Blue Valley Unified School District 229 elections (2017)
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Three of the seven seats on the Blue Valley Unified School District 229 Board of Education in Kansas were up for general election on November 7, 2017. Incumbents Stacy Obringer-Varhall (Position 5) and Mike Seitz (Position 6) were re-elected without opposition. Position 4 incumbent Sue Matson did not file to run for re-election, which left the seat open for a newcomer. Michele Benjamin was re-elected without opposition for that seat.[1]
With all of the seats on the ballot unopposed, the 2017 election mirrored the district's 2013 election, the year Obringer-Varhall and Seitz were first elected to full four-year terms.[2] For information on election trends in the district and the state, click here.
Elections
Voter and candidate information
The Blue Valley Unified Board of Education consists of seven members elected to four-year terms. Six of the board members must live in six specific geographic districts, while the seventh can live anywhere in the district at large. Primary elections for district seats are held by district, but general elections are held at large for all seats. Elections are held on a staggered basis every November of odd-numbered years. Four seats were up for election on April 7, 2015, and three seats were up for election on November 7, 2017. A primary election would have been held on August 1, 2017, if more than three candidates had filed to run per seat.[1][3][4]
Prior to 2017, board of education elections were held in the spring of odd-numbered years. House Bill 2104 changed all school board election dates in Kansas to November of odd-numbered years. It was signed into law on June 8, 2015.[5]
To get on the ballot, school board candidates had to file by June 1, 2017.[4] To vote in the election, citizens of the school district had to register by October 17, 2017.[6] Photo identification was required to vote in Kansas.[7]
Candidates and results
Position 4
Results
| Blue Valley Unified School District 229, Position 4 General Election, 4-year term, 2017 |
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| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Michele Benjamin (unopposed) |
99.25% | 9,995 |
| Write-in votes | 0.75% | 76 |
| Total Votes | 10,071 | |
| Source: Johnson County, "Election Summary Report 2017 Fall General Official Final Results," accessed November 17, 2017 | ||
Candidates
Michele Benjamin 
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Position 5
Results
| Blue Valley Unified School District 229, Position 5 General Election, 4-year term, 2017 |
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|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Stacy Obringer-Varhall Incumbent (unopposed) |
99.25% | 9,993 |
| Write-in votes | 0.75% | 76 |
| Total Votes | 10,069 | |
| Source: Johnson County, "Election Summary Report 2017 Fall General Official Final Results," accessed November 17, 2017 | ||
Candidates
| Stacy Obringer-Varhall
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Position 6
Results
| Blue Valley Unified School District 229, Position 6 General Election, 4-year term, 2017 |
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| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Mike Seitz Incumbent (unopposed) |
99.29% | 10,030 |
| Write-in votes | 0.71% | 72 |
| Total Votes | 10,102 | |
| Source: Johnson County, "Election Summary Report 2017 Fall General Official Final Results," accessed November 17, 2017 | ||
Candidates
| Mike Seitz
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Additional elections on the ballot
- See also: Kansas elections, 2017
The Blue Valley Unified Board of Education election shared the ballot with elections for trustees on the Johnson County Community College.[1]
Key deadlines
The following dates were key deadlines for Kansas school board elections in 2017:[4][6][8]
| Deadline | Event |
|---|---|
| June 1, 2017 | Candidate filing deadline |
| July 11, 2017 | Voter registration deadline for primary election |
| August 1, 2017 | Primary election (if needed) |
| August 31, 2017 | Campaign finance reporting deadline for primary election |
| October 17, 2017 | Voter registration deadline for general election |
| November 7, 2017 | General election |
| December 7, 2017 | Campaign finance reporting deadline for general election |
| January 8, 2018 | 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
All three candidates in this race filed an exemption form detailing that they would not spend more than $500 for their campaigns. Because of this, they did not have to file additional reports.[9][8]
Reporting requirements
School board candidates in Kansas were required to file campaign finance reports 30 days after each primary, general, or special election. For 2017, campaign finance reports were due on August 31, 2017, if there was a primary election, and on December 7, 2017.[8]
School board candidates were required to file finance reports with their county election office if they raised or spent more than $500 for their campaigns. If they did not meet that threshold, they had to file paperwork indicating that by July 23, 2017.[8]
Past elections
To see results from past elections in Blue Valley Unified School District 229, click here.
What was at stake?
Election trends
- See also: School boards in session: 2015 in brief
The 2017 Blue Valley Unified Board of Education election mirrored the district's 2013 election in two ways: one candidate ran per seat on the ballot and 100 percent of the seats were unopposed. Unlike the 2013 election, however, one of the three incumbents who were up for re-election in 2017 did not file to run for another term, which left the seat open for a newcomer. In 2013, three incumbents ran for and won the three seats on the ballot.
