Iowa school board elections, 2015

• Election trends
  • Competitiveness
  • Incumbency advantage
  • Data table
• Survey responses
  • Top priorities
  • Ranking the issues
  • Positions on the issues
• State profile
  • Academic performance
  • Dropout rate
• See also
  • References

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2015 School Board Elections

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Elections Information

Election dates • 2015 elections • Candidate filing dates • Finance reporting • Poll opening and closing times

Regular elections for Iowa's school boards were held September 8, 2015. The 10 Iowa school districts among America's largest school districts by enrollment held elections for 41 seats on that date.

Here are several quick facts about the 2015 school board elections in Iowa's largest districts:

• The largest school district by enrollment with an election in 2015 was Des Moines Public Schools with 34,092 K-12 students.
• The smallest school district by enrollment with an election in 2015 was West Des Moines Community Schools with 9,376 K-12 students.
• Nine of the districts tied for the most seats on the ballot in 2015 with four seats up for election in each.
• Iowa City Community School District had the most seats up for election with five seats on the ballot.

The districts listed below served 146,562 K-12 students during the 2012-2013 school year, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Click on the district names for more information on the district and its school board elections.

2015 Iowa School Board Elections
District	Date	Seats up for election	Total board seats	Student enrollment
Ankeny Community School District	9/8/2015	4	7	9,643
Cedar Rapids Community School District	9/8/2015	4	7	17,120
Council Bluffs Community School District	9/8/2015	4	7	9,438
Davenport Community School District	9/8/2015	4	7	16,766
Des Moines Public Schools	9/8/2015	4	7	34,092
Dubuque Community Schools	9/8/2015	4	7	11,275
Iowa City Community School District	9/8/2015	5	7	13,019
Sioux City Community Schools	9/8/2015	4	7	14,551
Waterloo Community Schools	9/8/2015	4	7	11,282
West Des Moines Community Schools	9/8/2015	4	7	9,376

Trends in Iowa school board elections

See also: School boards in session: 2015 in brief

The 2015 school board elections in Iowa's largest school districts saw a lower number of candidates run per seat than the 2015 average across the United States, but they also had a lower percentage of seats go unopposed. Newcomers fared better in Iowa than they did overall in school board elections across the country. They won 19 out of 41 seats, or 46.34 percent of seats up for election. This was higher than the 40.77 percent of school board seats won by newcomers nationwide.

The following sections analyze competitiveness and incumbency advantage in Iowa's school board elections. These districts did not utilize primary or runoff elections. Winners only had to receive a plurality, or relative majority, of votes to secure a seat. All of the school board elections held in the state in 2015 were nonpartisan.

Details of the data discussed here can be found in the table below.

Competitiveness

In 2015, an average of 1.66 candidates ran per seat in school board elections in the state's largest school districts. An average of 1.72 candidates ran per seat in elections held in the largest school districts nationwide. Though the average number of candidates was lower in Iowa, the percentage of seats that were unopposed was also lower. A total of 19.51 percent of seats were unopposed in Iowa, compared to 35.97 percent across the United States.

Incumbency advantage

See also: School board incumbency analysis: 2015 in brief

A total of 84.00 percent of incumbents who ran for re-election in Iowa in 2015 retained their seats. Twenty-five of the 41 incumbents whose seats were on the ballot ran to keep their seats, and 21 of them won. Five of those incumbents ran unopposed and won additional terms. The other 16 defeated challengers to retain their seats.

A total of 82.66 percent of incumbents kept their seats in school board elections across the country, and 40.45 percent of them ran unopposed. The map below details the success rates for incumbents who ran in the 2015 school board elections that were held in the largest school districts by enrollment in the U.S.

The map above details the success rates of incumbent who ran to retain their school board seats in the largest school districts in each state. States depicted in gray did not hold school board elections.

Data table

The table below displays the statistics for school board elections in Iowa's largest school districts in 2015.

Iowa school board elections, 2015
Year	Total	Incumbents
Seats up	Candidates	Candidates/ seat	Unopposed seats	% unopposed	% seats won by newcomers	Sought re-election	Unopposed	Retained	% retained
2015	41	68	1.66	8	19.51%	46.34%	25	5	21	84.00%

Survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's school board candidate survey

Ten of the 69 candidates running for a school board seat in Iowa's largest school districts in the 2015 elections responded to Ballotpedia's school board candidate survey. The following sections display their answers to questions about top priorities and education issues.

