Fort Worth Independent School District elections (2015)
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Four seats on the Fort Worth Independent School District Board of Trustees were up for general election on May 9, 2015, for Districts 2, 3, 5 and 6.
In the District 2 race, incumbent Tobi Jackson faced challengers Joel Aguilar and Sultan Cole. District 5 incumbent Judy Needham ran against Linda LaBeau. Michael Johnston originally filed for the seat as well, but withdrew his campaign on March 2, 2015.[1] Challenger Cecelia Speer aimed to unseat incumbent Ann Sutherland in District 6. Incumbent Christene Chadwick Moss ran unopposed in District 3.[2] Incumbents Jackson, Moss, Needham and Sutherland won re-election to the Districts 2, 3, 5 and 6 seats, respectively.
Fort Worth ISD was dealing with budget issues leading up to the election that resulted from a $490 million bond referendum from 2013, in addition to a strained relationship between resigned Superintendent Walter Dansby and the Fort Worth Board of Trustees. Dansby resigned from the district in June 2014; Patricia Linares served as the interim superintendent at the time of the election.[3]
Incumbent Ann Sutherland and challenger Sultan Cole participated in Ballotpedia's 2015 survey of school board candidates. To read their responses, check out the "Ballotpedia survey responses" section.
About the district
Fort Worth Independent School District is located in Tarrant County, Texas. The county seat of Tarrant County is Fort Worth. Tarrant County was home to an estimated 1,911,541 residents in 2013, according to the United States Census Bureau.[4] Fort Worth Independent School District was the sixth-largest school district in Texas, serving 83,109 students during the 2011-2012 school year.[5]
Demographics
Tarrant County outperformed the rest of Texas in terms of higher education achievement in 2013. The United States Census Bureau found that 29.5 percent of Tarrant 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 Tarrant County was $56,853, compared to $51,900 statewide. The poverty rate in Tarrant County was 15.2 percent, compared to 17.6 percent for the entire state.[4]
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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 Fort Worth Board of Trustees consists of nine members elected to four-year terms. They are elected by specific geographic district. There was no primary election, and a general election took place on May 9, 2015. Four seats were on the ballot in May 2015.[7]
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.[8]
Elections
2015
Candidates
District 2
Tobi Jackson 
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Joel Aguilar | Sultan Cole | |||
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District 3
| Christene Chadwick Moss
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District 5
| Judy Needham
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Linda LaBeau | Michael Johnston (withdrawn) | |||
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District 6
| Ann Sutherland
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Cecelia Speer | ||
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District maps
District 2
District 3
District 5
District 6
Election results
District 2
| Fort Worth Independent School District, District 2 General Election, 4-year term, 2015 |
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| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan |  Tobi Jackson Incumbent |
66.4% | 1,264 | |
| Nonpartisan | Sultan Cole | 23.4% | 446 | |
| Nonpartisan | Joel Aguilar | 10.2% | 195 | |
| Total Votes | 1,905 | |||
| Source: Tarrant County Clerk, "Official Results," accessed June 1, 2015 | ||||
District 3
Incumbent Christene Chadwick Moss won re-election without opposition.
District 5
| Fort Worth Independent School District, District 5 General Election, 4-year term, 2015 |
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| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan | Judy Needham Incumbent |
81% | 3,258 | |
| Nonpartisan | Linda LaBeau | 19% | 765 | |
| Total Votes | 4,023 | |||
| Source: Tarrant County Clerk, "Official Results," accessed June 1, 2015 | ||||
District 6
| Fort Worth Independent School District, District 6 General Election, 4-year term, 2015 |
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| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan | Ann Sutherland Incumbent |
56.1% | 2,055 | |
| Nonpartisan | Cecelia Speer | 43.9% | 1,605 | |
| Total Votes | 3,660 | |||
| Source: Tarrant County Clerk, "Official Results," accessed June 1, 2015 | ||||
Campaign finance
Candidates received a total of $76,780.71 and spent a total of $62,677.56 as of April 9, 2015, according to the Texas Ethics Commission.[9]
| Candidate | Receipts | Disbursements | Cash on hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| District 2 | |||
| Tobi Jackson | $15,788.61 | $12,446.39 | $3,342.22 |
| Joel Aguilar | $4,085.71 | $2,849.29 | $1,236.42 |
| Sultan Cole | $14,360.00 | $10,222.69 | $4,137.31 |
| District 3 | |||
| Christene Chadwick Moss | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| District 5 | |||
| Judy Needham | $37,937.97 | $17,425.00 | $12,551.41 |
| Michael Johnston (withdrawn) | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Linda LaBeau | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| District 6 | |||
| Ann Sutherland | $36,983.04 | $12,755.00 | $20,216.45 |
| Cecelia Speer | $14,175.00 | $7,841.19 | $6,333.81 |
Note: Contributions for incumbents Tobi Jackson, Judy Needham and Ann Sutherland included funds left over from their previous campaigns.
