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Fayette County Public Schools elections (2014)
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Two seats on the Fayette County Public Schools Board of Education were up for general election on November 4, 2014.
Division 2 incumbent Doug Barnett defeated challenger Roger Cleveland while Division 4 incumbent Amanda Ferguson won re-election against Natasha Murray.[1]
About the district
- See also: Fayette County Public Schools, Kentucky
Fayette County Public Schools is located in Fayette County, Kentucky. The county seat is Lexington. Fayette County is home to 308,428 residents, according to the United States Census Bureau.[2] In the 2011-2012 school year, Fayette County Public Schools was the second-largest school district in Kentucky and served 38,641 students.[3]
Demographics
Fayette County overperformed compared to the rest of Kentucky in terms of higher education achievement in 2012. The United States Census Bureau found that 39.9 percent of Fayette County residents aged 25 years and older had attained a bachelor's degree compared to 21.0 percent for Kentucky as a whole. The median household income for Fayette County was $48,779 compared to $42,610 for the state of Kentucky. The percentage of people below poverty level for Fayette County was 18.2 percent while it was 18.6 percent for the state of Kentucky.[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 Fayette County Board of Education consists of five members elected to four-year terms. Each member is elected to a specific geographic division. There was no primary election, and the general election was held on November 4, 2014. Two seats were up for election in 2014.[1]
School board candidates had to file with their county elections department during the candidate filing period, which ended on August 12, 2014. The deadline to withdraw was on August 25, 2014. Write-in candidates had to file by October 24, 2014. To vote in the 2014 general election, voters had to register by October 6, 2014.[5]
Elections
2014
Candidates
Division 2
- Doug Barnett
- Incumbent
- Graduate, University of Kentucky and University of Kentucky College of Law
- Attorney
- Roger Cleveland
- Graduate, Morehead State University, Union College and University of Cincinnati
- Associate professor, Eastern Kentucky University
- President/Owner, Millennium Learning Concepts Consulting Company
Division 4
- Amanda Ferguson
- Incumbent
- Graduate, University of Kentucky and Vanderbilt University
- Former program administrator, Partners for Youth
- Natasha Murray
- Graduate, University of Kentucky
- Educational consultant/research analyst, Kentucky Department of Education
District map
Election results
Division 2
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Doug Barnett Incumbent |
56.7% | 5,607 | |
| Nonpartisan | Roger Cleveland | 43.3% | 4,287 | |
| Total Votes | 9,894 | |||
| Source: Fayette County Clerk, "2014 General Election Results," accessed November 4, 2014 These election results are unofficial. They will be updated once certified election results are available. | ||||
Division 4
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Amanda Ferguson Incumbent |
61.4% | 7,134 | |
| Nonpartisan | Natasha Murray | 38.6% | 4,491 | |
| Total Votes | 11,625 | |||
| Source: Fayette County Clerk, "2014 General Election Results," accessed November 4, 2014 These election results are unofficial. They will be updated once certified election results are available. | ||||
Endorsements
The Lexington Herald-Leader endorsed challengers Natasha Murray and Roger Cleveland.[6]
Campaign finance
Candidates who raised or spent over $3,000 during the election cycle had to file all pre-election and post-election campaign finance reports. Those raised or spent less than $3,000 were only required to file a 30-day post-election report, while those who raised or spent less than $1,000 did not have to file any reports.[7]
Past elections
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What was at stake?
There were two seats on the school board up for election on November 4, 2014. Division 2 incumbent Doug Barnett ran against challenger Roger Cleveland while Division 4 incumbent Amanda Ferguson faced a challenge from Natasha Murray.
Issues
Issues in the election
State auditor report
Kentucky State Auditor Adam Edelen released a special audit of Fayette County Public Schools on September 17, 2014, that found "serious concerns with regards to lack of appropriate policies and procedures related to fiscal management, and a lack of proper oversight and communication conducive for effective governance."[8] It did not, however, find any evidence of criminal activity. The audit was began in the spring of 2014 in response to a $20 million deficit in the district's budget.
