Christina School District elections (2017)
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Two of the seven seats on the Christina School District Board of Education in Delaware
were up for at-large election on May 9, 2017. The District G seat was up for a regular five-year term, while the District B seat was up for special election and came with a four-year term. Three newcomers filed in the race for District G: Jeffrey Day, Meredith Griffin Jr., and Kimara Smith. Incumbent Shirley Sutton-Saffer filed for re-election but withdrew her candidacy on March 1, 2017. Griffin was elected to the District G seat. The special election was held on the same date due to the resignation of District B incumbent Margaret Mason on April 4, 2017. Four candidates filed in the race: Justin Day, Angela Mitchell, Monica Moriak, and Karen Sobotker. Mitchell defeated the other candidates for the seat.[1][2]
Elections
Voter and candidate information
The Christina Board of Education consists of seven members elected at large to five-year terms. While elected at large, candidates must live within the nominating district of the seat for which they are running. Candidates filed to run for the seat in their nominating districts, but all voters in the school district were eligible to vote for both seats up for election. The District B and District G members took office in July. A president and vice president was elected once the new members took office.[3] Candidates for District G had to file for the election by March 3, 2017, while the deadline for the District B race was April 20, 2017.
Voters were required to register to vote at least 24 days prior to the election. The deadline to register in this election was April 15, 2017. All voters were required to provide identification at the polls. Valid identification included a photo ID, utility bill, paycheck or any other government document featuring the voter's name and address.[4]
Candidates and results
District B (Special election)
Results
| Christina School District, District B Special Election, 4-year term, 2017 |
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| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Angela Mitchell |
38.68% | 480 |
| Justin Day | 36.83% | 457 |
| Monica Moriak | 18.69% | 232 |
| Karen Sobotker | 5.80% | 72 |
| Total Votes | 1,241 | |
| Source: Department of Elections–New Castle County Office, "Christina School District May 9, 2017 School Board Election," accessed June 5, 2017 | ||
Candidates
| Justin Day | Angela Mitchell 
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| Monica Moriak | Karen Sobotker | ||
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District G
Results
| Christina School District, District G General Election, 5-year term, 2017 |
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| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Meredith Griffin Jr. |
60.57% | 828 |
| Jeffrey Day | 26.99% | 369 |
| Kimara Smith | 12.44% | 170 |
| Total Votes | 1,367 | |
| Source: Department of Elections–New Castle County Office, "Christina School District May 9, 2017 School Board Election," accessed June 5, 2017 | ||
Candidates
| Jeffrey Day | Meredith Griffin Jr.
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Kimara Smith | |||
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Additional elections on the ballot
- See also: Delaware elections, 2017
The district's board elections did not share the ballot with other local, state, or federal elections.
Key deadlines
The following dates were key deadlines for Delaware school board elections in 2017:[5]
| Deadline | Event |
|---|---|
| March 3, 2017 | Candidate filing deadline for District G |
| April 15, 2017 | Deadline to register to vote in the general election |
| April 20, 2017 | Candidate filing deadline for District B |
| May 5, 2017 | Deadline for absentee ballot requests |
| May 9, 2017 | Election Day |
| May 11, 2017 | Certification of election results |
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
Candidates received a total of $2881.00 and spent a total of $2154.78 as of May 1, 2017, according to the Office of the State Election Commissioner. The only Christina School District candidate required to file reports was Meredith Griffin Jr.[6]
| Candidate | Contributions | Expenditures | Cash on hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meredith Griffin Jr. | $2881.00 | $2154.78 | $726.22 |
There were three campaign finance deadlines for Delaware in 2017:[7]
- The 30-Day Election Report was due on April 9, 2017,
- The Eight-Day Election Report was due May 1, 2017, and
- The Annual Report was due December 31, 2017.
School board candidates in Delaware were not required to file campaign finance reports so long as they certified that they did not expect to receive or spend more than $2000 from the date of their first contribution until the end of the 2017 election year. If they received or spent more than $2000, candidates had to notify the Delaware Office of the State Election Commissioner within seven days and file all otherwise required candidate reports.[8]
Past elections
Information about earlier elections can be found by clicking [show] at the right. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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2016The District B race was canceled due to a lack of opposition for candidate Margaret Mason.
