Fort Bend Independent School District elections (2017)
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Three of the seven seats on the Fort Bend Independent School District board of trustees were up for general election on May 6, 2017. In his bid for re-election to the Position 1 seat, incumbent Jason Burdine defeated challenger L. Angelo DeCamps. Position 4 incumbent Kristin Tassin defeated challengers Rodrigo Carreon and Shirley Rose-Gilliam. In the race for the Position 5 seat, incumbent KP George defeated challenger Lorena Dueñas.[1][2]
With seven candidates running for three seats, the 2017 election had the smallest average number of candidates per seat (2.33) out of four election cycles. In the district's 2014, 2015, and 2016 elections, the average was three or higher. Click here for more election trends in the district.
Elections
Voter and candidate information
The Fort Bend Independent board of trustees consists of seven members elected at large to three-year terms. Elections are held on a staggered basis every year in May. Two seats—Positions 3 and 7—were up for election on May 7, 2016, and three seats—Positions 1, 4, and 5—were up for election on May 6, 2017.[3]
To qualify for the ballot, board candidates had to be at least 18 years old, U.S. citizens, registered voters, and residents of the board of trustees district they sought to represent. They could not be convicted of a felony. To get on the ballot, they had to file their candidacy applications with the school district by February 17, 2017.[4]
To vote in this election, citizens of the school district had to register by April 6, 2017.[5]
Position 1
Results
| Fort Bend Independent School District, Position 1 General Election, 3-year term, 2017 |
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| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Jason Burdine Incumbent |
61.90% | 3,207 |
| L. Angelo DeCamps | 38.10% | 1,974 |
| Total Votes | 5,181 | |
| Source: Fort Bend County, Texas, "Cumulative Report — Official, Fort Bend County, Texas — GENERAL AND SPECIAL ELECTION — May 06, 2017," accessed June 6, 2017 | ||
Candidates
Jason Burdine 
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L. Angelo DeCamps | ||
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Position 4
Results
| Fort Bend Independent School District, Position 4 General Election, 3-year term, 2017 |
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|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Kristin Tassin Incumbent |
49.35% | 2,654 |
| Shirley Rose-Gilliam | 41.41% | 2,227 |
| Rodrigo Carreon | 9.24% | 497 |
| Total Votes | 5,378 | |
| Source: Fort Bend County, Texas, "Cumulative Report — Official, Fort Bend County, Texas — GENERAL AND SPECIAL ELECTION — May 06, 2017," accessed June 6, 2017 | ||
Candidates
| Kristin Tassin
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Rodrigo Carreon | Shirley Rose-Gilliam | |||
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Position 5
Results
| Fort Bend Independent School District, Position 5 General Election, 3-year term, 2017 |
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| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| KP George Incumbent |
63.72% | 3,341 |
| Lorena Dueñas | 36.28% | 1,902 |
| Total Votes | 5,243 | |
| Source: Fort Bend County, Texas, "Cumulative Report — Official, Fort Bend County, Texas — GENERAL AND SPECIAL ELECTION — May 06, 2017," accessed June 6, 2017 | ||
Candidates
| KP George
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Lorena Dueñas | ||
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Additional elections on the ballot
- See also: Texas elections, 2017
The Fort Bend Independent board of trustees election shared the ballot with elections for the Fort Bend County Emergency Services District, the Fort Bend County Fresh Water Supply District, a proposition for a local sales and use tax, a proposition for the Blue Ridge West Municipal Utility District, and two propositions for the Renn Road Municipal Utility District of Harris and Fort Bend counties.[6]
Key deadlines
The following dates were key deadlines for the Fort Bend Independent board of trustees election.[7][8]
| Deadline | Event |
|---|---|
| February 17, 2017 | Candidate filing deadline |
| April 6, 2017 | Campaign finance reporting deadline |
| April 6, 2017 | Voter registration deadline |
| April 24, 2017 - May 2, 2017 | Early voting period |
| April 28, 2017 | Campaign finance reporting deadline |
| May 6, 2017 | General election date |
| July 17, 2017 | Campaign finance reporting deadline |
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
There were three campaign finance deadlines for Texas school board candidates in 2017:[9]
- The 30th day report was due on April 6, 2017,
- The 8th day report was due on April 28, 2017, and
- The July semiannual report was due on July 17, 2017.
