Howard County Public Schools elections (2016)
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A dispute over the Howard County Board of Education's decision to renew the contract of Superintendent Renee Foose in February 2016 defined the race for three out of seven board seats. All three seats up for election in 2016 were held by board members who approved a four-year contract for Foose. The superintendent faced scrutiny from local groups and state officials over a perceived lack of transparency into district decisions. A swing of all three seats from incumbents to challengers interested in reforming board policies created a majority that did not favor Foose's proposals. Click here for more information on how these tensions impacted the election.
The general election was held on November 8, 2016. A primary election was held on April 26, 2016, with the top six vote recipients advancing to the general election. Incumbents Ann DeLacy, Ellen Flynn Giles, and Janet Siddiqui filed for re-election. They faced challengers Corey Andrews, Marcelino Bedolla, Kirsten Coombs, Vicky Cutroneo, Christina Delmont-Small, Mavis Ellis, Robert Wayne Miller, and Pravin Ponnuri in the primary. Siddiqui, Coombs, Cutroneo, Delmont-Small, Ellis, and Miller ran in the general election. The primary resulted in losses for DeLacy and Giles, opening board seats taken by opponents of Superintendent Foose in November 2016. Coombs, Delmont-Small, and Ellis won election with Siddiqui finishing in fourth place.[1]
Elections
Voter and candidate information
The Howard County Board of Education consists of seven members elected at large to four-year terms. There was a primary election on April 26, 2016, and a general election took place on November 8, 2016.
Board candidates submitted their statements of organization and certificates of candidacy with the county elections office by February 3, 2016. Each candidate was also required to submit a filing fee of $25 to the county. State law required candidates to be registered voters and residents of the district.[2]
County residents had to register to vote for the primary election by April 5, 2016. The county offered early voting in the primary from April 14, 2016, to April 21, 2016. The deadline to register to vote in the general election was October 18, 2016. Early voting for the general election took place from October 27, 2016, to November 3, 2016.[3]
Candidates and results
At-large
Results
| Howard County Public Schools, At-large General Election, 4-Year Terms, 2016 |
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| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Kirsten Coombs |
23.56% | 81,482 |
| Christina Delmont-Small |
19.51% | 67,466 |
| Mavis Ellis |
16.87% | 58,341 |
| Janet Siddiqui Incumbent | 15.55% | 53,762 |
| Vicky Cutroneo | 12.71% | 43,935 |
| Robert Wayne Miller | 11.71% | 40,484 |
| Write-in votes | 0.09% | 311 |
| Total Votes | 345,781 | |
| Source: Maryland State Board of Elections, "2016 Presidential General Election Results," accessed December 14, 2016 | ||
| Howard County Public Schools, At-large Primary Election, 4-Year Terms, 2016 |
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|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Kirsten Coombs |
17.59% | 34,200 |
| Christina Delmont-Small |
15.25% | 29,654 |
| Mavis Ellis |
12.64% | 24,571 |
| Janet Siddiqui Incumbent |
12.12% | 23,564 |
| Vicky Cutroneo |
8.85% | 17,200 |
| Robert Wayne Miller |
7.16% | 13,916 |
| Corey Andrews | 6.73% | 13,087 |
| Ann DeLacy Incumbent | 6.25% | 12,158 |
| Ellen Flynn Giles Incumbent | 5.84% | 11,355 |
| Pravin Ponnuri | 4.71% | 9,157 |
| Marcelino Bedolla | 2.85% | 5,548 |
| Total Votes | 194,410 | |
| Source: Maryland State Board of Elections, "Unofficial 2016 Presidential Primary Election results for Howard County," accessed April 26, 2016 | ||
Candidates
| Janet Siddiqui | Kirsten Coombs 
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Vicky Cutroneo | |||
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| Christina Delmont-Small
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Mavis Ellis
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Robert Wayne Miller | |||
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Defeated in the primary
| Ann DeLacy | Ellen Flynn Giles | Marcelino Bedolla | |||
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| Pravin Ponnuri | Corey Andrews | ||
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Additional elections on the ballot
- See also: Maryland elections, 2016
Howard County's school board election appeared on the ballot with races for U.S. president, U.S. Senate, U.S. House, state courts, and local courts.
School board primaries in Howard County shared the ballot with the state's presidential and congressional primaries.