2015This election was canceled due to a lack of opposition. Incumbent George Evans was automatically re-elected. 2014
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What was at stake?
Issues in the district
Resolution passed March 21, 2017
The Christina School District Board of Education passed a resolution called the "Christina Board of Education Declaring Its Commitment to a Safe and Supportive School Environment for All Students Regardless of Immigration Status" on March 21, 2017. The resolution clarified the district's policy toward students residing in the country without legal permission. Four members of the board voted for the resolution—Frederick Polaski, John M. Young, Elizabeth Paige, and former member Shirley Sutton-Saffer—and two voted against it—George Evans and Harrie Ellen Minnehan. Margaret Mason did not vote on the resolution following her April resignation.[9] [10]
An explanation of the board's decision to pass the measure can be found in the introduction of the resolution. The board cited district policy and a Supreme Court decision that protects a student's access to public education regardless of immigration status. The board also said its decision was based in a desire to ensure students feel safe and welcome in district campuses. It also detailed the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) policy requiring express permission to enter sensitive locations, including schools, while conducting its duty to identify immigrants living in the U.S. without legal permission and to take action. The school board defined express permission as coming from "specific law enforcement officials."[9]
Following these statements, the resolution listed six affirmations. The board's first two points addressed the ICE policy: it begins by stating the belief that ICE's presence on school grounds would not be conducive to learning. The board then asked that ICE continue following its current policy to get permission to enter school grounds. The next four affirmations were directed towards district staff and teachers. The board instructs them to treat students equally, without asking about their or their relatives' immigration status. The resolution ends by giving teachers permission to discuss the resolution in an age-appropriate manner and stating that the information contained therein would be distributed to all district employees.[9]
Report a story for this election
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About the district
- See also: Christina School District, Delaware
The Christina School District is located in New Castle County, Delaware. The county seat is Wilmington. New Castle County was home to 556,987 residents in 2016, according to the United States Census Bureau.[11] The district was the second-largest school district in the state in the 2014-2015 school year and served 16,244 students.[12]
Demographics
New Castle County outperformed the entirety of Delaware in terms of higher education achievement from 2011 to 2015. The United States Census Bureau found that 35 percent of county residents aged 25 years and older had attained a bachelor's degree, compared to 30 percent of state residents. The median household income in the county was $65,476, compared to $60,509 for the state. The poverty rate in the county was 12.1 percent, compared to 12.4 percent for the entire state.[11]
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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.
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Christina School District Delaware election. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
| Christina School District | Delaware | School Boards |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ The News Journal, "Christina school board member resigns," April 4, 2017
- ↑ New Castle County Department of Elections, "May 9, 2017 School Board Candidates & Filing Dates," accessed March 6, 2017
- ↑ Christina School District, "Board of Education," accessed April 17, 2017
- ↑ The State of Delaware, "Frequently asked questions on voting," accessed April 17, 2017
- ↑ State of Delaware, "2017 School Election Calendar," accessed April 17, 2017
- ↑ Office of the State Election Commissioner, "Delaware Campaign Finance Reporting System," accessed June 1, 2017
- ↑ Delaware Code Online, "Title 15, Chapter 80, Subchapter IV, Section 8030," accessed June 1, 2017
- ↑ Delaware Code Online, "Title 15, Chapter 80, Subchapter I, Section 8004," accessed June 1, 2017
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Christina School District, "Board of Education: Resolutions," accessed May 5, 2017
- ↑ Delaware Online, "Christina approves 'safe haven' policy," April 11, 2017
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 United States Census Bureau, "Quickfacts:New Castle County, Delaware," accessed April 17, 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
- ↑ State of Delaware, "Election Results Archive," accessed April 1, 2016
| Christina School District elections in 2017 | |
| New Castle County, Delaware | |
| Election date: | May 9, 2017 |
| Candidates: | District B: • Justin Day • Angela Mitchell • Monica Moriak • Karen Sobotker District G: • Jeffrey Day • Meredith Griffin Jr. • Kimara Smith |
| Important information: | What was at stake? |
