Berkeley Unified School District elections (2014)
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Three seats on the Berkeley Unified School District Board of Education were up for general election on November 4, 2014. Three at-large incumbents, Karen Hemphill, Josh Daniels and Julie Sinai, were up for re-election.[1][2] They ran against challengers Ty Alper and Norma J.F. Harrison.[3]
Incumbents Josh Daniels and Karen Hemphill won re-election, while challenger Ty Alper won his first term on the board.
About the district
Berkeley Unified School District is located in Alameda County, California. The county seat of Alameda County is Oakland.[4] Alameda County was home to 1,578,891 residents in 2013, according to the United States Census Bureau.[5] In the 2011-2012 school year, Berkeley Unified School District was the 175th-largest school district by enrollment in California and served 9,545 students.[6]
Demographics
Alameda County outperformed the rest of California in terms of higher education achievement in 2012. The United States Census Bureau found that 41.1 percent of Alameda County residents aged 25 years and older had attained a bachelor's degree compared to 30.5 percent for California as a whole. The median household income for Alameda County was $71,516 compared to $61,400 for the state of California. The poverty rate in Alameda County was 12 percent compared to 15.3 percent for the entire state.[5]
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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.
Voter and candidate information
The Berkeley Unified School District Board of Education consists of five members elected to four-year terms in at-large elections. There was no primary election, and the general election was held on November 4, 2014. Three seats were up for election in 2014, and two seats will be up for election in 2016.[1][2]
School board candidates had to file with their county elections department during the candidate filing period. The filing period began July 14, 2014, and ended August 8, 2014. To vote in the 2014 general election, voters had to register by October 20, 2014. Voters could request vote-by-mail ballots from October 6, 2014, through October 28, 2014.[8]
Elections
2014
Candidates
At-large
- Josh Daniels
- Incumbent
- Attorney, California School Boards Association
- Karen Hemphill
- Incumbent
- Graduate, Brown University and University of California at Berkeley
- City manager's assistant
- City clerk/public information officer, Emeryville, California
- Julie Sinai
- Incumbent
- Director of local government and community relations, U.C. Berkeley
- Ty Alper
- Professor, U.C. Berkeley School of Law
- Norma J.F. Harrison
- Graduate, Roosevelt University
Election results
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Ty Alper |
26.6% | 20,379 | |
| Nonpartisan | Josh Daniels Incumbent |
25.3% | 19,340 | |
| Nonpartisan | Karen Hemphill Incumbent |
21.9% | 16,731 | |
| Nonpartisan | Julie Sinai Incumbent | 21.2% | 16,207 | |
| Nonpartisan | Norma J.F. Harrison | 4.9% | 3,779 | |
| Nonpartisan | Write-in votes | 0.2% | 131 | |
| Total Votes | 76,567 | |||
| Source: Alameda County Election Department, "General Election Results," accessed December 22, 2014 | ||||
Endorsements
The Alameda County Democratic Party endorsed the three incumbents in this election, Karen Hemphill, Josh Daniels and Julie Sinai, and the Green Party of Alameda County endorsed Hemphill, Daniels and challenger Ty Alper.[9][10] The Berkeley Federation of Teachers and the community organizations Evolve endorsed all three incumbents as well as Alper.[11][12][13][14][15] Both Hemphill and Sinai received the endorsement of the National Women's Political Caucus - Alameda North.[16]
California Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson endorsed Daniels and Sinai. California Senator Loni Hancock (D) and California Assmblywoman Nancy Skinner (D) endorsed Hemphill, Daniels and Sinai.[11][12][13]
Sinai also received endorsements from the Wellstone Democratic Renewal Club, the Berkeley Firefighters Association IAFF 1277, the Berkeley Police Association, the Building and Construction Trades Council of Alameda County, the Carpenters Union Local 713, the Sheet Metal Workers International Association Local 104 and the Plumbers & Steamfitters Local 342.[13]
Alper also received endorsements from the Berkeley Democratic Club, the Berkeley Council of Classified Employees (BCCE), the East Bay Stonewall Democratic Club, the Berkeley Tenants Union and Berkeley Citizens Action.[14]
Campaign finance
Candidates had to file contribution reports within 24 hours of receiving an aggregate total of $1,000 or more from a single source. The first scheduled pre-election report filing deadline was October 6, 2014. If candidates raised or spent less than $1,000 during the 2013 and 2014 calendar years, they had to file Form 470 at that time. If candidates raised or spent more during that time, they had to file Form 460 by the pre-election report filing deadline.[17]
Candidates required to file Form 460 also had to file a second pre-election report on October 23, 2014, and they had to file termination reports by December 31, 2014. If a termination report was not filed, candidates had to file a semi-annual report by February 2, 2015.[17]
Reports
Candidates received a total of $110,416.30 in contributions and spent a total of $86,717.27 in expenditures, according to the most recent campaign disclosure reports published by the City of Berkeley as of October 28, 2014.[18][19][20][21] Candidate Norma J.F. Harrison filed Form 470, indicating she did not intend to raise or spend more than $1,000 for her 2014 campaign. Because of this, Harrison did not have to file any additional campaign finance reports.[22]
| Candidate | Existing balance | Contributions | Miscellaneous increases | Expenditures | Cash on hand |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Karen Hemphill | $300.00 | $12,373.32 | N/A | $11,532.56 | $1,140.76 |
| Josh Daniels | N/A | $19,521.00 | N/A | $17,517.64 | $2,003.36 |
| Julie Sinai | $100.00 | $30,059.99 | $511.98 | $15,518.49 | $15,153.48 |
| Ty Alper | N/A | $48,461.99 | N/A | $42,148.58 | $6,313.41 |
| Norma J.F. Harrison | N/A | $0.00 | N/A | $0.00 | $0.00 |
Past elections
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What was at stake?