Top priorities

Bill Grove

When asked what his top priorities would be if elected, Bill Grove, incumbent on the Council Bluffs Board of Education, stated:

“	Have the educational players (teachers, union, school board, and parents) develop an accountability system for schools on which we can all agree.	”
—Bill Grove (2015)

Chris LaFerla

Chris LaFerla, winner of a seat on the Council Bluffs Board of Education, stated the following as his top priorities:

“	My highest priority as a board member will be to ensure that the district and other board members are intensely focused on the continuous improvement and strategic planning.	”
—Bill Grove (2015)

Ralph Johanson

The top priorities of Ralph Johanson, incumbent on the Davenport Community Board of Education, were:

“	Reading proficiency, especially at 3rd grade	”
—Ralph Johanson, (2015)

Cindy Elsbernd

When asked what her top priorities would be if elected, Cindy Elsbernd, incumbent on the Des Moines Board of Education, stated:

“	My top priority is ensuring support of continued student growth and closure of achievement and opportunity gaps, but this cannot happen without continued advocacy for adequate state funding and sound state education policy, including parent and community engagement around these efforts, as well as ensuring continued fiscal and operational practices that support students and generate efficiency and stability.	”
—Cindy Elsbernd (2015)

Shane Schulte

The top priorities of Shane Schulte, challenger for a seat on the Des Moines Board of Education, were:

“	Asking the Superintendent for a strategic plan so the broader community can buy into our vision and journey for the future.	”
—Shane Schulte (2015)

Timothy Pope

Timothy Pope, challenger for a seat on the Dubuque Community Board of Education, said his top priorities were:

“	Given the success already experienced in other portions of the district strategic plan, my top priority would be working with district leadership to ensure student achievement continues to improve during the transition to the Iowa Core Curriculum, Next Generation Science Standards, and the SMARTER Balanced assessments.	”
—Timothy Pope (2015)

R.R.S. Stewart

When asked what her top priorities would be if elected, R.R.S. Stewart, challenger for a seat on the Dubuque Community Board of Education, stated:

“	My reasons for running are: 1. To be a voice for the average person. 2. To deliver Government that is lean but not mean. 3. To provide leadership that will guide Dubuque Schools forward through changes in technology and society while maintaining sound educational practices.	”
—R.R.S. Stewart (2015)

Bert Ament

Bert Ament, challenger for a seat on the Dubuque Community Board of Education, highlighted the following top priorities:

“	My top priority as a school board is to develop more programs for the autistic community so they can lead productive lives. We can't put them all on disability so we better figure out how to teach them.	”
—Bert Ament (2015)

Shawn Eyestone

Shawn Eyestone, challenger for a seat on the Iowa City Community Board of Education, said the following were his top priorities:

“	Focus on improved student achievement. We have done a great job so far in improving the facilities for our entire district. It is time to work out a detailed plan for better student learning.	”
—Shawn Eyestone (2015)

Paul Roesler, challenger for a seat on the Iowa City Community Board of Education, did not answer the question regarding his top priorities.

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' average rankings as well as the highest and lowest rankings for each issue.

Issue importance ranking
Issues	Average ranking	Highest ranking	Lowest ranking
Expanding arts education	4.40	3	6
Expanding career-technical education	4.00	2	7
Balancing or maintaining the district's budget	2.80	1	6
Improving college readiness	4.5	2	6
Closing the achievement gap	2.90	1	7
Improving education for special needs students	3.67	2	6
Expanding school choice options	5.90	1	7

Positions on the issues

The candidates were asked an additional 10 short answer and multiple choice questions regarding significant issues in education. Links to those responses can be found below.

• Bill Grove survey responses
• Chris LaFerla survey responses
• Ralph Johanson survey responses
• Cindy Elsbernd survey responses

• Shane Schulte survey responses
• Timothy Pope survey responses
• R.R.S. Stewart survey responses

• Bert Ament survey responses
• Shawn Eyestone survey responses
• Paul Roesler survey responses

State profile

Demographic data for Iowa
	Iowa	U.S.
Total population:	3,121,997	316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):	55,857	3,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:	91.2%	73.6%
Black/African American:	3.2%	12.6%
Asian:	2%	5.1%
Native American:	0.3%	0.8%
Pacific Islander:	0.1%	0.2%
Two or more:	2%	3%
Hispanic/Latino:	5.4%	17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:	91.5%	86.7%
College graduation rate:	26.7%	29.8%
Income
Median household income:	$53,183	$53,889
Persons below poverty level:	13.8%	11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Iowa. **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.

Presidential voting pattern

See also: Presidential voting trends in Iowa

Iowa voted for the Republican candidate in four out of the seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.

Pivot Counties (2016)

Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won these Pivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, 31 are located in Iowa, accounting for 15.04 percent of the total pivot counties.

Pivot Counties (2020)

In 2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won as Retained Pivot Counties and those won by Joe Biden (D) as Boomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. Iowa had 31 Retained Pivot Counties, 17.13 percent of all Retained Pivot Counties.

