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Jeffco Public Schools elections (2013)
2015 →
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Method of election Elections What was at stake? Key deadlines Additional measures External links References |
Jeffco Public Schools Jefferson County, Colorado ballot measures Local ballot measures, Colorado |
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Three seats were up for election on the Jeffco Board of Education. Six candidates sought election to the board on November 5, 2013. Julie Williams defeated Tonya Aultman-Bettridge to win the District 1 seat. John Newkirk defeated Jeff Lamontagne to win the District 2 seat while Ken Witt defeated Gordon Van de Water for the District 5 seat. As of 2013, Jeffco was the largest school district in the state, serving over 85,000 students.
About the district
- See also: Jeffco Public Schools, Colorado
Jeffco Public Schools is located in Jefferson County in central Colorado. The county seat is Golden. The county was home to an estimated 558,503 residents in 2014, according to the United States Census Bureau.[1] Jeffco Public Schools was the largest school district in Colorado during the 2012-2013 school year and served 85,542 students.[2]
Demographics
As of 2013, the United States Census Bureau found that 40.7 percent of county residents aged 25 years and older had attained a bachelor's degree compared to 37.0 percent for the state as a whole. The median household income was $68,984 compared to $58,433 statewide. The poverty rate in Jefferson County was 8.6 percent compared to 13.2 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.
Method of board member selection
The Jeffco Board of Education consists of five members who are elected by district to four-year terms. There was no primary election and the general election took place on November 5, 2013. Three seats were up for election in 2013 and two seats were on the ballot on November 3, 2015.
Candidates for the Jefferson County Board of Education had to file nominating petitions containing at least 50 valid signatures with the Jefferson County Clerk by August 30, 2013 in order to qualify for the ballot. State law requires candidates to submit disclosures of contributions and expenditures to comply with the Fair Campaign Practices Act on October 15, November 1 and December 5.[4]
Elections
2013
Candidates
District 1
- Tonya Aultman-Bettridge
- Graduate, University of Colorado Denver
- Public policy analyst
- Julie Williams
- Healthcare professional
District 2
- Jeff Lamontagne
- Graduate, Cornell University, College of William and Mary
- Executive director of youth wildlife refuge
- John Newkirk
- Graduate, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
District 5
- Ken Witt
- Graduate, University of Colorado Denver
- Information technology professional
- Gordon Van de Water
- Graduate, University of Michigan, Syracuse University
- Retired
Results
| Jeffco Board of Education, Four-year term, District 1, 2013 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan |  Julie Williams |
61% | 82,868 | |
| Nonpartisan | Tonya Aultman-Bettridge | 39% | 52,936 | |
| Total Votes | 135,804 | |||
| Source: Jefferson County Board of Elections, "2013 Coordinated Election," November 27, 2013 | ||||
| Jeffco Board of Education, Four-year term, District 2, 2013 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan | John Newkirk |
54% | 72,769 | |
| Nonpartisan | Jeff Lamontagne | 46% | 62,073 | |
| Total Votes | 134,842 | |||
| Source: Jefferson County Board of Elections, "2013 Coordinated Election," November 27, 2013 | ||||
| Jeffco Board of Education, Four-year term, District 5, 2013 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan | Ken Witt |
58.1% | 78,943 | |
| Nonpartisan | Gordon Van de Water | 41.9% | 56,948 | |
| Total Votes | 135,891 | |||
| Source: Jefferson County Board of Elections, "2013 Coordinated Election," November 27, 2013 | ||||
Campaign finance
Candidates received a total of $152,131.85 and spent a total of $146,795.79 during the election, according to the Colorado Secretary of State.[5]
In the District 1 race, candidates received a total of $35,013.82 and spent a total of $32,919.88.
| Candidate | Contributions | Expenditures | Cash on hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tonya Aultman-Bettridge | $27,902.09 | $27,902.09 | $0.00 |
| Julie Williams | $7,111.73 | $5,017.79 | $2,093.94 |
In the District 2 race, candidates received a total of $65,965.32 and spent a total of $65,910.32.
| Candidate | Contributions | Expenditures | Cash on hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jeff Lamontagne | $59,150.32 | $59,150.32 | $0.00 |
| John Newkirk | $6,815.00 | $6,760.00 | $55.00 |
In the District 5 race, candidates received a total of $51,152.71 and spent a total of $47,965.59.
| Candidate | Contributions | Expenditures | Cash on hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gordon Van de Water | $39,850.66 | $39,850.66 | $0.00 |
| Ken Witt | $11,302.05 | $8,114.93 | $3,187.12 |
Past elections
2009
| Jeffco Board of Education, District 3, November 3, 2009 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan | Jill Fellman |
60.8% | 70,982 | |
| Nonpartisan | Preston Branaugh | 39.2% | 45,795 | |
| Total Votes | 116,777 | |||
| Source: Jefferson County Board of Elections | ||||
| Jeffco Board of Education, District 4, November 3, 2009 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan | Lesley Dahlkemper |
56.1% | 64,977 | |
| Nonpartisan | Jim Powers | 43.9% | 50,783 | |
| Total Votes | 115,760 | |||
| Source: Jefferson County Board of Elections | ||||
What was at stake?