The district's 2011 and 2015 elections saw more competition than the 2013 and 2017 elections. In 2011, an average of 1.4 candidates ran per seat on the ballot and 60 percent of the seats were unopposed. In 2015, an average of 1.5 candidates ran per seat and 50 percent of the seats were unopposed.
| School board election trends | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Candidates per seat | Unopposed seats | Incumbents running for re-election | Incumbent success rate | Seats won by newcomers | |
| Blue Valley Unified School District 229 | ||||||
| 2017 | 1.00 | 100.00% | 66.67% | 100.00% | 33.33% | |
| 2015 | 1.50 | 50.00% | 75.00% | 100.00% | 25.00% | |
| 2013 | 1.00 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 0.00% | |
| 2011 | 1.40 | 60.00% | 40.00% | 100.00% | 60.00% | |
| Kansas | ||||||
| 2015 | 1.86 | 28.57% | 78.57% | 95.45% | 25.00% | |
| United States | ||||||
| 2015 | 1.72 | 35.95% | 70.37% | 82.66% | 40.81% | |
Issues in the state
State education funding bill
The Kansas Supreme Court ruled on October 2, 2017, that the Kansas State Legislature had not met its constitutional obligation to adequately and equitably fund public schools, echoing a March 2017 ruling from the same court that had required the state legislature to send more money to public schools. State lawmakers responded to that March 2017 ruling by a passing a bill that increased funding for the 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 school years by $293 million. The October 2017 ruling said that increase was not enough and directed lawmakers to craft a new education funding bill by June 30, 2018.[10][11][12]
The October 2017 ruling found that the $293 million increase failed to meet the state constitution's requirement for public education. Article 6 states, “The legislature shall make suitable provision for finance of the educational interests of the state.” In earlier court decisions Article 6 was interpreted to require the state to provide funding to public schools that is adequate and equitable. The adequacy requirement calls for the state's education funding system to be "reasonably calculated to have all Kansas public education students meet or exceed the standards." Under the equity requirement, “School districts must have reasonably equal access to substantially similar educational opportunity through similar tax effort.”[13]
The October 2017 ruling was the latest in a 20-year state battle over school finance, and it was the fifth time in three years that the Kansas Supreme Court determined the state legislature had underfunded public education. The case, Gannon v. Kansas, was filed by the Wichita, Hutchinson, Dodge City, and Kansas City school districts in November 2010.[10][14]
Republican leadership in the state legislature issued a statement that condemned the court's ruling and called it an unrealistic demand. “This ruling shows clear disrespect for the legislative process and puts the rest of state government and programs in jeopardy,” the statement said.[10]
Sen. Julia Lynn (R-9) said she believed there would “never, ever be enough money” to meet the court's satisfaction. “And unless somebody else has a better idea, we’re going to be doing this for the rest of our legislative lives, the Legislature will be fighting this,” said Lynn.[10]
When the legislature was directed to pass a new education funding plan in March 2017, the court did not say how much education funding had to increase.[15] Before the final bill was passed, Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley (D-19) said he believed drafts from both the Senate and House were inadequate.[16] He proposed an increase of $420 million for two years, but it was rejected in a 23-16 vote.[17]
When the bill was passed on June 6, 2017, the legislative session had been open for 108 days of what was scheduled to be a 100-day session. It was one of the longest sessions in the state's history. State lawmakers passed a bill to increase income taxes and end a tax exemption for farms and businesses on June 7, 2017, as part of a plan to fund the education increase and fill an $889 million budget shortfall. Gov. Sam Brownback (R) vetoed the tax bill, but both chambers of the legislature voted to override the veto with a two-thirds majority.[12]
The justices allowed the education funding bill to take effect while they determined if it met constitutional requirements, which allowed school districts to create their budgets for the 2017-2018 school year.[18] With a deadline of April 30, 2018, to craft a new education funding bill to meet the October 2017 ruling's requirements, the legislature did not have to go into special session in 2017. The 2018 session of the legislature began in January 2018.[10]
On April 7, 2018, legislators passed a school funding bill (SB 423) intended to increase K-12 funding by more than $500 million over five years. Gov. Jeff Colyer (R) signed the legislation on April 17, 2018. The Kansas State Department of Education identified that the legislation contained an $80 million error in the first year, decreasing the amount of funding from $150 million to $72 million. On April 30, 2018, lawmakers approved a measure correcting the error. Gov. Colyer signed the legislation on May 4, 2018.[19]
