Bloomington Public Schools elections (2017)
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Four of the seven seats on the Bloomington Public Schools school board in Minnesota were up for nonpartisan general election on November 7, 2017. Incumbents Tom Bennett, Jim Sorum, and Dawn Steigauf won re-election to their seats. Newcomer Beth Beebe also won a seat. Challengers John Moravec, Julie Morse, Michael Poke, Paige Rohman, Dan Stirratt, Jane Stoa, and Marcia Sytsma were defeated in the election.[1]
Bennett, Beebe, Rohman, and Sytsma participated in Ballotpedia's 2017 survey of school board candidates. Click here to read their responses.
The 2017 election attracted more candidates than the district's previous three elections attracted. For information on elections trends in the district, click here.
Elections
Voter and candidate information
The Bloomington school board consists of seven members elected to four-year terms. Elections are held at large on a staggered basis so that three or four seats are up for election every November of odd-numbered years.[2]
School board candidates had to be at least 21 years old upon taking office, residents of the school district for a minimum of 30 days before the election, and eligible to vote in Minnesota. They could not run for any other office on the ballot at the same time as the school board election, and they could not have been convicted of an offense for which they were required to register as a predatory offender.[3] To get on the ballot, school board candidates had to file between August 1, 2017, and August 15, 2017.[4] The deadline for candidates to withdraw was August 17, 2017.[5]
Citizens of the school district could register to vote on election day, but the deadline to register prior to election day was October 17, 2017. Vote-by-mail or in-person early voting was open from September 22, 2017, to November 6, 2017.[6] Photo identification was not required to vote in Minnesota.[7]
Candidates and results
At-large
Results
| Bloomington Public Schools, At-large General Election, 4-year terms, 2017 |
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|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Tom Bennett Incumbent |
13.29% | 5,473 |
| Dawn Steigauf Incumbent |
12.03% | 4,955 |
| Beth Beebe |
11.94% | 4,919 |
| Jim Sorum Incumbent |
11.35% | 4,674 |
| John Moravec | 10.87% | 4,478 |
| Dan Stirratt | 8.78% | 3,616 |
| Paige Rohman | 7.42% | 3,055 |
| Marcia Sytsma | 6.55% | 2,697 |
| Michael Poke | 6.42% | 2,646 |
| Jane Stoa | 5.68% | 2,338 |
| Julie Morse | 5.23% | 2,156 |
| Write-in votes | 0.46% | 189 |
| Total Votes | 41,196 | |
| Source: Bloomington Public Schools, "Minutes Of The Regular Meeting Of The School Board Independent School District 271," November 13, 2017 | ||
Candidates
 Tom Bennett 
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Jim Sorum
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Dawn Steigauf
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Beth Beebe
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John Moravec | Julie Morse |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Michael Poke | Paige Rohman
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Dan Stirratt | Jane Stoa | Marcia Sytsma
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|---|---|---|---|---|
Additional elections on the ballot
- See also: Minnesota elections, 2017
The Bloomington school board election shared the ballot with elections for the Bloomington City Council.[8]
Key deadlines
The following dates were key deadlines for the Minnesota school board elections in 2017:[4][5][6][9]
Endorsements
SEIU Minnesota State Council endorsed incumbent Dawn Steigauf and challengers John Moravec, Michael Poke, and Jane Stoa.[10] OutFront Minnesota Action also endorsed Moravec.[11] The Stonewall DFL Caucus of Minnesota endorsed challenger Marcia Sytsma.[12]
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
Candidates received a total of $16,321.59 and spent a total of $15,607.92 in the election, according to the Bloomington Public Schools.[13]
| Candidate | Contributions | Expenditures | Cash on hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tom Bennett | $720.00 | $393.36 | $326.64 |
| Jim Sorum | $90.00 | $993.88 | ($903.88) |
| Dawn Steigauf | $2,035.00 | $1,931.61 | $103.39 |
| Beth Beebe | $1,050.00 | $650.68 | $419.32 |
| John Moravec | $4,341.58 | $3,977.71 | $363.87 |
| Julie Morse | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Michael Poke | $1,780.00 | $1,766.50 | $13.50 |
| Paige Rohman | $2,575.00 | $2,456.97 | $118.03 |
| Dan Stirratt | $2,083.95 | $1,896.69 | $187.26 |
| Jane Stoa | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Marcia Sytsma | $1,646.06 | $1,540.52 | $105.54 |
Reporting requirements
Minnesota school board candidates had to file an initial campaign finance report within 14 days of spending or receiving more than $750. They also had to file a pre-general report, a post-general report, and a year-end report. Those three reports were due on October 28, 2017, December 7, 2017, and January 31, 2018.[9]
Past elections
To see results from past elections in Bloomington Public Schools, click here.