Three seats on the board were at stake in this election in Districts 1, 2 and 5. All incumbents of those districts were ineligible to run for another term because of Amendment 17 to the Colorado Constitution, which states that no "elected official of any [...] school district [...] shall serve more than two consecutive terms in office." As a result, all board members voted in this election will be new.
Issues in the election
Stances on Amendment 66
Colorado voters cast ballots on Amendment 66, a constitutional amendment that increases income taxes to support public education. The following table lists the publicly stated position of each Board of Education candidate on the amendment.
| Stances on Amendment 66[6] | |
|---|---|
| Candidate | Stated position |
| Tonya Aultman-Bettridge | Support |
| Jeff Lamontagne | Support |
| John Newkirk | Oppose |
| Gordon Van de Water | Support |
| Julie Williams | Oppose |
| Ken Witt | Oppose |
Issues in the district
Resignation of Superintendent Cindy Stevenson
Superintendent Cindy Stevenson announced plans to resign from the district shortly after the 2013 school board election. Stevenson left the district to work with the Colorado Association of School Executives after 12 years as superintendent. During a board meeting on February 8, Stevenson noted that the current board wanted changes in district leadership and that she felt a lack of respect from new board members. Stevenson's speech drew cheers from supporters in the audience and boos for board members. Board member Julie Williams countered that Stevenson had not attempted to work with the board, citing her intention to leave the district shortly after the election.[7][8]
Key deadlines
The following dates were key deadlines for the Jeffco Public Schools election in 2013:[9]
| Deadline | Event |
|---|---|
| August 7, 2013 | Last day for nominating petitions to be made available to candidates. |
| August 30, 2013 | Last day to file nominating petitions. |
| September 3, 2013 | Last day to file as a write-in candidate. |
| October 15, 2013 | Candidates must file first Fair Campaign Practices Act report detailing their contributions and expenditures. |
| October 15, 2013 | First day ballots are mailed to registered voters in El Paso County. |
| November 1, 2013 | Candidates must file second Fair Campaign Practices Act report detailing their contributions and expenditures. |
| November 5, 2013 | General election and last day for voters to submit mailed ballots at ballot drop-off locations. |
| November 22, 2013 | Certification of general election votes. |
| December 5, 2013 | Candidates must file third Fair Campaign Practices Act report detailing their contributions and expenditures. |
Additional elections on the ballot
Voters throughout Colorado cast ballots on Colorado Proposition AA, which would apply a 10% sales tax and a 15% excise tax on marijuana sold for recreational use. The ballot also included Amendment 66, a constitutional amendment that would increase income taxes to 5% for incomes up to $75,000 and 5.9% for incomes over $75,000 in order to support public education.
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term "Jeffco + Public + Schools + Colorado"
See also
- Colorado school board elections focus on Amendment 66, school reform
- School board elections review: Voters opt for experience over new blood in nation's largest school districts
- School board election wrap-up: Incumbents re-elected overwhelmingly in November 5 elections
- Colorado
- Jeffco Public Schools, Colorado
- Colorado 2013 ballot measures
- Jefferson County, Colorado ballot measures
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 United States Census Bureau, "Jefferson County, Colorado," accessed September 23, 2015
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "ELSI Table Generator," accessed April 15, 2015
- ↑ Colorado Secretary of State, "Election Results Archives," accessed February 11, 2015
- ↑ Colorado Secretary of State, "Fair Campaign Practices Act," accessed October 23, 2013
- ↑ Colorado TRACER, "Candidate and Candidate Committee Detail," accessed December 19, 2013
- ↑ Colorado Community Media, "Jeffco: Candidates' views differ on Amendment 66," accessed November 4, 2013
- ↑ 9News, "Jefferson County Schools Superintendent: 'I will be gone by the end of the month'," February 9, 2014
- ↑ Zahira Torres, Denver Post, "Jefferson County Schools Superintendent Cindy Stevenson will leave post early," February 8, 2014
- ↑ Colorado Secretary of State, "2013 Election Calendar," accessed July 8, 2013
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