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Frank Carini
Frank Carini is an at-large incumbent on the Oak Creek-Franklin School Board in Wisconsin. He first joined the board in 2007.
Carini sought another term in the primary election on February 16, 2016.[1] He received the most votes in the primary, which allowed him to advance to the general election on April 5, 2016.[2] He successfully won another term on the board.[3]
Carini participated in Ballotpedia's school board candidate survey. To see his responses, check out the "2016 Campaign themes" section.
Biography
Carini is the vice president wealth specialist at BMO Harris Private Banking. He has worked in banking since 1994. He also serves on the advisory committee of the Oak Creek Cares donor advised fund. Carini obtained his bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee.[4] Carini serves as an usher and is a member of St. Matthew Parish. He and his wife have two children who attend school in the district.[5][6]
Elections
2016
Four of the seven seats on the Oak Creek-Franklin Joint School District Board of Education were up for at-large general election on April 5, 2016. A primary election was held on February 16, 2016, to narrow the field of candidates from 13 down to eight.[7] Incumbent Frank Carini and challengers Veronica Baricevic, Joshua Borzick, Jeffrey Gassenhuber, Darin Grabowski, Elizabeth Sparks, Amy Mlot, and Beth Waschow won the primary election.[1][2] They faced off again in the general election, where Carini, Sparks, Grabowski, and Mlot were elected to the board.[3]
Two of the four seats on the ballot were up for election to regular three-year terms. The other two seats were on the ballot in order to increase the size of the board from five members to seven. Carini and Sparks, the top two vote-getters, won three-year terms. Grabowski, who came in third place, won a two-year term, and fourth-place candidate Mlot won a one-year term.[1][3]
Incumbent Jonathan Jossart and challengers Rosemarie Annonson, Sean Kingston, Thomas Kroon and Gregory Loreck were defeated in the primary election.[1][2]
Results
| Oak Creek-Franklin Joint School District, At-Large General and Special Elections, 3-, 2- and 1-year terms, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Frank Carini Incumbent |
17.20% | 5,131 |
| Elizabeth Sparks |
13.16% | 3,926 |
| Darin Grabowski |
12.42% | 3,705 |
| Amy Mlot |
11.78% | 3,514 |
| Jeffrey Gassenhuber | 11.44% | 3,412 |
| Joshua Borzick | 11.34% | 3,382 |
| Beth Waschow | 11.30% | 3,371 |
| Veronica Baricevic | 10.86% | 3,241 |
| Write-in votes | 0.51% | 153 |
| Total Votes | 29,835 | |
| Source: Oak Creek-Franklin Joint School District, "Official Results of the General Election," April 11, 2016 | ||
| Oak Creek-Franklin Joint School District, At-Large Primary Elections, 3-, 2- and 1-year terms, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Frank Carini Incumbent |
14.74% | 1,629 |
| Joshua Borzick |
9.20% | 1,017 |
| Veronica Baricevic |
9.14% | 1,010 |
| Beth Waschow |
9.08% | 1,003 |
| Amy Mlot |
8.10% | 895 |
| Darin Grabowski |
7.98% | 882 |
| Jeffrey Gassenhuber |
7.85% | 868 |
| Elizabeth Sparks |
7.19% | 795 |
| Gregory Loreck | 7.10% | 785 |
| Jonathan Jossart Incumbent | 6.70% | 741 |
| Rosemarie Annonson | 5.94% | 656 |
| Sean Kingston | 3.56% | 394 |
| Thomas Kroon | 3.41% | 377 |
| Total Votes | 11,052 | |
| Source: Oak Creek-Franklin Joint School District, "Official results for spring primary," February 22, 2016 | ||
Funding
Carini filed an exemption statement detailing he would not spend or receive more than $2,000 toward his campaign. Because of this, he did not have to file additional campaign finance reports for this election.[8][9]
2013
| Oak Creek-Franklin Joint School District, At-Large General Election, 3-year term, 2013 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan | Frank Carini Incumbent |
37.6% | 2,261 | |
| Nonpartisan | Paul Mason Incumbent |
23.1% | 1,388 | |
| Nonpartisan | William McIntosh | 19.7% | 1,187 | |
| Nonpartisan | Rosemarie Annonson | 19.7% | 1,184 | |
| Total Votes | 6,020 | |||
| Source: Milwaukee, Wisconsin Journal Sentinel, "Wisconsin April 2 Election Results," April 2, 2013 | ||||
Campaign themes
2016
Ballotpedia survey responses
Frank Carini participated in Ballotpedia's 2016 survey of school board candidates. In response to the question "What do you hope to achieve if elected to the school board?" the candidate stated on January 30, 2016:
| “ | All children, at all schools, receive the best possible education to prepare them to be successful, responsible citizens. Secondly, to improve and expand educational programs as necessary while being fiscally responsible. Also, to continue to foster collaboration among School Board members, students, parents, community members, teachers, administrators, and all employees within the district. Finally, to ensure that all schools within the district provide safe and positive learning environments.[10][11] | ” |
Ranking the issues
The candidate was asked to rank the following issues based on how they should be prioritized by the school board, with 1 being the most important and 7 being the least important. Each ranking could only be used once.
