Compton Unified School District elections (2013)
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Four seats on the school board for Compton Unified School District were up for district wide elections held on November 5, 2013. Satra D. Zurita, Mae Thomas, Margie N. Garrett and Charlie Davis defeated nine candidates for four at-large seats.
About the district
Compton Unified School District is located in the Southcentral Los Angeles County, California in Compton, California. It is located in the largest county in California. According to the 2010 Census, it is home to 96,455 residents.[1]
Demographics
Compton underperformed the rest of California when measured on the basis of median household income, percentage of residents living below the poverty level, percentage of residents over the age of 25 with a high school diploma, and percentage of residents over the age of 25 with a bachelor's degree. The median household income in Compton was $43,311 compared to $61,632 for the state of California. 7.0% of Compton residents aged 25 years and older attained a bachelor's degree compared to 30.2% in California. The United States Census also showed the poverty rate in Compton was 24.9% compared to 14.4% for the entire state. The United States Census also found that 75.7% of Compton residents aged 25 years and older attained a high school degree compared to a 80.8% in California.[2]
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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.
Method of board member selection
Compton Unified School District School Board consists of seven members, all of whom are elected to four year terms. All board members represent the district at large. Board member terms are staggered so that at least three members, but no more than four are to be elected each odd numbered year on the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November. There are no primary elections. Four seats were up for election on November 5, 2013. The three remaining seats were up for election on November 3, 2015.
Elections
2013
Candidates
- Margie N. Garrett
- Educator
- William T. Kemp
- Businessman
- Tuskeegee University
- Businessman
- Charles Davis
- Governing Board Member, Compton College District
- Cierra Amber Evans
- Community Organizer
- Diana Padilla
- Parent/Mentor/Student
- Francisco Javier Orozco
- University Student
- Joseph L. Lewis
- Educator
- Yolanda Hernandez Lopez
- Community Volunteer
- Stephany A. Ortega
- Educator/Entrepreneur
- Tomas Carlos
- Architect/Engineering Consultant
- Satra D. Zurita
- Senior Administrative Analyst
- Carol Ann Bradley
- Educatory
- Mae Thomas
- Financial screener
Election results
On November 5, 2013, Satra D. Zurita, Mae Thomas, Margie N. Garrett and Charles Davis defeated nine candidates for four seats on the Compton Unified School District Board of Education.
| Compton Unified School District Board of Education, At-large General Election, 2013, 2013 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan |  Satra D. Zurita |
15.4% | 2,385 | |
| Nonpartisan | Mae Thomas Incumbent |
14.2% | 2,200 | |
| Nonpartisan | Margie N. Garrett Incumbent |
13.3% | 2,058 | |
| Nonpartisan | Charlie Davis Incumbent |
12% | 1,851 | |
| Nonpartisan | Stephany A. Ortega | 7% | 1,080 | |
| Nonpartisan | Carol Ann Bradley | 6.7% | 1,041 | |
| Nonpartisan | William T. Kemp | 5.9% | 908 | |
| Nonpartisan | Joseph L. Lewis | 5.4% | 843 | |
| Nonpartisan | Francisco Javier Orozco | 5.4% | 838 | |
| Nonpartisan | Yolanda Hernandez Lopez | 4.2% | 645 | |
| Nonpartisan | Tomas Carlos | 4.1% | 637 | |
| Nonpartisan | Diana Padilla | 3.5% | 541 | |
| Nonpartisan | Cierra Amber Evans | 2.9% | 441 | |
| Total Votes | 15,468 | |||
| Source: Los Angeles County Clerk, "NOVEMBER 5, 2013 - LOCAL & MUNI CONSOLIDATED ELECTION Final Official Election Returns" accessed December 12, 2013 | ||||
Funding
No contributions or expenditures were reported during the election, according to the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk.
