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Berkeley County Schools elections (2016)
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Two of the five seats on the Berkeley County Schools Board of Education were up for at-large general election on May 10, 2016. In their bids for re-election, incumbents J. Ron Gray and William "Bill" Queen faced challenger Michelle Barnes-Russell.[1][2] Queen won re-election, and Barnes-Russell defeated Gray to win a seat on the board.[3]
There was the potential for one new member to be elected to the board in 2016. See how this race compared to past school board elections in both the district and the state in the "Election trends" section below.
Elections
Voter and candidate information
The Berkeley County Board of Education consists of five members elected to four-year terms. Board members are elected at large, but they represent different geographical districts. No more than two members elected from any district may serve on the board during a given term. Primary elections are not used in West Virginia school board elections. Three seats were up for general election on May 13, 2014, and two seats were up for general election on May 10, 2016.[4][5]
To run in this election, candidates had to file with the Berkeley County Clerk's Office by January 30, 2016.[6] Candidates also had to be at least 18 years old, hold a high school diploma or GED and be residents of the county. The cost to file for this election was $25.00.[7]
To vote in the election, district residents had to register by April 19, 2016.[6] Photo identification was not required to vote in West Virginia.
Candidates and results
At-large
Results
| Berkeley County Schools, At-Large General Election, 4-Year Term, 2016 |
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| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 William "Bill" Queen Incumbent |
39.21% | 10,034 |
| Michelle Barnes-Russell |
31.21% | 7,988 |
| J. Ron Gray Incumbent | 29.58% | 7,570 |
| Total Votes | 25,592 | |
| Source: Berkeley County Clerk, "Election Current Results," accessed May 27, 2016 | ||
Candidates
| J. Ron Gray | William "Bill" Queen 
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Michelle Barnes-Russell
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Additional elections on the ballot
- See also: West Virginia elections, 2016
The Berkeley County Schools election shared the ballot with the state's presidential primary election as well as primary elections for a seat on the U.S. House of Representatives and five state executive offices: governor, attorney general, treasurer, auditor and agriculture commissioner. Primary elections for two State Senate seats and five House of Delegates seats were also on the ballot.[6][8][9][10]
Key deadlines
The following dates were key deadlines for West Virginia school board elections in 2016:[6][11]
| Deadline | Event |
|---|---|
| January 11, 2016 - January 30, 2016 | Candidate filing period |
| April 1, 2016 | First campaign finance reporting deadline |
| April 19, 2016 | Voter registration deadline |
| April 27, 2016 - May 7, 2016 | Early voting period |
| April 29, 2016 | Pre-primary campaign finance reporting deadline |
| May 10, 2016 | Election Day |
| June 21, 2016 | Post-primary campaign finance reporting deadline |
| July 1, 2016 | Board members take office |
Endorsements
Do you know of an official or organization that endorsed a candidate in this race? Let Ballotpedia know by email at editor@ballotpedia.org.
Campaign finance
The first campaign finance reporting deadline for this election was April 1, 2016. If the total of all of a candidate's financial transactions did not exceed $500 at that time, a waiver could be submitted in lieu of the report. All candidates had to file a pre-primary report with the county clerk's office by April 29, 2016, and a post-primary report by June 21, 2016.[11][12]
Reports
Candidates received a total of $1,283.57 and spent a total of $1,308.57 in the election, according to the Berkeley County Clerk.[13][14][15]
| Candidate | Contributions | Expenditures | Cash on hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| J. Ron Gray | $25.00 | $25.00 | $0.00 |
| William "Bill" Queen | $0.00 | $25.00 | ($25.00) |
| Michelle Barnes-Russell | $1,258.57 | $1,258.57 | $0.00 |
Past elections
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What was at stake?
2016
Election trends
- See also: School board elections, 2014
One new member was elected to the Berkeley County Board of Education in the general election on May 10, 2016. One candidate challenged the two incumbents who ran to retain their seats and defeated one of them. One new member was also elected to the board in the district's 2014 election. Two incumbents ran unopposed and kept their seats, but the third seat on the ballot was left open for a newcomer. Newcomers took 42.86 percent of the school board seats on the ballot in West Virginia's largest school districts in 2014.
In 2016, the Berkeley County school board election attracted a higher average number of candidates than the district attracted in 2014. An average of 1.50 candidates ran per seat in 2016, and an average of 1.33 ran in 2014. In the largest school districts across the state that held school board elections in 2014, an average of 1.86 candidates ran per seat.
No school board seat on the ballot in the Berkeley County school district was unopposed in 2014 or 2016. Overall in West Virginia, 10.71 percent of seats were unopposed in 2014.
Candidate survey
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About the district
- See also: Berkeley County Schools, West Virginia
Berkeley County Schools is located in Berkeley County in northeastern West Virginia. The county seat is Martinsburg. Berkeley County was home to 110,497 residents in 2014, according to the United States Census Bureau.[16] The district was the second-largest school district in the state in the 2013–2014 school year and served 18,221 students.[17]
Demographics
Berkeley County outperformed West Virginia as a whole in terms of higher education achievement in 2013. The United States Census Bureau found that 19.8 percent of county residents aged 25 years and older had attained a bachelor's degree, compared to 18.3 percent of state residents. The median household income in Berkeley County was $53,515, compared to $41,043 for the entire state. The poverty rate was 13.1 percent, compared to 17.9 percent statewide.[16]
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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.
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms 'Berkeley County Schools' 'West Virginia'. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
| Berkeley County Schools | West Virginia | School Boards |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Abbey Smith, "Phone communication with Berkeley County Clerk's Office," February 3, 2016
- ↑ Berkeley County Schools, "Board of Education," accessed February 3, 2016
- ↑ Berkeley County Clerk, "Election Current Results," accessed May 10, 2016
- ↑ Berkeley County, West Virginia, "Election 2014" accessed March 4, 2014
- ↑ West Virginia Legislature, "Chapter 18. Education: Article 5. County Board Of Education," accessed February 1, 2016
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 West Virginia Secretary of State, "2016 West Virginia Election Dates and Deadlines," accessed February 1, 2016
- ↑ West Virginia Secretary of State, "Offices on the 2016 Ballot," accessed February 1, 2016
- ↑ West Virginia Secretary of State, "Offices on the 2016 Ballot," accessed February 18, 2016
- ↑ West Virginia Legislature, "Senate District Maps - 2010 Plan," accessed February 18, 2016
- ↑ West Virginia Legislature, "House of Delegates District Map," accessed February 18, 2016
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 West Virginia Secretary of State, "2016 Campaign Finance Report Deadlines," accessed February 24, 2016
- ↑ West Virginia Secretary of State, "2016 Best Practices Guide for Campaign Finance," accessed April 4, 2016
- ↑ Abbey Smith, “Email communication with Berkeley County," April 6, 2016
- ↑ Abbey Smith, “Email communication with Berkeley County," May 5, 2016
- ↑ Abbey Smith, “Email communication with Berkeley County," June 28, 2016
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 United States Census Bureau, "Berkeley County, West Virginia," accessed February 8, 2016
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "ELSI Table Generator," accessed November 16, 2015
- ↑ West Virginia Secretary of State, "Voter Registration Totals," accessed February 8, 2016
| 2016 Berkeley County Schools Elections | |
| Berkeley County, West Virginia | |
| Election date: | May 10, 2016 |
| Candidates: | At-large: • Incumbent, J. Ron Gray • Incumbent, William "Bill" Queen • Michelle Barnes-Russell |
| Important information: | What was at stake? • Additional elections on the ballot • Key deadlines |