All school board candidates in the state were also required to file July semiannual campaign finance reports. Opposed school board candidates could choose "modified reporting" if they did not plan to exceed either $500 in contributions or $500 in expenditures in the election. Modified reporting exempts a candidate from filing the 30th and 8th day reports normally due before an election. If a candidate opted for modified reporting but exceeded the threshold before the 30th day prior to the election, he or she had to file the 30th and 8th day reports. Unopposed school board candidates were only required to file a campaign finance report on the July semiannual deadline.[10]
Reports
Candidates received a total of $25,393.91 and spent a total of $30,304.64 as of May 4, 2017, according to the Fort Bend Independent School District.[11]
| Candidate | Contributions | Expenditures | Cash on hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Position 1 | |||
| Jason Burdine | $7,650.00 | $7,641.28 | $8.72 |
| L. Angelo DeCamps | $2,600.00 | $2,025.00 | $575.00 |
| Position 4 | |||
| Kristin Tassin | $8,549.00 | $9,770.90 | ($1,221.90) |
| Rodrigo Carreon | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Shirley Rose-Gilliam | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Position 5 | |||
| KP George | $6,045.00 | $10,317.55 | ($4,272.55) |
| Lorena Dueñas | $549.91 | $549.91 | $0.00 |
Past elections
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What was at stake?
2017
Election trends
- See also: School boards in session: 2015 in brief
The 2017 Fort Bend Independent board of trustees election attracted the smallest average number of candidates per seat (2.33) out of four election cycles. Elections held in the district in 2014, 2015, and 2016 attracted a minimum average of three candidates per seat.
All three incumbents ran for re-election in 2017, and they all defeated at least one opponent to win another term. Every incumbent whose seats were up for election in 2015 and 2016 also ran to retain their seats. They had a 100 percent success rate in 2016, but in 2015 half of the incumbents were defeated. The 2014 race saw two of three incumbents run for re-election, and they were both defeated by newcomers.
| School board election trends | ||||||
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| Year | Candidates per seat | Unopposed seats | Incumbents running for re-election | Incumbent success rate | Seats won by newcomers | |
| Fort Bend Independent School District | ||||||
| 2017 | 2.33 | 0.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 0.00% | |
| 2016 | 3.00 | 50.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 0.00% | |
| 2015 | 3.00 | 0.00% | 100.00% | 50.00% | 50.00% | |
| 2014 | 3.67 | 0.00% | 66.67% | 0.00% | 100.00% | |
| Texas | ||||||
| 2015 | 1.69 | 48.62% | 77.98% | 83.53% | 34.40% | |
| 2014 | 1.86 | 37.61% | 75.22% | 81.76% | 38.05% | |
| United States | ||||||
| 2015 | 1.72 | 35.95% | 70.37% | 82.66% | 40.81% | |
| 2014 | 1.89 | 32.57% | 75.51% | 81.31% | 38.24% | |
Issues in the district
District joins One Voice for Texas Public Education coalition
The Fort Bend Independent School District board of trustees voted to join the One Voice for Texas Public Education coalition in January 2017, making it one of the first of what would become a total of 14 school district members by April 11, 2017. Those members represented approximately 350,000 students in the 2016-2017 school year. Board President Kristin Tassin started the coalition with Katy ISD board of trustees Sergeant-at-Arms Henry Dibrell in the fall of 2016 in order to present a united front when speaking to state legislators about education issues.[12][13][14][15]
On its website, the coalition highlighted the state's changing demographics as a reason the school districts came together.
| “ | Forty-nine percent of children in Texas live in low-income families and by 2020, Hispanics will become the largest ethnic group in the state, making up 42 percent of Texans. By 2044, Texas will be a majority Hispanic state. Proposed state regulations, accountability and funding do not support the reality of this changing student population.[16] | ” |
| —One Voice for Texas Public Education (2017)[17] | ||
The coalition also expressed support for three issues: "Making School Finance a Legislative Priority," "Making Uniform Standards and Requirements for All State Funded School Systems a Legislative Priority," and "Making Accountability and Assessment a Legislative Priority." Specifically, members said they would like the state to provide funding for legislative mandates related to education. They also said they oppose programs for school vouchers and that they want the Texas Education Agency's A-F accountability ratings to be repealed.[18] The A-F accountability ratings grade districts based on four categories: student achievement, student progress, closing performance gaps, and postsecondary readiness. Districts are also graded on a fifth category that is chosen by the school district.[19]
School districts received their preliminary A-F accountability grades in January 2017. Fort Bend ISD received a B grade in student achievement, an A for student progress, a C for closing performance gaps, and a D for postsecondary readiness.[19] The program was supposed to go into effect in August 2018, but it was delayed one year.[14] On May 4, 2017, the Texas House of Representatives voted to pass HB 22, a bill that changed the requirements for the A-F accountability system and delayed it until the 2019-2020 school year. The bill next moved to the Texas State Senate, where it passed on May 24, 2017. The governor signed it into law on June 15, 2017.[20][21]
