Bridgeport Public Schools elections (2013)
2015 →
|
 |
Method of election Elections What was at stake? Key deadlines Additional elections External links References |
Bridgeport Public Schools |
 |
Five seats on the Bridgeport Board of Education were up for election on November 5, 2013. Eight candidates sought election the board, including three candidates each from the Democratic, Republican and Working Families Parties. Dave Hennessey, Howard Gardner, Joe Larcheveque, Andre Baker, Jr. and Sauda Baraka defeated four challengers to win five at-large seats.
The board had disagreements with with Mayor Bill Finch and Superintendent Paul Vallas. The Democratic candidates ran in the September 10, 2013 primary advocating for changes to the board’s reform efforts. This election was the second since the state's 2011 takeover of the board, which the Connecticut State Supreme Court ruled unconstitutional in February 2012.[1]
About the district
- See also: Bridgeport Public Schools, Connecticut
Bridgeport Public Schools is located in Bridgeport, the largest city in Connecticut and the county seat for Fairfield County. Bridgeport is located along the Long Island Sound with the Pequonnock River cutting through the downtown district. The population of Bridgeport was 60,477 according to the 2010 U.S. Census.[2]
Demographics
Bridgeport underperformed compared to the rest of Connecticut based on median income and higher education achievement while outperforming the state poverty rate in 2010. The 2010 U.S. Census found the median income in Bridgeport was $60,032 while the state median income was $69,243. The percentage of city residents over 25 years old with undergraduate degrees (21.7%) was lower than the state average (35.7%). The city's poverty rate was 8.2% compared to the state's 9.5% poverty rate.[2]
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Method of board member election
The Bridgeport Board of Education consists of nine members who are elected at-large to four-year terms. The Bridgeport Democratic Town Committee held primaries on September 10, 2013 while the Republican and Working Families Parties selected their candidates during meetings in July and August 2013. Five seats were up for election on November 5, 2013, while four seats were on the ballot on November 3, 2015.
State law requires a minimum of three seats to be held by minority parties following each election.[4] The composition of the board heading into the November 2013 election was six Democratic members and three Working Families members. On November 5, 2013, voters were able to choose any three candidates on the ballot regardless of party. The five candidates who received the most votes won election to the board.[5][6]
Elections
2013
Candidates
- Member, Bridgeport City Council
- Owner, Baker Funeral Services
- Retired
- Veteran, U.S. Army
- Graduate, University of Bridgeport and Polytechnic Institute of New York University
- IT consultant
- Paramedic
- Graduate, University of Bridgeport
- Grants manager, Greater Bridgeport Transit
- Incumbent
- Graduate, Florida A&M University
- Retired
- Graduate, Post University
- Sales, LegalShield
Election results
General election
| Bridgeport Public Schools, General Election, 4-year term, 2013 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  Dave Hennessey |
20.1% | 940 | |
| Democratic | Howard Gardner |
15.7% | 731 | |
| Republican | Joe Larcheveque |
15.1% | 706 | |
| Democratic | Andre Baker, Jr. |
15.3% | 714 | |
| Republican | Steve Best | 11.8% | 550 | |
| Republican | John Weldon | 10.3% | 482 | |
| Working Families | Eric Stewart-Alicea | 4.2% | 194 | |
| Working Families | Sauda Baraka Incumbent |
4% | 186 | |
| Working Families | Andre Baker, Jr. | 3.6% | 167 | |
| Total Votes | 4,670 | |||
| Source: Connecticut Secretary of State, "Municipal Elections - November 5, 2013," accessed December 16, 2013 | ||||
Primary
On September 10, 2013, a Democratic primary was held for three spots on the ballot in the Bridgeport Board of Education election. Baker, Hennessey and Gardner won these positions over Simon Castillo, Kathryn Bukovsky and Brandon Clark. The winning candidates opposed the school reform policies of Mayor Bill Finch and received the endorsement of the Network for Public Education while the other three candidates were endorsed by the Bridgeport Democratic Town Committee.[7][8]