Issues in the district
Board, union negotiations brought to panel
The Berkeley Unified School District has been at odds with the Berkeley Council of Classified Employees (BCCE), a union representing 570 of its employees, since 2011. After using a mediator from the State Mediation and Conciliation Service for seven months, negotiations continued to sour. In August 2014, the two groups turned to a fact-finding panel.[23]
Though the union and the district reached agreements on many issues, they could not agree on involuntary transfers, benefits contribution, maintaining the merit system and paid family medical leave for part-time employees. These issues were brought to an impartial three-member fact-finding panel made up of one member appointed by the district, one member appointed by BCCE and one member mutually agreed upon by both parties. Each party submitted their final offers to the panel on September 12, 2014.[23]
The two groups announced they had reached a tentative agreement on October 2, 2014, which was subject to ratification by the BCCE and approval by the Berkeley Unified Board of Education. The agreement included a 2.5 percent increase in pay retroactive to July 2013 for all employee members of the BCCE, and another 2 percent raise retroactive to July 2014. Wording regarding involuntary transfers was changed, and the district also agreed to contribute approximately $60 more per month per employee toward health care benefits.[24]
Key deadlines
The following dates were key deadlines for the Berkeley Unified School District election in 2014:[2][17]
| Deadline | Event |
|---|---|
| July 14, 2014 | First day for candidates to file nomination documents |
| August 8, 2014 | Last day for candidates to file nomination documents |
| October 6, 2014 | First day to request vote-by-mail ballot |
| October 6, 2014 | First pre-election report due |
| October 20, 2014 | Last day to register to vote |
| October 23, 2014 | Second pre-election report due |
| October 28, 2014 | Last day to request vote-by-mail ballot |
| November 4, 2014 | Election Day |
| December 31, 2014 | Termination report due |
| February 2, 2015 | Semi-annual report due |
Additional elections on the ballot
- See also: California elections, 2014
This election shared the ballot with general elections for three U.S. House seats, several state executive offices, one state Senate seat and five state Assembly seats. It also shared the ballot with a number of municipal elections and other school board elections.[2] Measure BB, a countywide measure on a 30-year Transportation Expenditure Plan, was also on the November 4, 2014, general election ballot.[25]
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term "Berkeley + Unified + School + District + California"
See also
- California
- Berkeley Unified School District, California
- California school board elections, 2014
- List of school board elections in 2014
- School board elections, 2014
- Alameda County, California ballot measures
- California ballot measures
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Berkeley Unified School District, "School Board Members," accessed July 14, 2014
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Alameda County Registrar of Voters, "November 4, 2014 - General Election," accessed July 14, 2014
- ↑ Alameda County Registrar of Voters, "Candidate Services Reports," accessed August 14, 2104
- ↑ Alameda County, "About Us," accessed July 1, 2014
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 United States Census Bureau, "Alameda County, California," accessed July 1, 2014
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "ELSI Table Generator," accessed April 22, 2014
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "Statewide elections," accessed June 30, 2014
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "Summary of November 4, 2014, General Election Calendar," accessed July 14, 2014
- ↑ Alameda County Democratic Party, "Endorsements: 2014 Local Elections, November 4, 2014," accessed October 20, 2014
- ↑ Green Party of Alameda County, "Alameda County Green Party Voter Guide," accessed October 20, 2014
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Karen Hemphill For Berkeley School Board 2014, "Partial Endorsement List," accessed October 20, 2014
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Josh Daniels for School Board 2014, "Endorsements," accessed October 20, 2014
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 Julie Sinai: Berkeley School Board, "Endorsements," accessed October 20, 2014
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Ty Alper: Berkeley School Board, "Endorsements," accessed October 20, 2014
- ↑ Evolve, "Endorsements: November 04, 2014 Election," accessed October 28, 2014
- ↑ National Women's Political Caucus, Alameda North, "Endorsements for the 2014 General Election," accessed October 20, 2014
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 Fair Political Practices Commission, "Filing Schedule for Candidates and Controlled Committees for Local Office Being Voted on November 4, 2014," accessed August 19, 2014
- ↑ City of Berkeley, "Viewing filings made by Karen Hemphill for School Board 2014," accessed October 28, 2014
- ↑ City of Berkeley, "Viewing filings made by Josh Daniels for School Board 2014," accessed October 28, 2014
- ↑ City of Berkeley, "Viewing filings made by Julie Sinai for School Board 2014," accessed October 28, 2014
- ↑ City of Berkeley, "Viewing filings made by Ty Alper for School Board 2014," accessed October 28, 2014
- ↑ City of Berkeley, "Viewing filing activity for Harrison, Norma," accessed October 28, 2014
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 Berkeleyside, "Mediation between school district, staff union fizzles," August 1, 2014
- ↑ Berkeley Unified School District, "Tentative Agreement Announced Between BUSD and BCCE," October 2, 2014
- ↑ Alameda County Registrar of Voters, "List of Local Measures," accessed September 2, 2014 (dead link)
| 2014 Berkeley Unified School District Elections | |
| Alameda County, California | |
| Election date: | November 4, 2014 |
| Candidates: | At-large: • Incumbent, Josh Daniels • Incumbent, Karen Hemphill • Incumbent, Julie Sinai • Ty Alper • Norma J.F. Harrison |
| Important information: | What was at stake? • Key deadlines • Additional elections on the ballot |