Tassin said legislators had overall been supportive of the coalition. "One legislator was so excited, he called a district that was visiting the Capitol that day and asked if they considered joining the coalition. Some legislators are helping us recruit school districts from their districts - particularly on the House side. They need us to speak loudly about these issues in support of the work they're doing," said Tassin.[14]
Tassin said the Texas House of Representatives was more responsive on education reform in 2017 than the Texas State Senate. "We're still working on senators to freeze unfunded mandates and even take up some reform efforts the House is taking up," said Tassin.[14]
Candidate survey
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About the district
The Fort Bend Independent School District is located in Fort Bend County in southeastern Texas. The county seat is Richmond. Fort Bend County was home to an estimated 716,087 residents in 2015, according to the United States Census Bureau.[22] The district was the seventh-largest school district in the state in the 2014-2015 school year and served 72,152 students.[23]
Demographics
Fort Bend County outperformed Texas as a whole in terms of higher education achievement from 2011 to 2015. The United States Census Bureau found that 43.7 percent of county residents aged 25 years and older had attained a bachelor's degree, compared to 27.6 percent of state residents. The median household income in the county during that time period was $89,152, compared to $53,207 for the entire state. The poverty rate in the county was 7 percent, while it was 15.9 percent statewide.[22]
| Racial Demographics, 2011-2015[22] | ||
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| Race | Fort Bend County (%) | Texas (%) |
| White | 56.8 | 79.7 |
| Black or African American | 20.9 | 12.5 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.6 | 1.0 |
| Asian | 19.5 | 4.7 |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander | 0.1 | 0.1 |
| Two or More Races | 2.1 | 1.9 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 24.1 | 38.8 |
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 Fort Bend Independent School District Texas election. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
| Fort Bend Independent School District | Texas | School Boards |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Fort Bend Independent School District, "Board Elections," accessed February 22, 2017
- ↑ Fort Bend County, Texas, "Cumulative Report — Unofficial, Fort Bend County, Texas — GENERAL AND SPECIAL ELECTION — May 06, 2017," accessed May 6, 2017 These election results are unofficial and will be updated after official vote totals are made available.
- ↑ Fort Bend Independent School District, "Board of Trustees," accessed February 20, 2017
- ↑ Fort Bend Independent School District, "Board Members Eligibility/Qualifications," accessed February 20, 2017
- ↑ Dallas County Elections, "Joint Election- Saturday, May 6, 2017," accessed February 20, 2017
- ↑ Fort Bend County Elections/Voter Registration, "Sample Ballots: City/School/MUD Election May 6, 2017," accessed March 23, 2017
- ↑ Texas Ethics Commission, "2017 Filing Schedule For Reports Due In Connection With Elections Held On Uniform Election Dates," accessed March 7, 2017
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "Election Advisory No. 2016-24: May 6, 2017 Election Law Calendar," accessed March 7, 2017
- ↑ Texas Ethics Commission, "2017 Filing Schedule for Reports Due in Connection with Elections Held on Uniform Election Dates," accessed March 28, 2017
- ↑ Texas Ethics Commission, "Campaign Finance Guide for Candidates and Officeholders Who File with Local Filing Authorities," accessed March 28, 2017
- ↑ Fort Bend Independent School District, "Board Elections," accessed May 4, 2017
- ↑ One Voice for Texas Public Education, "Coalition Members," accessed April 11, 2017
- ↑ The Courier of Montgomery County, "Fort Bend school districts condemn A through F accountability ratings, school vouchers," February 7, 2017
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 San Antonio Express News, "More Houston-area schools back public education coalition," March 31, 2017
- ↑ One Voice for Texas Public Education, "Home," accessed April 17, 2017
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ One Voice for Texas Public Education, "About Us," accessed April 17, 2017
- ↑ One Voice for Texas Public Education, "Home," accessed April 11, 2017
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 Community Impact Newspaper, "Ratings review, and other things you missed from this week’s Fort Bend ISD meeting," January 10, 2017
- ↑ Open States, "HB 22," accessed June 16, 2017
- ↑ Houston Chronicle, "Texas House takes action on education accountability in public schools," May 3, 2017
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 United States Census Bureau, "QuickFacts: Fort Bend County, Texas," accessed March 9, 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
| Fort Bend Independent School District elections in 2017 | |
| Fort Bend County, Texas | |
| Election date: | May 6, 2017 |
| Candidates: | Position 1: • Incumbent, Jason Burdine • L. Angelo DeCamps Position 4: • Incumbent, Kristin Tassin • Rodrigo Carreon • Shirley Rose-Gilliam Position 5: • Incumbent, KP George • Lorena Dueñas |
| Important information: | What was at stake? • Additional elections on the ballot • Key deadlines |