On June 25, 2018, the Kansas Supreme Court ruled that the state's legislative adjustments to education funding, SB 423 and SB 61, were equitable but inadequate. The court concluded that Kansas had not met the adequacy requirement in Article 6 of the state constitution. The court advised the state to undertake further adjustments to inflation and allowed the legislation (SB 19, SB 423, and SB 61) to temporarily remain in effect, thus providing funding for Kansas schools for the 2018-2019 school year. The court extended the deadline for the state to fulfill its constitutional duties to June 30, 2019.[20]
In April 2019, the Kansas legislature passed a law that increased the state's education budget by $900 million each year. On June 14, 2019, the Kansas Supreme Court ruled that with the passage of the April 2019 law, the state was adequately funding education. When issuing the ruling, the court chose to keep the lawsuit open so it could monitor education funding in future years' budgets.[21][22]
Candidate survey
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About the district
The Blue Valley Unified School District 229 is located in Johnson County in northwestern Kansas. The county seat is Olathe. Johnson County was home to an estimated 584,451 residents in 2016, according to the United States Census Bureau.[23] The district was the fourth-largest school district in the state in the 2014-2015 school year and served 22,398 students.[24]
Demographics
Johnson County outperformed Kansas as a whole in terms of higher education achievement between 2011 and 2015. The United States Census Bureau found that 52.8 percent of Johnson County residents aged 25 years and older had attained a bachelor's degree, compared to 31 percent of state residents. During the same time period, the median household income in Johnson County was $76,113, compared to $52,205 for the entire state. The poverty rate in the county was 5.5 percent, while it was 13 percent statewide.[23]
| Racial Demographics, 2015[23] | ||
|---|---|---|
| Race | Johnson County (%) |
Kansas (%) |
| White | 87.3 | 86.7 |
| Black or African American | 5.0 | 6.3 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.4 | 1.2 |
| Asian | 4.8 | 2.9 |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander | 0.0 | 0.1 |
| Two or More Races | 2.4 | 2.9 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 7.4 | 11.6 |
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.
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Blue Valley Unified School District 229 Kansas election. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
| Blue Valley Unified School District 229 | Kansas | School Boards |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Johnson County Election Office, "Unofficial Candidate Filings - November 7, 2017," accessed June 1, 2017
- ↑ Johnson County Elections, "Election Summary Report 2013 Spring General," April 8, 2013
- ↑ Blue Valley Unified School District 229, "Board of Education," accessed May 30, 2017
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Kansas State Department of Education, "School Board Member Elections," accessed May 30, 2017
- ↑ Open States, "HB 2104 - Kansas 2015-2016 Regular Session," accessed June 4, 2015
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Kansas Secretary of State, "Registration & Voting," accessed July 5, 2017
- ↑ Kansas Secretary of State, "got voter ID?" accessed July 5, 2017
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 2014 Kansas Statutes, "KS Stat § 25-904 (2014)," accessed June 8, 2017
- ↑ Johnson County Election Office, "Campaign & Committee Reports," accessed December 11, 2017
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 The Wichita Eagle, "School funding still inadequate and unfair, Supreme Court rules," October 2, 2017
- ↑ U.S. News & World Report, "Kansas Lawmakers Pass School Aid Increase, Income Tax Hike," June 6, 2017
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 U.S. News & World Report, "Kansas Lawmakers Override Governor Veto," June 7, 2017
- ↑ Justia US Law, "Gannon v. State," accessed October 16, 2017
- ↑ The Wichita Eagle, "Interactive timeline: Kansas school-funding dispute," February 11, 2016
- ↑ U.S. News & World Report, "Some Lawmakers Say Kansas Education Funding May Be Too Small," May 31, 2017
- ↑ The Kansas City Star, "Kansas Senate agrees to school finance formula, but warnings from Democrats continue," May 31, 2017
- ↑ AP News,"Kansas lawmakers sweeten education plan, advance tax hike," May 13, 2017
- ↑ The Sentinel, "Kansas Supreme Court to Hear Oral Arguments on School Finance," June 21, 2017
- ↑ The Kansas City Star, "'A very strong bill': Gov. Colyer signs off on school finance plan," April 17, 2018
- ↑ Kansas Judicial Branch, "Gannon v. Kansas," accessed July 14, 2021
- ↑ AP News, "Kansas high court says education funding is adequate," June 14, 2019
- ↑ Education Dive, "States' failure to track education funds complicates spending model overhauls," July 17, 2019
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 United States Census Bureau, "QuickFacts: Johnson County, Kansas," accessed May 30, 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
| Blue Valley Unified School District 229 elections in 2017 | |
| Johnson County, Kansas | |
| Election date: | November 7, 2017 |
| Candidates: | Position 4: • Michele Benjamin Position 5: • Incumbent, Stacy Obringer-Varhall Position 6: • Incumbent, Mike Seitz |
| Important information: | What's at stake? • Additional elections on the ballot • Key deadlines |
