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El Paso Independent School District elections (2015)
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Three seats on the El Paso Independent School District Board of Trustees were up for general election on May 9, 2015.
In 2013, Texas Education Commissioner Michael Williams announced that he was appointing a board of managers to oversee the district over the next two years as a result of a cheating scandal involving former Superintendent Lorenzo García. The incident marked the first time in Texas history that a commissioner removed power from the board of a large urban district. The three new board members elected in May 2015 joined the four members elected in 2013, who, as a result of the appointment, have not yet exercised any authority and were never sworn-in. The current board of managers will remain in place until the new members are sworn in. None of the incumbents in Districts 2, 6 and 7, Isela Castanon-Williams, David Dodge or Patty Hughes, respectively, filed for re-election. Since none of the incumbents who ran for re-election in 2013 were successful, that means El Paso ISD has a completely new board.
Both the District 2 and District 6 races featured three candidates. Luis Humberto De La Cruz, Maria Mayela Sanchez Serrano and Alfonso Velarde competed for the District 2 seat, while Timothy Dean Martin, Trent Kay Hatch and Alejandro Patino faced off in District 6. The District 7 race had a larger field with four candidates: Dori Lane Fenenbock, Diane Marie Flores, Michael Izquierdo and Andres Muro.[1] Velarde, Hatch and Fenenbock won the three seats.
About the district
El Paso Independent School District is located in El Paso County, Texas. The county seat of El Paso County is El Paso. El Paso County was home to an estimated 827,718 residents in 2013, according to the United States Census Bureau.[2] El Paso Independent School District was the 11th-largest school district in Texas, serving 64,214 students during the 2011-2012 school year.[3]
Demographics
El Paso County underperformed in comparison to the rest of Texas in terms of higher education achievement in 2013. The United States Census Bureau found that 20.7 percent of El Paso County residents aged 25 years and older had attained a bachelor's degree, compared to 26.7 percent for the state as a whole. The median household income in El Paso County was $40,157 , compared to $51,900 statewide. The poverty rate in El Paso County was 23.3 percent, compared to 17.6 percent for the entire state.[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.
Voter and candidate information
The El Paso Board of Trustees consists of seven members elected by district to four-year terms. There was no primary election, and a general election took place on May 9, 2015. Three seats were on the ballot in May 2015 for Districts 2, 6 and 7.[5]
School board candidates submitted paperwork with the school district secretary by February 27, 2015. Each candidate must be at least 18 years old, a registered voter and a resident of the district for at least six months. Members filed two campaign finance reports with the district clerk prior to the election unless they did not receive or spend $500 during the campaign.[6]
Elections
2015
Candidates
District 2
| Luis Humberto De La Cruz | Maria Mayela Sanchez Serrano | Alfonso Velarde 
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District 6
| Timothy Dean Martin | Trent Kay Hatch
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Alejandro Patino | |||
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District 7
| Dori Lane Fenenbock
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Diane Marie Flores | ||
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| Michael Izquierdo | Andres Muro | ||
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District maps
District 2
District 6
District 7
Election results
District 2
| El Paso Independent School District, District 2 General Election, 4-year term, 2015 |
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| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan |  Alfonso Velarde |
67.5% | 1,522 | |
| Nonpartisan | Maria Mayela Serrano | 23% | 519 | |
| Nonpartisan | Luis Humberto De La Cruz | 9.5% | 214 | |
| Total Votes | 2,255 | |||
| Source: El Paso County Elections, "Final Election Results," accessed May 26, 2015 | ||||
District 6
| El Paso Independent School District, District 6 General Election, 4-year term, 2015 |
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| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan | Trent Kay Hatch |
53.5% | 1,454 | |
| Nonpartisan | Alejandro Patino | 30% | 815 | |
| Nonpartisan | Timothy Dean Martin | 16.5% | 448 | |
| Total Votes | 2,717 | |||
| Source: El Paso County Elections, "Final Election Results," accessed May 26, 2015 | ||||
District 7
| El Paso Independent School District, District 7 General Election, 4-year term term, 2015 |
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| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan | Dori Lane Fenenbock |
68.4% | 2,589 | |
| Nonpartisan | Diane Marie Flores | 13.3% | 504 | |
| Nonpartisan | Michael Izquierdo | 13.2% | 501 | |
| Nonpartisan | Andres Muro | 5% | 190 | |
| Total Votes | 3,784 | |||
| Source: El Paso County Elections, "Final Election Results," accessed May 26, 2015 | ||||
Endorsements
Trent Kay Hatch, Dori Lane Fenenbock, Alejandro Patino and Alfonso Velarde were endorsed by the El Paso Federation of Teachers and Support Personnel.[7]
Campaign finance
