Greenville County School District elections (2014)
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Six seats on the Greenville County Board of Education were up for general election on November 4, 2014. Districts 18, 20, 22, 24, 26 and 28 were up for re-election.
The incumbents in Districts 18, 20, 22 and 26 were all seeking re-election and ran unopposed. Patrick Sudduth, Charles Saylors, Lynda Leventis-Wells and Roger Meek were all re-elected to their respective seats. In District 28, incumbent Lisa Hannah Wells defeated challenger Steven Watterson. Newcomers Jeff Dishner and Derek Lewis competed for the District 24 seat, since incumbent Megan Hickerson did not file for re-election. Lewis defeated Dishner in that race.
About the district
Greenville County School District is located in Greenville County, South Carolina. The county seat of Greenville County is Greenville. Greenville County was home to 451,225 residents in 2014, according to the United States Census Bureau.[1] In the 2011-2012 school year, Greenville County School District was the largest school district in South Carolina and served 72,153 students.[2]
Demographics
Greenville County overperformed in comparison to the rest of South Carolina in terms of higher education achievement in 2012. The United States Census Bureau found that 30.9 percent of Greenville County residents aged 25 years and older had attained a bachelor's degree compared to 24.6 percent for South Carolina as a whole. The median household income in Greenville County was $48,438 compared to $44,623 for the state of South Carolina. The poverty rate in Greenville County was 15.2 percent compared to 17.6 percent for the entire state.[1]
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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 Greenville County Board of Trustees consists of 12 members elected to four-year terms by specific geographic district. Board members are compensated annually: members receive $10,000, and the board chair receives $11,186. There
was
no primary election, and the general election
was
held on November 4, 2014. Six seats
were
up for election in 2014.[4][5]
Candidates began filing nominating petitions with the South Carolina Election Commission on July 15, 2014. The filing deadline for school board candidates to get on the ballot in the general election was August 15, 2014. There was no filing fee for candidates seeking election to the Greenville County Board of Trustees.[6][7]
Elections
2014
Candidates
District 18
- Patrick Sudduth
- Incumbent
- Graduate, Presbyterian College, Clemson University and Furman University
- Retired educator, Greenville County School District
District 20
- Charles Saylors
- Incumbent
- Graduate, Greenville Technical College and University of South Carolina
- Vice president, M.B. Kahn Construction Company, Inc.
District 22
- Lynda Leventis-Wells
- Incumbent
- Graduate, University of South Carolina and University of Mississippi
- Executive director, Carolinas Institute for Community Policing
District 24
- Jeff Dishner
- Graduate, Clemson University
- Architect
- Derek Lewis
- Graduate, Georgia Southern University
- Executive director, Greenville County First Steps
District 26
- Roger Meek
- Incumbent
- Graduate, Morehead State University
- President, Bramlett Insurance Agency
District 28
- Steven Watterson
- Graduate, University of Maryland and Southern Wesleyan University
- Program manager, South Carolina Department of Education
- Retired navy officer
- Lisa Hannah Wells
- Incumbent
- Graduate, Clemson University
- Employee, City of Greenville
Election results
General election
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Patrick Sudduth Incumbent |
98.7% | 5,110 | |
| Nonpartisan | Write-in votes | 1.3% | 67 | |
| Total Votes | 5,177 | |||
| Source: South Carolina State Election Commission, "2014 General Election Official Results," accessed December 22, 2014 | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Charles Saylors Incumbent |
98.4% | 7,686 | |
| Nonpartisan | Write-in votes | 1.6% | 125 | |
| Total Votes | 7,811 | |||
| Source: South Carolina State Election Commission, "2014 General Election Official Results," accessed December 22, 2014 | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Lynda Leventis-Wells Incumbent |
98.7% | 7,527 | |
| Nonpartisan | Write-in votes | 1.3% | 97 | |
| Total Votes | 7,624 | |||
| Source: South Carolina State Election Commission, "2014 General Election Official Results," accessed December 22, 2014 | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Derek Lewis |
56.4% | 5,981 | |
| Nonpartisan | Jeff Dishner | 43.1% | 4,573 | |
| Nonpartisan | Write-in votes | 0.5% | 58 | |
| Total Votes | 10,612 | |||
| Source: South Carolina State Election Commission, "2014 General Election Official Results," accessed December 22, 2014 | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Roger Meek Incumbent |
98.7% | 4,435 | |
| Nonpartisan | Write-in votes | 1.3% | 59 | |
| Total Votes | 4,494 | |||
| Source: South Carolina State Election Commission, "2014 General Election Official Results," accessed December 22, 2014 | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Lisa Hannah Wells Incumbent |
63.2% | 5,030 | |
| Nonpartisan | Steven Watterson | 36% | 2,868 | |
| Nonpartisan | Write-in votes | 0.8% | 67 | |
| Total Votes | 7,965 | |||
| Source: South Carolina State Election Commission, "2014 General Election Official Results," accessed December 22, 2014 | ||||
Endorsements
No candidate publicly received an endorsement in this election.