What was at stake?
Report a story for this election
Ballotpedia researches issues in school board elections across the United States, but information availability is a challenge for us in many school districts. Please contact us about the issues that impact your local school district. Note that not all submissions may meet Ballotpedia's coverage requirements for inclusion.
Candidate survey
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Ballotpedia invites school board candidates to participate in its annual survey. |
Survey responses
Four candidates in this race participated in Ballotpedia's 2017 survey of school board candidates. The following sections display the responses to the survey questions from Tom Bennett, Beth Beebe, Paige Rohman, and Marcia Sytsma.
Hope to achieve
When asked what he hoped to achieve if elected to the school board, Bennett stated:
| “ | To continue to advocate for children, families, strong schools and good teachers like I've been doing all of my adult life.[14] | ” |
| —Tom Bennett (September 21, 2017)[15] | ||
When asked what she hoped to achieve if elected to the school board, Beebe stated:
| “ | I hope to address the following issues: Declining Math and Reading Scores. Our district Math and Reading scores put only 54% of 3rd and 8th grade students at grade level. I have researched and found that the current Math curriculum has been rated as LEAST EFFECTIVE by John Hopkins University. This is unacceptable and does not prepare our students with the fundamental math skills needed in any career. I will work with the Curriculum Committee to be sure that a new curriculum is highly evaluated by independent sources, not done by the publisher. I will also work to tap other sources that are effective in helping struggling students improve like the Math and Reading Corps and free community tutoring programs. Declining Enrollment and the issues related to it. This is causing the district to lose funding they need for programs. Some families have left the district because of curriculum, disrespect in the classroom, discipline, and bullying. Those issues need to be addressed to attract new and retain current students. Increasing Career Education and Training for students as alternative options to College. Shop classes are no longer offered in our district. The industrial, manufacturing, and craftsman industries are needing more workers to replace 25% to 35% of those retiring by the year 2020 and beyond. The district has started a College and Career Academy to help in this area. It has not been utilized as greatly as it needs to be to encourage students to move into these careers. Parents also have to be educated that these are viable jobs that pay well and are respected fields. Our district can impact this increasing need, but it will take more focus to get the word out.[14] | ” |
| —Beth Beebe (September 27, 2017)[16] | ||
When asked what he hoped to achieve if elected to the school board, Rohman stated:
| “ | I have several hopes as a member of the school board, but primarily I would work to build and maintain trust. Trust with community members who we are asking to continue funding our schools. Trust with teachers and staff who would like to be more involved in decision making. And trust with students and parents so that they know our schools are always a safe place for everyone.[14] | ” |
| —Paige Rohman (September 25, 2017)[17] | ||
When asked what she hoped to achieve if elected to the school board, Sytsma stated:
| “ | I hope to refocus the school board on implementing policy decisions that emphasize inclusion of all students, families, and teachers in decisions that affect them. Specifically, my campaign is aligned around three platforms: Safe Schools for All Students, Championing Diversity and Equity, and Expanding Work Readiness.[14] | ” |
| —Marcia Sytsma (September 20, 2017)[18] | ||
Ranking the issues
The candidates were asked to rank the following issues by importance in the school district, with 1 being the most important and 7 being the least important. This table displays their rankings:
| Issue importance ranking | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Issue | Bennett's ranking | Beebe's ranking | Rohman's ranking | Sytsma's ranking | |
| Expanding arts education | |||||
| Improving relations with teachers | |||||
| Balancing or maintaining the district's budget | |||||
| Improving post-secondary readiness | |||||
| Closing the achievement gap | |||||
| Improving education for special needs students | |||||
| Expanding school choice options | |||||
Positions on the issues
The candidates were asked to answer nine multiple choice and short answer questions from Ballotpedia regarding significant issues in education and the school district. A link to their responses can be found below.
- Tom Bennett's survey responses
- Beth Beebe's survey responses
- Paige Rohman's survey responses
- Marcia Sytsma's survey responses
Election trends
- See also: School boards in session: 2015 in brief
The 2017 Bloomington school board election attracted more candidates than the district's past three elections. Eleven candidates ran for four seats on the board in 2017 for an average of 2.75 candidates per seat, while the district saw an average of 2.33, 1.75, and 1.67 candidates run per seat in 2015, 2013, and 2011, respectively.