"Mismanagement of the finances of the state's second largest school district, with an annual budget of more than $400 million, is obviously very troubling. But even more so is a culture within certain elements of management that does not reflect the district's purported values," Edelen stated.[9]
The audit was not on the school board's September 22, 2014, agenda, the first meeting since the audit was released, but many members of the public spoke on the issue. The district was given 60 days to develop a corrective plan.[10]
Following the findings, school board members Doug Barnett and Amanda Ferguson questioned the leadership of Superintendent Tom Shelton, while other board members pledged their support.[11]
The issue became a major focus of a candidate forum held October 8, 2014, but there was little disagreement among those involved. Amanda Ferguson and Natasha Murray agreed corrective action had to be taken and the district had to move forward, while Doug Barnett stated the need to be able to guarantee such a thing would never happen again. Roger Cleveland said too much emphasis was being put on the audit while student achievement was being downplayed.[12]
Issues in the district
Overcrowding
According to data from the district, two of Fayette County's five high schools, four of 12 middle schools and 11 of 35 elementary schools were at or over capacity. In response, a redistricting committee was formed and met for the first time on September 11, 2014. It was the first time since 2002 that the district implemented large-scale redistricting. Two new elementary schools are slated to open in 2016 with a new high school scheduled for 2017. The committee was responsible for drafting a proposal which would need to be approved by the school board in 2015.[13]
Use of minority subcontractors
In late September 2014 the issue of increasing the use of minority and women-owned subcontractors on school construction projects was raised, with Superintendent Tom Shelton calling it "a problem" and "something we need to have a larger and greater focus on." Diversity goals and objectives established by the school board sought a 10 percent increase in minority and female-owned business contracts and expenditures. Shelton said that although general contractors select subcontractors, the district "could take a more aggressive approach and have requirements for them."[14]
Key deadlines
The following dates were key deadlines for the Fayette County Public Schools election in 2014:[5][15]
| Deadline | Event |
|---|---|
| August 12, 2014 | Last day for candidates to file nomination documents |
| August 25, 2014 | Deadline for candidates to withdraw |
| October 3, 2014 | 32-day pre-general campaign finance report due |
| October 6, 2014 | Last day to register to vote in the general election |
| October 20, 2014 | 15-day pre-general campaign finance report due |
| October 24, 2014 | Last day for write-in candidates to file nomination documents |
| November 4, 2014 | General election day |
| November 7, 2014 | Deadline for county boards of election to certify total number of votes |
| December 4, 2014 | 30-day post-general campaign finance report due |
| January 3, 2015 | 60-day post-general campaign finance report due |
Additional elections on the ballot
- See also: Kentucky elections, 2014
This election shared the ballot with general elections for a U.S. House seat, U.S. Senate seat, Kentucky House of Representatives seats and Kentucky State Senate seats. It also shared the ballot with county, municipal and judicial elections.[16]
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term "Fayette + County + Public + Schools + Kentucky"
See also
- Kentucky
- Fayette County Public Schools, Kentucky
- Kentucky school board elections, 2014
- List of school board elections in 2014
- School board elections, 2014
- Fayette County, Kentucky ballot measures
- Local ballot measures, Kentucky
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Fayette County Clerk, "Candidates for November 4, 2014," accessed September 8, 2014
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 United States Census Bureau, "Fayette County, Kentucky," accessed September 8, 2014
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "ELSI Table Generator," accessed April 22, 2014
- ↑ Kentucky Secretary of State, "Voter Registration Statistics Report," August 21, 2014
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Kentucky Secretary of State, "2014 Kentucky Election Calendar," accessed September 8, 2014
- ↑ Lexington Herald-Leader, "Cleveland, Murray for school board," October 5, 2014
- ↑ Kentucky Registry of Election Finance, "Candidate Guide Campaign Finance," accessed September 16, 2014
- ↑ Kentucky Auditor of Public Accounts, "Examination of certain policies, procedures, and financial activities of the Fayette County Public Schools," September 17, 2014
- ↑ WKYT, "Auditor: Fayette Co. Public Schools finances 'very troubling'," September 18, 2014
- ↑ WKYT, "Fayette Co. School Board passes new working budget," September 22, 2014
- ↑ Lexington Herald-Leader, "Three board members support Shelton after auditor's critical report on Fayette schools," September 17, 2014
- ↑ Lexington Herald-Leader, "Reactions to audit take center stage at Fayette County school board candidates forum," October 8, 2014
- ↑ Lexington Herald-Leader, "Fayette schools redistricting committee continues its work at public meeting," September 11, 2014
- ↑ Lexington Herald-Leader, "Fayette Schools may require that more subcontractors be minorities or women," September 28, 2014
- ↑ Kentucky Registry of Election Finance, "Candidate Reporting Dates," accessed September 16, 2014
- ↑ Kentucky Secretary of State, "Fayette County sample ballot," accessed September 8, 2014 (dead link)
| 2014 Fayette County Public Schools Elections | |
| Fayette County, Kentucky | |
| Election date: | November 4, 2014 |
| Candidates: | Division 2: • Incumbent, Doug Barnett • Roger Cleveland Division 4: • Incumbent, Amanda Ferguson • Natasha Murray |
| Important information: | What was at stake? • Key deadlines • Additional elections on the ballot |