Key deadlines
The following dates were key deadlines for Maryland school board elections in 2016:[3]
| Deadline | Event |
|---|---|
| February 3, 2016 | Candidate filing deadline |
| March 22, 2016 | First campaign finance deadline of election |
| April 14, 2016 | First day of early voting for primary election |
| April 21, 2016 | Last day of early voting for primary election |
| April 26, 2016 | Primary election |
| October 27, 2016 | First day of early voting for general election |
| November 3, 2016 | Last day of early voting for general election |
| November 8, 2016 | General election |
| November 22, 2016 | Final campaign finance deadline of election |
Endorsements
The People's Voice endorsed Kirsten Coombs, Vicky Cutroneo, Christina Delmont-Small, and Mavis Ellis prior to the primary election.[4] The Howard County Education Association and The Baltimore Sun endorsed Coombs, Delmont-Small, and Ellis ahead of the April 26 primary.[5] The Baltimore Sun endorsed Coombs, Delmont-Small, and Ellis for the general election.[6]
Campaign finance
Candidates for public office in Maryland had until March 22, 2016, to submit their first contributions and expenditures report of the primary campaign. The final campaign finance deadline of the 2016 campaign was November 22, 2016.[7] State law allows candidates to file Affidavits of Limited Contributions and Expenditures (ALCE) if their campaigns did not accept $1,000 in contributions or spend $1,000 in a particular reporting period.[8]
October 28 filing
Candidates received a total of $3,373.05 and spent a total of $2,929.28 as of October 30, 2016, according to the Maryland Campaign Reporting Information System.[9]
| Candidate | Contributions | Expenditures | Cash on hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Janet Siddiqui (incumbent) | $0.00 | $0.00 | $4,709.75 |
| Kirsten Coombs | $795.00 | $1,678.02 | $2,476.29 |
| Vicky Cutroneo | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Christina Delmont-Small | $0.00 | $0.00 | $2,220.40 |
| Mavis Ellis | $1,043.05 | $0.00 | $3,012.80 |
| Robert Wayne Miller | $1,535.00 | $1,251.26 | $983.39 |
March 22 filing
Candidates received a total of $27,928.38 and spent a total of $29,236.32 as of April 19, 2016, according to the Maryland Campaign Reporting Information System.[10]
| Candidate | Contributions | Expenditures | Cash on hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ann DeLacy (incumbent) | $3,175.00 | $931.78 | $2,763.17 |
| Ellen Flynn Giles (incumbent) | $0.00 | $1,602.90 | $10,142.87 |
| Janet Siddiqui (incumbent) | $0.00 | $6,490.68 | $4,134.75 |
| Corey Andrews | $1,368.38 | $1,249.57 | $118.81 |
| Marcelino Bedolla | ALCE | ALCE | ALCE |
| Kirsten Coombs | $2,745.00 | $5,371.89 | $2,585.33 |
| Vicky Cutroneo | $11,350.00 | $7,000.00 | $4,350.00 |
| Christina Delmont-Small | $6,975.00 | $0.00 | $6,975.00 |
| Mavis Ellis | $715.00 | $1,710.25 | $989.75 |
| Robert Wayne Miller | $1,130.00 | $568.13 | $658.97 |
| Pravin Ponnuri | $470.00 | $4,311.12 | $617.21 |
Past elections
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What was at stake?
Issues in the election
Board fault lines over superintendent
Howard County Superintendent Renee Foose and a five-member majority on the school board faced scrutiny in 2016 over the availability of district information during Foose's tenure. Foose was appointed to a second four-year contract by a 5-2 vote in February 2016 despite a petition signed by 1,500 district residents requesting a vote against renewal. Christine O'Connor, Sandra H. French, Ellen Flynn Giles, Janet Siddiqui, and Ann DeLacy voted for contract renewal, while Bess I. Altwerger and Cynthia L. Vaillancourt voted against a new contract. The board majority indicated that Foose met or exceeded their expectations of the superintendent. Altwerger and Vaillancourt said that they voted against renewal because Foose had damaged the public's trust in the district by failing to provide information on important district matters.[11]
Public frustration with Foose stems from allegations that the district failed to tell parents and students about mold issues at Glenwood Middle School. Critics also challenged the district's failure to provide a full version of a special education report that cost $300,000. Additional complaints cited exorbitant costs quoted by district officials to fulfill public information requests.[11][12]
Foose received backing from school system employees during the February 2016 board vote on contract renewal. The Baltimore Sun reported that dozens of staff members cheered the board's vote to keep Foose in the district through the 2019-2020 school year. Foose defended the district's approach to mold at Glenwood by highlighting a new $3 million climate control system installed at the school. She also stated that district administrators do not routinely communicate maintenance issues to parents.[11]
In October 2015, State Delegate Warren Miller (R) proposed House Bill 1105, which asks the state's public information ombudsman to review rationales given by district officials for rejecting public information requests. The bill was passed by the Maryland State Legislature and signed by Gov. Larry Hogan (R) in April 2016. Miller's legislation required a report from the ombudsman by January 1, 2017, covering a period from Foose's appointment in July 2012 to December 31, 2015.[12]
Impact on 2016 election
Three members of the board majority-Giles, Siddiqui, and DeLacy-faced eight challengers in the primary on April 26, 2016. The Baltimore Sun and the Howard County Education Association endorsed challengers Kirsten Coombs, Mavis Ellis, and Christina Delmont-Small based on their support for greater transparency by the board. Giles and DeLacy were defeated in the primary, while Siddiqui was defeated in the general election. Public criticism of Foose spanned the political spectrum during a February 2016 meeting of the Maryland Board of Public Works. Gov. Hogan and State Delegate Miller were joined in criticizing the superintendent's request for additional construction funds by State Delegate Frank Turner (D) and State Comptroller Peter Franchot (D). Hogan was quoted as saying, "There’s a palpable loss of trust between many parents and the county school system and, in particular, with the superintendent."[13] The board majority's support for Foose and greater state scrutiny on the district created conditions favorable to a board shake-up at the ballot box.
