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Brian Richman
Brian Richman was a candidate for an at-large seat on the Iowa City Community School District Board of Education in Iowa. The seat was up for general election on September 8, 2015. He was defeated by LaTasha DeLoach, Phil Hemingway, Lori Roetlin and Tom Yates.[1][2]
The controversial closing of an elementary school caused district residents to question the board's 10-year facilities master plan.[3] Richman explained why he supports amending the plan to keep the elementary school in question open.[4]
Biography
Richman is the director of the Hawkinson Institute of Business Finance at the University of Iowa. He also is a lecturer in the department of finance. Richman obtained his bachelor's degree in finance from the University of Pennsylvania. He went on to earn his master's degree from the University of Iowa.[5]
Elections
2015
Five of the seven seats on the Iowa City Community School District Board of Education were up for election on September 8, 2015. Four seats have a four-year term, and one seat has a two-year term. All seats on the board of education represent the district at-large.
The candidates for the four-year term seats were LaTasha DeLoach, Shawn Eyestone, Todd Fanning, Phil Hemingway, Jason Lewis, Brian Richman, Lori Roetlin, Lucas Van Orden, Brianna Wills and Tom Yates. Incumbents Patti Fields, Jeff McGinness, Marla Swesey and Orville Townsend did not run for re-election. DeLoach, Hemingway, Roetlin and Yates defeated Eyestone, Fanning, Lewis, Richman Van Orden and Wills for the four seats.[1]
Board member Tuyet Baruah resigned from the board leaving an open seat with a two-year term. The candidates for the vacant seat were Christopher Liebig, Paul Roesler and Megan Schwalm. Liebig defeated Roesler and Schwalm for the seat.[1][6][7]
Results
This election was held September 8, 2015.
| Iowa City Community School District, At-Large, 4-Year Term, General Election, 2015 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 LaTasha DeLoach |
17.5% | 4,316 |
| Phil Hemingway |
14.1% | 3,469 |
| Tom Yates |
13.8% | 3,403 |
| Lori Roetlin |
12.5% | 3,065 |
| Brian Richman | 10.6% | 2,598 |
| Jason Lewis | 10.3% | 2,538 |
| Todd Fanning | 7.5% | 1,833 |
| Brianna Wills | 6.4% | 1,574 |
| Shawn Eyestone | 5.4% | 1,337 |
| Lucas Van Orden | 1.9% | 469 |
| Total Votes | 24,602 | |
| Source: Johnson County Auditor's Office, "School Election Results," accessed November 12, 2015 | ||
Funding
Richman reported $1,878.14 in contributions and $1,878.14 in expenditures to the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board, which left his campaign with $0 on hand in the election.[8]
Endorsements
Richman received official endorsements from the Save Hoover Committee[9] and North Corridor Parents.[10]
Campaign themes
2015
Position on school closing
The advocacy group Save Hoover asked each candidate, "If you are elected, will you support amending the long-term facilities plan to keep Hoover Elementary School open?" Eyestone gave the following response:
| “ | I’ve said on my website and to many people in person in recent weeks that we’re standing at a crossroads where the future of our schools depends more than ever on making smart decisions. With a rapidly growing population, constrained finances, and a vital $200+ million bond issue that will take a generation to pay off, the impact of the choices we make today on current and future children will be magnified greatly in the decades ahead.