Candidates received a total of $53,820.93 and spent a total of $7,805.18 as of April 9, 2015, according to the Texas Ethics Commission.[8]
| Candidate | Receipts | Disbursements | Cash on hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| District 2 | |||
| Luis Humberto De La Cruz | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Maria Mayela Sanchez Serrano | $150.00 | $0.00 | $150.00 |
| Alfonso Velarde | $10,425.00 | $382.17 | $10,042.83 |
| District 6 | |||
| Timothy Dean Martin | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Trent Kay Hatch | $10,876.00 | $724.86 | $10,151.14 |
| Alejandro Patino | $2,400.00 | $416.07 | $1,983.93 |
| District 7 | |||
| Dori Lane Fenenbock | $29,969.93 | $6,282.08 | $23,687.85 |
| Diane Marie Flores | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Michael Izquierdo | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Andres Muro | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
Texas school board candidates and officeholders must file semiannual reports, which were due on January 15, 2015, and July 15, 2015. In addition, candidates in contested elections were required to file 30-day and 8-day pre-election reports, unless the candidate chose modified reporting.[6]
Candidates in contested elections who did not intend to exceed $500 in contributions or expenditures, excepting filing fees, were eligible for modified reporting. If they exceeded the threshold before the 30th day prior to the election, candidates were required to submit the 30- and 8-day reports. If they exceeded the threshold after the 30th day prior to the election, they were required to file a report within 48 hours of exceeding the threshold and participate in regular reporting for the rest of the election cycle.[9]
Major donors
Several major donors contributed to the campaigns of District 2 candidate Alfonso Velarde and District 7 candidate Dori Lane Fenenbock. Current Board of Managers President Dee Margo and his wife, Tom Lea Institute Founder Adair Margo, gave $750 each to Velarde and Fenenbock. According to Margo, "it's absolutely imperative to get involved in these elections and that we elect qualified people." Area businessman Woody Hunt and McDonald's franchise owner Richard Castro also contributed to Velarde and Fenenbock, each giving Fenenbock $500 and Velarde $1,000. Fenenbock also received a $250 contribution from Executive Vice President of Hunt Companies, Joshua Hunt, and a $725 contribution from Western Refining Executive Chairman Paul Foster.[10]
Past elections
Information about earlier elections can be found by clicking [show] at the right. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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2013
Note: Diane Dye ran an uncontested race for District 4.[11] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Key deadlines
The following dates were key deadlines for the El Paso Independent School District election in 2015:[6][12]
| Deadline | Event |
|---|---|
| December 29, 2014 | Deadline to post notice of candidate filing deadline |
| January 28, 2015 | First day to file for place on general election ballot |
| February 27, 2015 | Last day to file for place on general election ballot |
| March 4, 2015 | Last day to withdraw from ballot |
| March 10, 2015 | First day to apply for ballot by mail |
| April 9, 2015 | Last day for voter registration with county clerk |
| Campaign finance report due | |
| April 27, 2015 | First day of early voting |
| April 30, 2015 | Last day to apply for ballot by mail |
| May 1, 2015 | Campaign finance report due |
| May 5, 2015 | Last day of early voting |
| May 9, 2015 | Election Day |
| May 20, 2015 | Final day for canvassing of votes |
| July 15, 2015 | Campaign finance report due |
Additional elections on the ballot
- See also: Texas elections, 2015
The election on May 9, 2015, shared the ballot with other municipal elections in El Paso County.
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term "El + Paso + Independent + School + District + Texas"
See also
| El Paso Independent School District | Texas | School Boards |
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External links
- El Paso Independent School District
- El Paso County Clerk
- El Paso County, Texas
- Texas Secretary of State
Footnotes
- ↑ Lauren Dixon, "Email correspondence with El Paso ISD," March 3, 2015
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 United States Census Bureau, "El Paso County, Texas," accessed February 11, 2015
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "ELSI Table Generator," accessed May 5, 2014
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "El Paso County," accessed December 31, 2014
- ↑ El Paso Independent School District, "Order for Election of Trustees," November 5, 2014
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Texas Ethics Commission, "2015 Filing Schedule for Elections Held on Uniform Election Dates," accessed January 21, 2015
- ↑ El Paso Times, "EPISD candidates continue to raise big bucks," May 1, 2015
- ↑ El Paso Independent School District, "Campaign Finance & Disclosures," accessed April 29, 2015
- ↑ Texas Ethics Commission, "Campaign Finance Guide for Candidates and Officeholders Who File with Local Filing Authorities," September 1, 2013
- ↑ El Paso Times, "Two EPISD candidates raise big bucks," April 9, 2015
- ↑ El Paso Times, "EPISD elections: Bob Geske, Chuck Taylor elected," June 16, 2013
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "Important 2015 Election Dates," accessed January 20, 2015