| Bridgeport Board of Education, September 10, 2013 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democrat | Andre Baker, Jr. |
21.6% | 3,409 | |
| Democrat | Dave Hennessey |
21% | 3,308 | |
| Democrat | Howard Gardner |
20.8% | 3,284 | |
| Democrat | Simon Castillo | 12.5% | 1,977 | |
| Democrat | Kathryn Bukovsky | 12.2% | 1,917 | |
| Democrat | Brandon Clark | 11.8% | 1,862 | |
| Total Votes | 15,757 | |||
| Source: Connecticut Post These results are unofficial. | ||||
Forums
A candidate forum was held on October 24, 2013 at St. John's Episcopal Church. The candidates discussed their views on the board's relationship with Superintendent Paul Vallas and methods of improving academic performance. Andre Baker, Jr. discussed the need for improved relationships within the board. Dave Hennessey and Howard Gardner stated that the board needed to reassert its authority over the superintendent's office. Joe Larcheveque said that board members cannot act until the Connecticut Supreme Court renders a decision about Paul Vallas' qualification for the position. Larcheveque and fellow Republican candidate John Weldon alleged that the Democratic and Working Families candidates attempted to form a super-majority that would block reforms.
The candidates supported different priorities in their discussions about school funding. Gardner and Sauda Baraka staed that legal and administrative fees related to the state takeover could be used for educational purposes. Steve Best said that greater resources for elementary schools would improve academic performance. Eric Stewart-Alicea and Larcheveque advocated for pre-kindergarten classes at every elementary school in the district.[9]
Endorsements
Citizens Working for a Better Bridgeport endorsed Democratic candidates Andre Baker, Jr., Howard Gardner and Dave Hennessey as well as Republican candidates Steve Best and Joe Larcheveque ahead of the November 5, 2013 general election.[10] The Connecticut Post endorsed Baker, Sauda Baraka and Larcheveque on October 27, 2013.[11]
Campaign finance
No contributions or expenditures were reported during the election, according to the Connecticut State Elections Enforcement Commission.
What was at stake?
Democratic incumbents Leticia Colon, Thomas Mulligan, Jr. and Bobby Simmons did not file for re-election in 2013. The Democratic primary yielded a slate including Andre Baker, Jr., Dave Hennessey and Howard Gardner. Although the candidates were not endorsed by the party's town committee, all three won election to the board.[12] The Bridgeport Republican Town Committee selected Steve Best, John Weldon and Joe Larcheveque as their candidates for the board. Weldon was the only Republican to not win election to the board.[13] The Working Families Party sought to retain two seats and pick up a Democratic seat by endorsing incumbent Sauda Baraka and Eric Stewart-Alicea, as well as Democratic candidate Baker. Neither Baraka nor Stewart-Alicea won election to the board.[14]
Issues
Board relations with Mayor Finch
A key issue during the Bridgeport Board of Education elections in 2013 was the relationship between the board, Democratic Mayor Bill Finch and Superintendent Paul Vallas. Finch had faced criticism for his efforts to orchestrate a takeover of the school board by the state in July 2011. The mayor stated that conflict on the board prevented reforms necessary to improve test scores and reduce budget deficits.[15] As a result, the state appointed new board members and appointed education policyer Paul Vallas as superintendent. In February 2012, the Connecticut State Supreme Court ruled 6-1 that the state takeover was unconstitutional and resumed local control over schools. Five members of the board who were replaced by state appointees were reinstated after the ruling and four new members were elected during a special election in spring 2012. The Democratic and Working Families candidates in the 2013 election had hoped to take all five available seats to counter reform efforts by Finch, Vallas and current board members. However, two seats were picked up by Republican candidates Joe Larcheveque and Steve Best.