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.[8]
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.[10]
Endorsements
Tobi Jackson, Judy Needham and Cecelia Speer were endorsed by the Greater Fort Worth Association of Realtors.[11] Sultan Cole received an endorsement from Fort Worth City Councilwoman, Gyna Bivens.[12]
Jackson was also endorsed by the following officials and organizations:[13]
- Fort Worth Star-Telegram
- Fort Worth Teachers – UEA
- Citizens for Great Schools
- The Greater Fort Worth Association of Realtors
- Mayor Betsy Price
- Sal Espino, Fort Worth mayor pro-tem
- Danny Scarth, Fort Worth city councilman
- Bert C. Williams, former Fort Worth mayor pro-tem
- Becky Haskin, former Fort Worth councilwoman
- Dr. Gwendolyn Morrison, Tarrant County College Trustee
- Christene Chadwick Moss, Fort Worth Board of Trustees, District 3 member
- T.A. Sims, Fort Worth Board of Trustees, District 4 member
- Michael Campbell, Tarrant County Constable
Past elections
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2013
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What was at stake?
Issues in the district
Resignation of Superintendent Walter Dansby
After he received a negative review from the Fort Worth Board of Trustees in March 2014, Superintendent Walter Dansby resigned from his position in June 2014. The Fort Worth Board of Trustees voted 6-3 to accept his resignation on June 2, 2014. Upon further examination, documents obtained by the Star-Telegram revealed a bitter feud between the board and Dansby. According to the board's evaluation system, eight out of nine board members felt Dansby was failing to meet expectations as superintendent of Fort Worth ISD. In the document notes, trustees criticized him for unsatisfactory levels of student achievement and for an abrasive management style some interpreted as bullying. One trustee, who was not named, said on the evaluation that Dansby should "be more proactive and supportive of staff, less threatening and intimidating," while another said, "bullying and retaliation against staff must stop immediately." Dansby denied this behavior, saying he'd been "asked to do things inappropriately" and when he didn't follow through, he was seen as a bully. "That's just not my nature," Dansby said.
According to Dansby, the negative review was due to a lack of trust between the board members and the superintendent and inconsistent board leadership; Dansby had five board presidents during his tenure. He agreed to a "retirement agreement and release" that totaled as much as $892,899 with owed benefits. Dansby earned an annual salary of $338,000.[15] Patricia Linares served as the district's interim superintendent at the time of the election before a replacement could be chosen.[3]
Reimbursement of state funds
In August 2014, an internal investigation brought to light a miscalculation involving the average daily attendance of certain students which took place over a three-year period. The error was uncovered after the district made the switch to a new computer system, where 2013-2014 data was being analyzed. The mistake involved students in bilingual and ESL programs, who receive additional funding from the state. Students in gifted and talented programs receive this funding as well, as do students in special education programs. As a result, the district was required to pay back between $37 million and $39 million to the state of Texas. Officials in the district said the reimbursement would come from money that had been held in reserves from overpayments to the state.
According to Board President Norman Robbins, "not only was this situation disappointing but it is completely unacceptable" and "[the board] is very appreciative of the staff for finding this error [...] and ensuring corrections are made to the [2015-2016] budget." According to officials, the money was scheduled to be entirely paid back to the state by the end of the 2014-2015 school year.[16]
Overruns in 2013 bond budget
A $490 million bond, which was approved by voters in 2013, was at-risk of going well over its budget at the time of the 2015 election, according to district officials. In January 2015, the district reported that some of the bond's projects, including the construction of two new replacement elementary schools and upgrades to field houses on every high school campus, were expected to overshoot budget projections. As a result, these excesses could affect construction to the district’s two showcase academies — the Visual and Performing Arts Center and the STEM Academy. The cause of these surpluses was largely due to "unknown conditions" which meant some of the district's projects may have required additional, unforeseen work; for example, asbestos cleanup would fall into that category. Another potential factor could be that the North Texas construction market experienced a labor shortage, which forced subcontractors to raise prices. According to Vicki Burris, the district’s chief officer for capital projects administration, many of the projects in the 2013 referendum were based on a square-footage cost that was well below market value.