| Education policy |
|---|
 |
Click here to learn more about education policy in Wisconsin. |
| Education on the ballot |
| Issue importance ranking | |
|---|---|
| Candidate's ranking | Issue |
| Closing the achievement gap | |
| Improving post-secondary readiness | |
| Improving education for special needs students | |
| Improving relations with teachers | |
| Balancing or maintaining the district's budget | |
| Expanding arts education | |
| Expanding school choice options | |
| “ | Focus on student achievement and being fiscally responsible.[11] | ” |
| —Frank Carini (January 30, 2016) | ||
Positions on the issues
The candidate was asked to answer nine questions from Ballotpedia regarding significant issues in education and the school district. The questions are highlighted in blue and followed by the candidate's responses. Some questions provided multiple choices, which are noted after those questions. The candidate was also provided space to elaborate on their answers to the multiple choice questions.
| Should new charter schools be approved in your district? (Not all school boards are empowered to approve charter schools. In those cases, the candidate was directed to answer the question as if the school board were able to do so.) |
|---|
| No. |
| Which statement best describes the ideal relationship between the state government and the school board? The state should always defer to school board decisions, defer to school board decisions in most cases, be involved in the district routinely or only intervene in severe cases of misconduct or mismanagement. |
| The state should only intervene in severe cases of misconduct or mismanagement. |
| Are standardized tests an accurate metric of student achievement? |
| No. |
| What is your stance on the Common Core State Standards Initiative? |
| It is too early to tell. I have to see if this standard really works. |
| How should the district handle underperforming teachers? Terminate their contract before any damage is done to students, offer additional training options, put them on a probationary period while they seek to improve or set up a mentorship program for the underperforming teacher with a more experienced teacher in the district? |
| Set up a mentorship program for the underperforming teacher with a more experienced teacher in the district. |
| Should teachers receive merit pay? |
| No. |
| Should the state give money to private schools through a voucher system or scholarship program? |
| No. |
| How should expulsion be used in the district? |
| It is the last resort of a situation. |
| What's the most important factor for success in the classroom: student-teacher ratio, the curriculum, teachers, parent involvement or school administration? |
| The curriculum |
Yes for Oak Creek Schools candidate profile
The group Yes for Oak Creek Schools published candidate profiles on its website. Carini's answers to the group's questions can be found below. The bolded text indicates the questions provided by Yes for Oak Creek Schools.
| “ | WHY ARE YOU SEEKING SCHOOL BOARD OFFICE AT THIS TIME? First and foremost, as a parent, I am personally invested in ensuring that my own children receive a quality education. As a member of this community, it is of utmost importance to me that ALL children, at ALL schools, receive the best possible education to prepare them to be successful, responsible citizens. During the past nine years as a School Board Member, I have seen much positive change and growth within the district. If elected for another term, I hope to continue to improve communication between the School Board members, parents, employees, and community members. Our district recently hired a Communications Specialist and I have received a great deal of positive feedback, particularly from parents. I helped initiate our Collaborative School Board meetings that encourage teachers, students, and parents to attend the meetings that are hosted at their own school within the district. I plan to continue these meetings and to work to find more ways to foster collaboration in the future. Not only is it crucial to provide students with a quality education, it is also necessary to provide them with a safe learning environment. I want to again serve on the School Board so that I can ensure that our schools are as safe as possible. As our community and school district continues to grow, I hope to embrace this opportunity to improve our schools. WHAT WOULD BE YOUR PRIORITIES AS A SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER? |
” |
| —Frank Carini (2016)[12] | ||
Oak Creek Now candidate survey (general election)
Oak Creek Now asked the candidates in the general election the following two bolded questions. Carini's responses are shown below.