Board relations with Superintendent Vallas
Paul Vallas was appointed by the state as Superintendent of Bridgeport Public Schools in January 2012. Vallas, a former school administrator in New Orleans and Chicago, was criticized for budget cuts as well as frequent testing. Individuals including board member Sauda Baraka focused on the use of standardized testing every six weeks and resource limitations in the classroom as reasons to seek removal of Vallas. Supporters of Vallas, including Mayor Finch, said that the district had closed a budget deficit and made improvements to district operations. The Democratic and Working Families candidates in the 2013 election were vocal opponents of Vallas.[16] Vallas was serving under a three-year contract approved by a majority of board members in 2013, which opponents challenged in state court.[17]
Key deadlines
The following dates were key deadlines for the Bridgeport Board of Education election in 2013:[18][19]
| Deadline | Event |
|---|---|
| July 23, 2013 | Last day for political party endorsements of candidates by town caucus or convention |
| July 24, 2013 | Nominating petitions available for primary |
| August 7, 2013 | Last day to file nominating petitions for primary |
| October 10, 2013 | First filing date following primary election |
| October 29, 2013 | Last filing date prior to general election |
| September 10, 2013 | Primary day |
| November 5, 2013 | Election day |
| December 5, 2013 | Certification of election results by county |
Additional elections on the ballot
The Bridgeport Board of Education elections shared the ballot with elections for eight seats on the Bridgeport City Council on November 5, 2013.[20]
See also
- School board elections review: Voters opt for experience over new blood in nation's largest school districts
- School board election wrap-up: Incumbents re-elected overwhelmingly in November 5 elections
- Connecticut
- List of school board elections in 2013
- Bridgeport Public Schools, Connecticut
- Fairfield County, Connecticut ballot measures
External links
- District page
- City of Bridgeport
- Connecticut Secretary of State
- Connecticut Democratic Party
- Bridgeport Republican Town Committee
- Connecticut Working Families Party
Footnotes
- ↑ The Courant, "Supreme Court Rules Bridgeport School Takeover Broke The Law," February 28, 2012
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 U.S. Census, "Quick Facts: Bridgeport," accessed October 24, 2013
- ↑ Connecticut Secretary of State, "Election Results," accessed October 4, 2013
- ↑ Connecticut General Assembly, "Minority Representation Requirements," accessed October 7, 2013
- ↑ Bridgeport Public Schools, "Members of the Bridgeport Board of Education," accessed October 7, 2013
- ↑ Connecticut Post, "Gabrielle A. Parisi: Making sense of the coming school board vote," September 5, 2013
- ↑ Connecticut Post, "Challengers win school board primary," September 11, 2013
- ↑ Network for Public Education, "NPE endorses three candidates for Bridgeport, CT Board of Education," September 6, 2013
- ↑ Connecticut Post, "School board candidates talk Vallas, vision," October 24, 2013
- ↑ Citizens Working for a Better Bridgeport, "Political Action Committee CW4BB Announces General Election Endorsements," October 3, 2013
- ↑ Connecticut Post, "Baker, Baraka and Larcheveque for school board," October 27, 2013
- ↑ Connecticut Post, "Challengers win school board primary," September 11, 2013
- ↑ CT News, "Plenty willing to join the Bridgeport BOE fray," July 25, 2013
- ↑ CT News, "Working Families Party picks BOE slate," August 10, 2013
- ↑ New York Times, "State to Appoint New Board of Education in Bridgeport," July 6, 2011
- ↑ Chicago Sun-Times, "Paul Vallas, former Chicago school chief, fighting to keep his latest job," September 21, 2013
- ↑ Connecticut Post, "School board results all about the mayor," September 12, 2013
- ↑ City of Bridgeport, "November 5, 2013 Municipal Election Calendar," accessed October 4, 2013
- ↑ Connecticut Office of Government Accountability, "November Municipal Candidate Committees Calendar," accessed October 4, 2013
- ↑ Connecticut Post, "Primaries set in Bridgeport, Stratford and Milford," September 9, 2013
| ||||||||||