So what are the smart choices for the east side of Iowa City? In my opinion, they are these: City High needs to have the facilities it requires to provide its students with a top-notch educational experience and to remain competitive with West and Liberty in all important respects. The development of the proposed east side elementary needs to move forward. It’s a project with long-range importance to both the District and to Iowa City. To date, the District has not provided relevant, verifiable data to demonstrate that either of those goals is inconsistent with keeping Hoover open. As a result, I am currently in favor of keeping the school open. Though I’m a Hoover parent, this isn’t about emotion for me. Sure, my wife and I won’t be able to walk our kids to school if Hoover closes. But that’s not the end of the world, and it certainly wouldn’t be a reasonable basis for a decision of this import. In the end, for all of the Hoover families, our kids will go to other successful schools with other great teachers. For me the issue is that there simply hasn’t been any information offered up that confirms that shuttering Hoover is a necessary or even a good decision. In fact, at every opportunity, the administration has declined to provide the data that might conceivably sway those of us who currently support Hoover in a different direction. Instead, we have received only misleading data and assertions that amount to “Trust us; we’re doing the right thing.” That trust has to be earned. And it could be. I and the vast majority of people who support reconsidering the Hoover plan are not Luddites. We’re not opposed to change—especially change for the good of kids and the success of the District. What I’m opposed to is bad decision making. What I’m opposed to is decision-driven data rather than data-driven decisions. What I’m opposed to is closing a $250,000 budget gap (roughly 0.16% of the District’s operating budget) by saddling the taxpayers of Iowa City, Coralville, and North Liberty with $15-20 million in additional debt to rebuild capacity elsewhere. Many people in the U.S. took that approach before the great recession—taking out mortgage and home equity loans to pay for living costs and assuming things would all work out in the end. Things didn’t work out well for most of those people, and I don’t believe they will work out well for the District or for the taxpayers. So with that said, what would it take to sway me? What would it take for me, as a citizen and a school board member, to conclude that Hoover should be closed? Here’s the answer: Detailed, accurate operating budgets from which we could reasonably conclude that the District cannot afford to run both Hoover and the new east side elementary while also making meaningful progress toward important educational goals. To date, the administration has provided only District-wide averages which are in no way useful in analyzing this issue. A site analysis—not a $400,000 set of plans—from an architect approved by the board that shows that City High cannot have its new classroom space, cafeteria, gymnasium, or other key facilities without taking the entire Hoover site and razing the building. I’m a public finance banker by trade. I spent more than a dozen years putting together billions of dollars of education financing for exactly these types of projects. I’m the one board candidate who actually has the professional background to do the type of rigorous analysis that would allow me and other members of the community to reach the conclusions that the existing board and administration want us to reach with regard to Hoover. But we need the data. [I obviously don’t have the politician’s instinct for brevity, so if you’ve read this far, thank you. Feel free to go get a glass of water and come back.] Since announcing my candidacy, I’ve spoken with dozens of people about the Hoover issue. My experience has been that 98% of the people—on both sides—are reasonable and open-minded, and 100% want to do what they believe is right for the children of our community. So in my estimation, the issue can be resolved amicably, expeditiously, and in a manner that respects the community and people on both sides of the issue. To do so requires a board and an administration that are committed to that respect for the community. I hope to be part of a board that brings it to fruition. Finally, I’d like to add two postscripts. First, the process that resulted in the planned closing of Hoover—coupled with the cancelled additions at Mann and Longfellow and the “thought exercises” about closing other schools that the administration engages in periodically—have sent the message to in-town Iowa City residents, in particular, that their schools are a part of the past rather than an important part of the future. I do not believe that is a good facilities strategy or the right message for the District. To be sure, if we were starting from scratch, we likely would build all of our elementary schools at the 500-600 student size. They produce more busing and therefore higher transportation costs, but on balance, they’re somewhat more efficient to operate. But we’re not starting from scratch, and the cost to do so—to tear out