Want to see how this election related to state and national trends on this topic? Ballotpedia tracked this issue in the 2016 election cycle so you can see the connections and impact on this race in context.
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About the district
- See also: Howard County Public Schools, Maryland
Howard County Public Schools is based in Ellicott City, a city located in Howard County, Maryland. Howard County was home to 309,284 residents in 2014, according to the United States Census Bureau.[14] The district was the sixth-largest school district in the state in the 2013–2014 school year and served 52,806 students.[15]
Demographics
Howard County outperformed the state of Maryland in terms of higher education achievement in 2013. The United States Census Bureau found that 60.0 percent of Howard County residents aged 25 years and older had attained a bachelor's degree, compared to 36.8 percent for Maryland as a whole. The median household income in Howard County was $109,865, compared to $73,538 for the state of Maryland. The poverty rate in Howard County was 4.6 percent, compared to 9.8 percent for the entire state.[14]
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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.
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms 'Howard County Public Schools' 'Maryland'. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
| Howard County Public Schools | Maryland | School Boards |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Maryland State Board of Elections, "Howard County 2016 Presidential Primary Election Local Candidates List," February 10, 2016
- ↑ Maryland State Board of Elections, "Requirements for Filing Candidacy," accessed February 10, 2016
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Maryland State Board of Elections, "2016 Presidential Election Calendar," accessed February 10, 2016
- ↑ The People's Voice, "PAC-Ethics Ballot," accessed April 15, 2016
- ↑ The Baltimore Sun, "Howard County school board endorsements," April 14, 2016
- ↑ The Baltimore Sun, "Our views on the Howard County school board race, Question A [Editorial," October 26, 2016]
- ↑ Maryland State Board of Elections, "Reporting Schedule," accessed February 10, 2016
- ↑ Maryland State Board of Elections, "EAffidavit Filing," accessed February 10, 2016
- ↑ Maryland Campaign Reporting Information System, "View Filed Reports Information," accessed October 30, 2016
- ↑ Maryland Campaign Reporting Information System, "View Filed Reports Information," accessed April 19, 2016
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 The Baltimore Sun, "Amid criticism, Howard school board reappoints Foose as superintendent," February 4, 2016
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 The Baltimore Sun, "Gov. Hogan signs law to investigate Howard County school officials' public information law compliance," April 12, 2016
- ↑ Maryland Reporter, "Unusual bipartisan unity against Howard County school board incumbents," April 13, 2016
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 United States Census Bureau, "Howard County, Maryland," accessed June 3, 2014
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "ELSI Table Generator," accessed November 16, 2015
- ↑ Maryland State Board of Elections, "Voter Registration Activity Report," March 2014
| 2016 Howard County Public Schools Elections | |
| Howard County, Maryland | |
| Election date: | November 8, 2016 |
| Candidates: | At-large: Incumbent, Ann DeLacy • Incumbent, Ellen Flynn Giles • Incumbent, Janet Siddiqui • Corey Andrews • Marcelino Bedolla • Kirsten Coombs • Vicky Cutroneo • Christina Delmont-Small • Mavis Ellis • Robert Wayne Miller • Pravin Ponnuri |
| Important information: | What was at stake? • Key deadlines • Additional elections on the ballot |