Endorsements
SEIU Local 99 officially endorsed Charles Davis, Stephany Ortega and incumbent Satra Zurita in this election.[4] Zurita also received endorsements from American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 2325 ,United Association (UA) Local 250 and Los Angeles County Federation of Labor – AFL-CIO.[5]
Election history
2011
On November 8, 2011, three seats on the Compton Unified School District Board of Education were up for election. Candidates Micah Ali, Emma Sharif, and Skyy D. Fisher defeated nine challengers.
| Compton Unified School District Board of Education, At-large General Election, 2011, 2011 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan | Micah Ali |
19.7% | 2,323 | |
| Nonpartisan | Emma Sharif |
11.9% | 1,401 | |
| Nonpartisan | Skyy D. Fisher |
11.6% | 1,369 | |
| Nonpartisan | Joel Estrada | 8.4% | 998 | |
| Nonpartisan | Enelida Alvarez | 7.9% | 928 | |
| Nonpartisan | Joseph L. Lewis | 7.6% | 901 | |
| Nonpartisan | Otha Ray Scott | 6% | 709 | |
| Nonpartisan | Willie Dewitt Carson | 5.8% | 684 | |
| Nonpartisan | Carolyn Patterson Stokes | 5.4% | 639 | |
| Nonpartisan | Rodolfo Enriquez | 5.3% | 632 | |
| Nonpartisan | Latanya Hall-Ganter | 5.3% | 623 | |
| Nonpartisan | Donna Hefflin | 5.2% | 609 | |
| Total Votes | 11,816 | |||
| Source: Smart Voter.org, "Governing Board Member; Compton Unified School District Voter Information" accessed September 12, 2013 | ||||
What was at stake?
Four at-large seats were up for election on November 5, 2013, including the seats of the Vice-President and Clerk. Incumbents Mae Thomas, Margie N. Garrett, and Satra D. Zurita sought re-election.
Issues
Racial profiling lawsuit
On May 13, 2013 a group of students and parents filed a federal lawsuit against Compton Unified School District, alleging, according to the lawsuit, that school police used excessive force and racially profiled Latino students and parents. The suit also alleged school police notified immigration officials after Catarino Garcia went to the school police station to file a complaint against an officer, which resulted in Garcia's deportation. Another plaintiff, Raquel Espinoza, alleged excessive force and that she was targeted for being a parent activist after she and her son were arrested outside Compton High School after an alleged fight involving her son. A bystander Victor Lopez filmed the incident with his iPod and was injured, pepper-sprayed, and arrested on charges of assaulting an officer and resisting arrest.[6]
Latino representation
Latinos made up the majority of Compton residents and 78.8% of the student body of Compton Unified School District School. In 2013, the Board had no Latino members. Several lawsuits were filed alleging that the lack of representation violates the Voting Rights Act. A 2010 lawsuit alleged that the at-large elections system diluted the voting power of Latino residents.[7]
Key deadlines
The following dates were key deadlines for the Azusa Unified School District election in 2013:[8]
| Deadline | Event |
|---|---|
| July 15, 2013 | First day to file a petition of candidacy |
| August 9, 2013 | Close of filing period for petition of candidacy |
| October 21, 2013 | Last day to register to vote in school election |
| October 29, 2013 | Final day to apply to vote by mail |
| November 5, 2013 | Election Day |
Additional elections on the ballot
The ballot for the November 5, 2013 election in Los Angeles County also featured elections for local and municipal positions, such as elections for City Clerk, City Treasurer, Mayor and City Council.[9]
See also
- California school board elections draw over 200 candidates
- 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
- California
- Compton Unified School District, California
- List of school board elections in 2013
- Los Angeles County, California ballot measures
- Local ballot measures, California
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ United States Census Bureau, "Compton, California Quick Facts" accessed August 30, 2013
- ↑ United States Census Bureau, "Compton, California Quick Facts" accessed August 30, 2013
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedCensus1 - ↑ SEIU99.org, "SEIU Local 99 Education Workers and L.A. Labor Federation Endorse School Board Candidates for Compton, Hacienda-La Puente, Lynwood, and Torrance Unified School Districts," accessed November 1, 2013
- ↑ SatraZurita.com, "Endorsements," accessed November 1, 2013
- ↑ Abby Sewell LA Times, "Suit accuses Compton school district of abuse, racial profiling," May 13, 2013
- ↑ Ann M. Simmons and Abby Sewell LA Times, "Suit seeks to open Compton to Latino voters," December 20, 2010
- ↑ LA Votes, "TENTATIVE CALENDAR OF EVENTS " accessed September 12, 2013
- ↑ LA Vote, "FINAL LIST OF QUALIFIED CANDIDATES TO APPEAR ON THE BALLOT" accessed September 12, 2013
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