existing schools and rebuild larger ones at a zero gain in net capacity—would saddle taxpayers throughout the District with tens of millions of dollars in additional debt payments. That’s money that could be much better spent on new capacity in areas where we’re seeing strong population growth. Large schools and smaller schools both have their benefits and drawbacks. But at the end of the day, the important thing is to recognize that we are no longer a one-size-fits-all community. Second, while I’ve written and spoken about the Hoover issue on previous occasions, this is not the reason I’m running for a seat on the school board. I’m running because I have two young children and I want to ensure that they and all of the kids in our community will benefit from the exceptional educational experience that has, for decades, been a hallmark of the Iowa City area schools. I’m running because I think the District can improve its focus on long-term goals rather than simply combating crises. And I’m running because I believe I have the financial and strategic skill set to help the board make smart decisions at a critical moment in history for our schools and our kids.[11] |
” |
| —Brian Richman, [12] | ||
Campaign website
Richman campaign website highlighted the following campaign themes for 2015:
Transparency
| “ | Open communication and decision making are vital for maintaining a cooperative relationship between parents, teachers and other employees, the board, and the administration. There is nothing the District does that wouldn’t benefit from a bit more sunshine. I will make re-establishing the trust of the community a top priority for the board.[11] | ” |
| —Brian Richman's campaign website, (2015), [13] | ||
Financial management for the long run
| “ | The district is likely to experience an extended period of constrained financial resources due to state legislative action and the inflexible funding model for Iowa schools. By making smart, sustainable financial decisions, however, growing communities such as ours can weather the storm, preserving and strengthening academic and extracurricular programs and controlling class sizes. As a board member, I will leverage my public finance experience to push for sustainable management of the District’s operations and ensure our kids have the best possible educational opportunities.[11] | ” |
| —Brian Richman's campaign website, (2015), [13] | ||
One size doesn't fit all
| “ | Our schools are home base for educating our children and anchors for our neighborhoods. We need to invest in our buildings while also recognizing that, as our cities expand and become more diverse, we are no longer a “one size fits all” community when it comes to facilities. Whether we’re talking about newer neighborhoods in the northern and eastern reaches of the District or older neighborhoods in the core of Iowa City, I will advocate for ongoing investment to ensure sustainability for the next five years and for the next 25.[11] | ” |
| —Brian Richman's campaign website, (2015), [13] | ||
Focus on kids
| “ | The District must strive to provide all of our children with access to a great education. I will work to ensure that resources are directed to where they matter most—the classroom—and to give a voice to our educators in decisions that affect the learning environment. That’s an approach which can enhance the educational experience of our kids, empower our teachers, help us address achievement disparities, and respect the values of our communities. In other words, it’s an approach which can make our public schools what we all want them to be—great places for our kids to learn, explore, and grow.[11] | ” |
| —Brian Richman's campaign website, (2015), [13] | ||
What was at stake?
2015
Five seats were up for election in 2015. Four of the seats came with a four-year term, while one seat had a two-year term. Thirteen candidates ran for the five seats, and no incumbents ran for re-election. Five new members joined the seven-member board.
The 10-year facilities master plan was an ongoing topic for candidates. The closing of a local elementary school was the most controversial aspect of the master plan, and many citizens are calling for alterations to the plan to keep the school open.[3]
Issues in the district
| Position on amending facilities plan to keep Hoover Elementary open[4] | ||
|---|---|---|
| Click on the candidates' answer to see their full statement regarding the issue. | ||
| Candidate | Position | |
| Four-year term candidates | ||
| LaTasha DeLoach | Oppose | |
| Shawn Eyestone | Oppose | |
| Todd Fanning | Oppose | |
| Phil Hemingway | Support | |
| Brian Richman | Support | |
| Lori Roetlin | Oppose | |
| Lucas Van Orden | Oppose | |
| Brianna Wills | Oppose | |
| Tom Yates | Support | |
| Two-year term candidates | ||
| Christopher Liebig | Support | |
| Paul Roesler | Oppose | |
| Megan Schwalm | Oppose | |
Controversial closing of elementary school
In 2013, the Iowa City Board of Education decided on a 10-year facilities master plan that included the closing of Hoover Elementary School. The school was located in the middle of a mixed-income, residential area. Hoover is set to close after the 2018-2019 school year.