Campaign finance
Candidates were required to file a quarterly finance report with the South Carolina State Ethics Commission for the November general election by October 10, 2014. This report covered the period of July 1, 2014, through September 30, 2014. Candidates were also required to file a pre-election report no later than 15 days prior to the election. A final report was due after the campaign has closed. Candidates for local school boards could not accept more than $1,000 from individuals and $5,000 from political parties.[8]
Past elections
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What was at stake?
Issues in the district
Size and academic prowess
In addition to being the largest school district in South Carolina, Greenville County School District is also one of its highest-performing. The district has received National Accreditation status from the AdvancED Accreditation Commission, 13 National Blue Ribbon Schools, and 28 PTA National Schools of Excellence. Fifteen percent of students in the district attend schools based on their preference and individual academic needs. As of 2014, over 600 teachers in the district were National Board Certified Teachers, which is more than 24 states had in total.[9]
2013 American Humanist Association dispute
In 2013, the American Humanist Association (AHA) filed a formal complaint against Greenville County School District for its use of a church for the 5th-grade Mountain View Elementary's graduation ceremony, in addition to listing a prayer on the program. The complaint, allegedly filed on behalf of a district student, said that the district violated separation of church and state laws. Federal court Judge G. Ross Anderson, Jr. denied the request, stating that the organization had "no basis for the injunction." The judge was criticized for saying that the AHA shouldn't "file unless you have proof" and stating that "this is what you call making a mountain out of a mole hill." Ultimately, the school retained its plans for the church-held graduation.[10]
Key deadlines
The following dates were key deadlines for the Greenville County School District election in 2014:[6]
| Deadline | Event |
|---|---|
| March 16, 2014 | Candidate filing for primary begins |
| March 30, 2014 | Candidate filing for primary closes |
| June 10, 2014 | Primary election day |
| June 24, 2014 | Primary runoff (if required) |
| July 15, 2014 | Candidate filing for general election begins |
| August 15, 2014 | Last day for nonpartisan candidates to file for general election |
| October 4, 2014 | Voter registration deadline |
| November 4, 2014 | Election day |
Additional elections on the ballot
- See also: South Carolina elections, 2014
This election shared the ballot with general elections for U.S. House seats and South Carolina state executive offices. It also shared the ballot with other county and municipal elections.[6]
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term "Greenville + County + School + District + South + Carolina"
See also
- South Carolina
- Greenville County School District, South Carolina
- South Carolina school board elections, 2014
- List of school board elections in 2014
- School board elections, 2014
- Greenville County, South Carolina ballot measures
- Local ballot measures, South Carolina
External links
- Greenville County Public School District
- Greenville County, South Carolina
- South Carolina State Election Commission
- South Carolina State Ethics Commission
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 United States Census Bureau, "Greenville County, South Carolina," accessed July 28, 2014
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "ELSI Table Generator," accessed July 28, 2014
- ↑ South Carolina State Election Commission, "Election Results," accessed August 19, 2014
- ↑ Greenville County School District, "Board of Education," accessed July 28, 2014
- ↑ Greenville County School District, "Board Member Policies," accessed August 19, 2014
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 South Carolina Election Commission, "2014 Election Calendar," accessed July 25, 2014
- ↑ Times Examiner, "Running for School Board In Greenville County Provides opportunities of a Lifetime with no Filing Fee," June 11, 2014
- ↑ South Carolina State Ethics Commission, "Campaign Practices," accessed August 18, 2014
- ↑ Greenville County Economic Development, "Greenville County Schools," accessed August 19, 2014
- ↑ WSPA, "Greenville County School Prayer Dispute In Federal Court," December 17, 2013