The 2017 election was guaranteed to elect one newcomer to the board due to an open seat. No newcomers were elected to the board in 2015, but four were elected in 2013 after defeating three incumbents. In 2011, newcomers won two open seats, and one incumbent was re-elected to the board.
| School board election trends | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Candidates per seat | Unopposed seats | Incumbents running for re-election | Incumbent success rate | Seats won by newcomers | |
| Bloomington Public Schools | ||||||
| 2017 | 2.75 | 0.00% | 75.00% | 100.00% | 25.00% | |
| 2015 | 2.33 | 0.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 0.00% | |
| 2013 | 1.75 | 0.00% | 75.00% | 0.00% | 100.00% | |
| 2011 | 1.67 | 0.00% | 33.33% | 100.00% | 66.67% | |
| Minnesota | ||||||
| 2015 | 1.70 | 18.18% | 69.70% | 95.65% | 33.33% | |
| United States | ||||||
| 2015 | 1.72 | 35.95% | 70.37% | 82.66% | 40.81% | |
About the district
- See also: Bloomington Public Schools, Minnesota
The Bloomington school district is located in central Minnesota in Hennepin County. The county seat is Minneapolis. The county was home to an estimated 1,232,483 residents in 2016, according to the United States Census Bureau.[19] The district was the 14th-largest school district in the state in the 2014-2015 school year and served 10,380 students.[20]
Demographics
Hennepin County outperformed Minnesota as a whole in terms of higher education achievement between 2011 and 2015. The United States Census Bureau found that 47 percent of county residents aged 25 years and older had attained a bachelor's degree, compared to 33.7 percent of state residents. The median household income in Hennepin County was $65,834, compared to $61,492 for the entire state. The poverty rate in the county was 10.9 percent, while it was 10.2 percent statewide.[19]
| Racial Demographics, 2016[19] | ||
|---|---|---|
| Race | Hennepin County (%) | Minnesota (%) |
| White | 75.2 | 85.0 |
| Black or African American | 13.0 | 6.2 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 1.1 | 1.3 |
| Asian | 7.4 | 4.9 |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander | 0.1 | 0.1 |
| Two or More Races | 3.2 | 2.4 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 6.9 | 5.2 |
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 Bloomington Public Schools Minnesota election. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
| Bloomington Public Schools | Minnesota | School Boards |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Minnesota Secretary of State, "Candidate Filings: 2017 Municipal and School District Elections," accessed August 16, 2017
- ↑ Bloomington Public Schools, "School Board Members," accessed August 15, 2017
- ↑ Minnesota Secretary of State, "Candidate Qualifications," accessed August 15, 2017
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Minnesota Secretary of State, "Candidate Filing Periods," accessed August 15, 2017
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Minnesota Secretary of State, "Candidate Withdrawal," accessed August 15, 2017
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Minnesota Secretary of State, "Elections Calendar," accessed August 15, 2017
- ↑ Minnesota Secretary of State, "Do I Need to Bring ID?" accessed August 15, 2017
- ↑ Minnesota Secretary of State, "Candidate Filings: 2017 Municipal and School District Elections," accessed August 16, 2017
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Minnesota Secretary of State, "Campaign Finance Filings," accessed September 20, 2017
- ↑ SEIU Minnesota State Council, "Support SEIU-Endorsed Candidates in 2017 Elections!" October 21, 2017
- ↑ John Moravec for Bloomington School Board, "Endorsements," accessed October 26, 2017
- ↑ Stonewall DFL Caucus, "Candidate Endorsements in Bloomington, Saint Anthony Village and Saint Louis Park added by Stonewall DFL," accessed October 26, 2017
- ↑ Bloomington Public Schools, "2017 Campaign Financial Report," accessed December 11, 2017
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Ballotpedia's school board candidate survey, "Tom Bennett responses," September 21, 2017
- ↑ Ballotpedia's school board candidate survey, "Beth Beebe responses," September 27, 2017
- ↑ Ballotpedia's school board candidate survey, "Paige Rohman responses," September 25, 2017
- ↑ Ballotpedia's school board candidate survey, "Marcia Sytsma responses," September 20, 2017
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 United States Census Bureau, "QuickFacts: Hennepin County, Minnesota; Minnesota," accessed August 16, 2017
- ↑ U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, "Common Core of Data, file ccd_lea_052_1414_w_0216161a, 2014-2015," accessed November 16, 2016
| Bloomington Public Schools elections in 2017 | |
| Hennepin County, Minnesota | |
| Election date: | November 7, 2017 |
| Candidates: | At-large: • Incumbent, Tom Bennett • Incumbent, Jim Sorum • Incumbent, Dawn Steigauf • Beth Beebe • John Moravec • Julie Morse • Michael Poke • Paige Rohman • Dan Stirratt • Jane Stoa • Marcia Sytsma |
| Important information: | What's at stake? • Additional elections on the ballot • Key deadlines |