Interim Superintendent Pat Linares recommended $43 million in possible cuts and savings, including deferring maintenance to the newly-constructed buildings and fewer pre-kindergarten and regular classroom additions.[17]
Ballotpedia survey responses
Two candidates in this race participated in Ballotpedia's 2015 survey of school board candidates. The following sections display the responses to the survey questions from challenger Sultan Cole and incumbent Ann Sutherland.
Top priorities
When asked what his top priorities would be if elected, Cole stated:
| “ | 1. Reestablish public "trust" in the "Trustee" 2. Parents will know that the needs of their children are "FIRST" above any personal agendas or nepotism. |
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| —Sultan Cole (2015)[19] | ||
When asked what her top priorities would be if elected, Sutherland stated:
| “ | Less control by the central office. In our district it is killing the classrooms.[18] | ” |
| —Ann Sutherland (2015)[19] | ||
Ranking the issues
The candidates were asked to rank the following issues by importance in the school district, with 1 being the most important and 7 being the least important. This table displays the candidates' rankings from most to least important:
| Issue importance ranking | ||
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| Issue | Cole's responses | Sutherland's responses |
| Expanding arts education | ||
| Expanding career-technical education | ||
| Balancing or maintaining the district's budget | ||
| Improving college readiness | ||
| Closing the achievement gap | ||
| Improving education for special needs students | ||
| Expanding school choice options | ||
Positions on the issues
The candidates were asked to answer 10 multiple choice and short answer questions from Ballotpedia regarding significant issues in education and the school district. Links to the candidates' responses can be found below.
Key deadlines
The following dates were key deadlines for the Fort Worth Independent School District election in 2015:[8][20]
| 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 Tarrant County.
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term "Fort + Worth + Independent + School + District + Texas"
See also
| Fort Worth Independent School District | Texas | School Boards |
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External links
- Fort Worth Independent School District
- Tarrant County Clerk
- Tarrant County, Texas
- Texas Secretary of State
Footnotes
- ↑ Fort Worth Independent School District, "Certificate of Withdrawal," accessed May 7, 2015
- ↑ Fort Worth Independent School District, "Candidates/Applications," accessed March 11, 2015
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Fort Worth Independent School District, "Superintendent," accessed March 11, 2015
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 United States Census Bureau, "Tarrant County, Texas," accessed February 11, 2015
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "ELSI Table Generator," accessed May 5, 2014
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "Tarrant County," accessed February 2, 2015
- ↑ Fort Worth Independent School District, "Meet the Board," February 4, 2015
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Texas Ethics Commission, "2015 Filing Schedule for Elections Held on Uniform Election Dates," accessed January 21, 2015
- ↑ Fort Worth Independent School District, "Campaign Finance & Disclosures," accessed April 28, 2015
- ↑ Texas Ethics Commission, "Campaign Finance Guide for Candidates and Officeholders Who File with Local Filing Authorities," September 1, 2013
- ↑ Greater Fort Worth Association of Realtors, "Endorsed Candidates," accessed May 7, 2015
- ↑ Vote Sultan Cole, "Endorsements and Thank You's," accessed May 7, 2015
- ↑ Re-elect Tobi Jackson, "Endorsements," accessed May 7, 2015
- ↑ Facebook, "Fort Worth ISD," May 14, 2013
- ↑ Star-Telegram, "Dansby, school board: A bitter divorce," June 11, 2014
- ↑ Star-Telegram, "Fort Worth school district must repay millions to state," August 1, 2014
- ↑ Star-Telegram, "Fort Worth school district cost overruns could bust bond budget," January 10, 2015
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 Ballotpedia School Board Candidate Survey, 2015
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "Important 2015 Election Dates," accessed January 20, 2015
