89 |
| School Administrative Support: | 16.77 |
| TYPE | NUMBER OF OTHER STAFF |
|---|---|
| Instructional Aides: | 3.00 |
| Instruc. Coordinators & Supervisors: | 13.10 |
| Total Guidance Counselors: | 2.00 |
| Elementary Guidance Counselors: | 0.00 |
| Secondary Guidance Counselors: | 2.00 |
| Librarians/Media Specialists: | 0.00 |
| Library/Media Support: | 0.50 |
| Student Support Services: | 35.94 |
| Other Support Services: | 83.06 |
Schools
The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[14]
About school boards
Education legislation in Michigan
Bills are monitored by BillTrack50 and sorted by action history.
See also
| School Boards | Education Policy | Local Politics | Michigan |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
 |
 |
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ The Herald-Palladium, "Recall against Benton Harbor school board trustee rejected," June 18, 2024
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 The Herald Palladium, "Recall petitions filed against Benton Harbor officials," June 1, 2024 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "began" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ 3.0 3.1 Benton Harbor Area Schools, "Board of Education," accessed June 11, 2024 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "board" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ 4.0 4.1 94.9 WSJM, "Recall petition against Bowens rejected, fifth recall petition already filed," July 3, 2023
- ↑ 94.9 WSJM, "Bowens recall language approved," July 20, 2023
- ↑ 94.9 WSJM, "Third recall petition filed against Bowens," June 2, 2023
- ↑ Herald Palladium, "Third recall attempt against Bowens fails at clarity hearing," June 13, 2023
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedpetition2 - ↑ The Herald-Palladium, "Second recall attempt against Benton Harbor school board trustee fails," May 10, 2023
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed June 17, 2024
- ↑ U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC: EDFacts, "State Assessments in Reading/Language Arts and Mathematics- School Year 2018-19 EDFacts Data Documentation," accessed February 25, 2021
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed June 17, 2024
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed June 17, 2024
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed June 17, 2024
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