More Iowa coverage on Ballotpedia

• Elections in Iowa
• United States congressional delegations from Iowa
• Public policy in Iowa
• Endorsers in Iowa
• Iowa fact checks
• More...

Academic performance

Education terms
For more information on education policy terms, see this article.
School board elections portal Glossary of education terms School choice on the ballot Education on the ballot

See also: Public education in Iowa

NAEP scores

See also: NAEP scores by state for a full comparison of all states.

The National Center for Education Statistics provides state-by-state data on student achievement levels in mathematics and reading in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The chart below presents the percentage of fourth and eighth grade students that scored at or above proficient in reading and math during the 2012-2013 school year.

Compared to three neighboring states (Minnesota, Missouri, and Illinois), Iowa students did slightly better than Missouri and Illinois, but fell behind those in Minnesota. According to the Iowa "Annual Condition of Education Report for 2013," National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) results remain unchanged. Iowa fourth and eighth grade NAEP results in mathematics and reading were also similar from the prior years, with no significant gains in either content area or grade level. See the table and bar graph below for a full comparison.

Percent of students scoring at or above proficient, 2012-2013
	Math - Grade 4	Math - Grade 8	Reading - Grade 4	Reading - Grade 8
Iowa	48%	36%	38%	37%
Illinois	39%	36%	34%	36%
Minnesota	59%	47%	41%	41%
Missouri	39%	33%	35%	36%
U.S. averages	41%	34%	34%	34%
Source: United States Department of Education, ED Data Express, "State Tables"

\| \n <pbars size=400x200 title="" grid=true ymin=0 ymax=100 legend colorscheme=excel> ,Math Grade 4,Math Grade 8,Reading Grade 4, Reading Grade 8 Iowa,48,36,38,37 Illinois,39,36,34,36 Minnesota, 59,47,41,41 Missouri,39,33,35,36 United States,41,34,34,34 </pbars>

NAEP Assessment Data for all students 2012-2013

Graduation, ACT and SAT comparisons

See also: Graduation rates by groups in state and ACT and SAT scores in the United States

The following table shows the graduation rates and average composite ACT and SAT scores for Iowa and surrounding states during the 2012-2013 school year. All statements made in this section refer to that school year.

In the United States, public schools reported graduation rates that averaged to about 81.4 percent. About 54 percent of all students in the country took the ACT, while 50 percent reported taking the SAT. The average national composite scores for those tests were 20.9 out of a possible 36 for the ACT and 1,498 out of a possible 2,400 for the SAT.

Iowa schools reported a graduation rate of 89.7 percent during the 2012-2013 school year, highest among its neighboring states.

In Iowa, more students took the ACT than the SAT in 2013, earning an average ACT score of 22.1.

Comparison table for graduation rates and test scores, 2012-2013
State	Graduation rate, 2013		Average ACT composite, 2013		Average SAT composite, 2013
	Percent	Quintile ranking**	Score	Participation rate	Score	Participation rate
Iowa	89.7%	First	22.1	66%	1,763	3%
Illinois	83.2%	Third	20.6	100%	1,807	5%
Minnesota	79.8%	Fourth	23	74%	1,780	6%
Missouri	85.7%	Second	21.6	74%	1,773	4%
United States	81.4%		20.9	54%	1498	50%
**Graduation rates for states in the first quintile ranked in the top 20 percent nationally. Similarly, graduation rates for states in the fifth quintile ranked in the bottom 20 percent nationally. Sources: United States Department of Education, "ED Data Express" ACT.org, "2013 ACT National and State Scores" The Commonwealth Foundation, "SAT scores by state, 2013"

Dropout rate

See also: Public high school dropout rates by state for a full comparison of dropout rates by group in all states

The high school event dropout rate indicates the proportion of students who were enrolled at some time during the school year and were expected to be enrolled in grades nine through 12 in the following school year but were not enrolled by October 1 of the following school year. Students who have graduated, transferred to another school, died, moved to another country, or who are out of school due to illness are not considered dropouts. The average public high school event dropout rate for the United States remained constant at 3.3 percent for both school year 2010–2011 and school year 2011–2012. The event dropout rate for Iowa was higher than the national average at 3.4 percent in the 2010-2011 school year, and 3.2 percent in the 2011-2012 school year.

See also

Iowa	School Boards	News and Analysis
Public education in Iowa List of school districts in Iowa	School board elections, 2015 List of school board elections in 2015 Candidate filing deadlines, 2015 Campaign finance deadlines, 2015	Newcomers and incumbents share the victories in Iowa's largest school district elections (September 9, 2015) Analysis of incumbency advantage in the 2014 school board elections