Last summer, the school board agreed to spend $4.5 million to build a new auditorium "shell." How would you, as a board member, propose raising the additional $4 million needed to complete the project?
| “ | Constructing the auditorium shell presented the district with a one-time opportunity to save over $1 million dollars in construction costs on the high school addition. Auditoriums are an important educational asset to a growing community, and I propose formation of a committee to identify the most cost-effective solution to get the auditorium doors open as soon as possible, and to identify corporate sponsors, personal donors, grants and fundraisers to help fund the project.[11] | ” |
| —Frank Carini (2016)[6] | ||
The school board has been criticized in the past for not being transparent enough. Do you agree? If so, how would you improve the district's relationship with the community?
| “ | In the past, there has been a lack of communication between the OCFJSD and the community. As a direct result, the district recently hired a communication specialist. Additionally, the district website will be improved this spring, making it more user-friendly. The district will create new electronic "Friday Folders," which will allow the district, PTOs, and community information to be shared not only with those attending district schools, but also with those in the wider community.[11] | ” |
| —Frank Carini (2016)[6] | ||
Oak Creek Now candidate survey (primary election)
Oak Creek Now asked the candidates in the primary race the following two bolded questions. Carini's responses are shown below.
Why are you running for a seat on the school board?
| “ | I feel personally invested in ensuring that students receive the best education possible. Good schools play a role in defining our community. Quality education helps our children grow to become responsible, educated citizens. Under my leadership, OCFJSD has responded to growth in our community and fostered greater communication and collaboration.[11] | ” |
| —Frank Carini (2016)[13] | ||
What is one major change you would like to see within the district?
| “ | I would like to raise the overall quality of education in the OCFJSD by improving measures of student achievement and to both hire and retain qualified, caring teachers. The district has recently begun exploring teacher compensation to achieve higher retention rates in order to provide stability within the classrooms.[11] | ” |
| —Frank Carini (2016)[13] | ||
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms 'Frank Carini' 'Oak Creek-Franklin Joint School District'. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
- Oak Creek-Franklin Joint School District, Wisconsin
- Oak Creek-Franklin Joint School District elections (2016)
- Hot tub Gatorade, turnout in Peoria and the Wisconsin state...
- Wisconsin school districts 2014 review
External links
- Oak Creek-Franklin Joint School District
- Office website
- Campaign website
- Yes for Oak Creek Schools Candidate Profile
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Franklin Now, "Franklin, Greendale, Hales Corners and Oak Creek 2016 elections begin," January 5, 2016
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Oak Creek-Franklin Joint School District, "Official results for spring primary," February 22, 2016
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Milwaukee County Election Commission, "Election Summary Final - Unofficial," accessed April 6, 2016
- ↑ LinkedIn, "Frank Carini," accessed June 30, 2015
- ↑ Frank A. Carini for OCFSD School Board," About," accessed January 27, 2016
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Oak Creek Now, "Oak Creek-Franklin School Board candidates address auditorium funding, district transparency," March 22, 2016
- ↑ Oak Creek Franklin Joint School District, "School Board Election Information," January 6, 2016
- ↑ Wisconsin State Legislature, "Campaign Financing," accessed January 25, 2016
- ↑ Abbey Smith, “Email communication with Jill Bebeau, Oak Creek-Franklin Joint School District," February 15, 2015
- ↑ Ballotpedia School Board Candidate Survey, 2016, "Frank Carini's responses," January 30, 2016
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 11.6 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Yes for Oak Creek Schools, "Candidate Profile: Frank Carini (incumbent)," accessed January 27, 2016
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Oak Creek Now, "Oak Creek-Franklin School Board hopefuls state their views," February 3, 2016
| 2016 Oak Creek-Franklin Joint School District Elections | |
| Milwaukee County | |
| Election date: | April 5, 2016 |
| Candidates: | At-large: • Incumbent, Frank Carini • Incumbent, Jonathan Jossart • Rosemarie Annonson • Veronica Baricevic • Joshua Borzick • Jeffrey Gassenhuber • Darin Grabowski • Sean Kingston • Thomas Kroon • Gregory Loreck • Amy Mlot • Elizabeth Sparks • Beth Waschow |
| Important information: | What was at stake? • Key deadlines • Additional elections on the ballot |