The 2013 facilities master plan called for a new Hoover Elementary School to be finished in 2017. At that time, the new school building will be used as a transition school and house students from other areas while other new elementary schools are being built. In 2019, it would open as a traditional school for the students that previously occupied Hoover Elementary. The plan called for the building to be located further away from the current location at the center of the community.
The advocacy group Save Hoover, spearheaded by candidate Christopher Liebig, raised over $4,000 and collected 800 names on a petition opposing the school closing as of July 2015. Opponents of the school closing felt that the school is essential to the community, and the district did not fully explained the reason for closing it. Residents became more aware of the issue as the closing date of the school drew nearer.[14]
| “ | I think the top concern is retaining the current quality of the Hoover teachers. Giving teachers the incentive to stay, as long as Hoover is open.[11] | ” |
| —Melanie Sigafoose, past president, Hoover PTA, [3] | ||
School board president Chris Lynch responded to concerns that moving schools like Hoover Elementary away from the center of Iowa City would discourage growth in the inner city. He stated that the idea of schools encouraging sprawl on the outskirts of the city is not necessarily true. He reiterated the district's commitment to the core of Iowa City.[3]
| “ | You’ve never seen an investment like right now. You’ve never seen a school board commit to more investment in inner Iowa City than this school board right now. There’s no reason that the schools on the outside of town need to take away from the schools on the inside of town, if we can drive growth across the district.[11] | ” |
| —Chris Lynch, school board president (2015), [3] | ||
Yates, Hemingway, Richman and Liebig are in favor of altering the current facilities plan to keep Hoover Elementary open. DeLoach, Fanning, Lewis, Roetlin, Van Orden, Wills, Roesler and Schwalm support the facilities master plan as it is.[4]
The new school construction, as well as other renovations in the facilities master plan, could be part of a possible bond package that is expected to be presented in 2017.[3][15]
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Brian Richman Iowa City Community School District. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
- Iowa City Community School District, Iowa
- Iowa City Community School District elections (2015)
- Newcomers and incumbents share the victories in Iowa's largest school district elections (September 9, 2015)
- Analysis of incumbency advantage in the 2014 school board elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Johnson County Auditor's Office, "School Election Results," accessed September 8, 2015
- ↑ Johnson County, Iowa, "September 8, 2015 School Election," accessed August 3, 2015
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 KCRG, "Hoover Elementary parents seek more information on reasons for closing school," June 17, 2015
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Save Hoover, "Compilation: The School Board Candidates Respond to the Hoover Question," August 16, 2015
- ↑ LinkedIn, "Brian Richman," accessed August 20, 2015
- ↑ Johnson County, Iowa, "September 8, 2015 School Election," accessed August 3, 2015
- ↑ Iowa City Community School District, "School Board Members," accessed June 23, 2015
- ↑ Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board, "IECDB State/Local Campaign Disclosure Reports," accessed February 2, 2016
- ↑ Save Hoover, "Hemingway, Richman, Yates, and Liebig for School Board," August 28, 2015
- ↑ North Corridor Parents, "Candidate Recommendations," accessed September 6, 2015
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 11.6 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Save Hoover, "Compilation: The School Board Candidates Respond to the Hoover Question," August 16, 2015
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 Brian Richman for School Board, "The Issues," accessed August 20, 2015
- ↑ Save Hoover, "Mid-summer campaign update," July 13, 2015
- ↑ The Gazette, "Iowa City school district changes Hoover plan, updates facilities timeline," March 28 ,2015
| 2015 Iowa City Community School District Elections | |
| Johnson County, Iowa | |
| Election date: | September 8, 2015 |
| Candidates: | At-large (four-year term): • LaTasha DeLoach • Shawn Eyestone • Todd Fanning • Phil Hemingway • Jason Lewis • Brian Richman • Lori Roetlin • Lucas Van Orden • Brianna Wills • Tom Yates At-large (two-year term): • Christopher Liebig • Paul Roesler • Megan Schwalm |
| Important information: | What was at stake? • Key deadlines • Additional elections on the ballot |
