Kim Kopp recall, Galena City School District, Alaska (2016)
| Galena City School District School Board recall |
|---|
 |
| Officeholders |
| Recall status |
| Recall election date |
| December 6, 2016 |
| See also |
| Recall overview Political recall efforts, 2016 Recalls in Alaska Alaska recall laws School board recalls Recall reports |
An effort to recall Kim Kopp from her position as president of the Galena City School District School Board was approved on December 6, 2016.[1] The effort was started by a former school board member who accused Kopp of incompetence, conflict of interest, and misusing her position.[2][3] Kopp responded to the recall by refuting the claims of conflict of interest and command misuse. She also said she had performed her service on the board according to the law and the board's code of ethics.[4]
Recall vote
| Kim Kopp, Board President, Galena City School District | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
 Recall | 113 | 59.79% | ||
| Retain | 76 | 40.21% | ||
| Election results via: Facebook, "KIYU post on December 9, 2016," accessed December 22, 2016 | ||||
Recall supporters
The recall process was started by former Galena City School Board member Jenny Bryant, who resigned from her position in the summer of 2016.[2] The application for the recall petition listed the following reasons for the recall effort:
| “ | Kim Kopp should be recalled from the GCSD board for incompetence: School legitimacy and effectiveness are damaged within our community because board member Kim Kopp does not share a clear understanding about the differing populations of students, learning, and academic expectations with the broader community. When communicating, she does not listen to understand, she listens to respond - rendering all dialog with community members as corrective and not comprehensive. Kim Kopp regularly misuses the chain of command to deny or avoid responsibility for critical problems with the system of authority. This chronic mis-use of the hierarchical institutional structure of policy and procedure has resulted in a culture of low trust, fear and retaliation, low morale, and breeds redundant layers of bureaucracy within our school. The conflict of interest surrounding Kim Kopp's leadership position on the Board of Education and in the Bible Church (Young Life) is a very divisive wedge that is toxically intertwined with the perceived over-involvement of the Bible Church on the SHS and GILA campuses.[5] | ” |
| —Jenny Bryant (2016)[3] | ||
Recall opponents
Some members of the community voiced concerns over the lack of specifics listed on the recall application. They also objected to the description of Kopp's involvement with the Galena Bible Church as "a very divisive wedge."[2]
After the recall election, Stephen Pavish, Kopp's father, wrote the following letter to the Galena City Council and mayor.
| The following letter was submitted to the Galena City Council in March 2017. Scroll in the box to read the entire document. |
Response by Kopp
Kopp submitted the following rebuttal statement in response to the recall:
| “ | The legal definition of incompetency is “the demonstrated lack of ability to perform official duties.” Throughout my service I have, with competency, performed my duties according to law, district policy, and board code of ethics. My recall included non-specific accusations, personal attacks, and misstatements.
I’ve never tainted board duties with chain of command misuse or conflicts of interest. I don’t hold leadership positions within the Galena Bible Church or Young Life. Neither the law nor the board code of ethics prohibits religious pursuits or volunteer efforts. During my years as chair, we, the board, increased engagement opportunities for all stakeholders (town meetings, internet comments to board, monthly staff/student presentations, committees, student board members). Eighteen years ago, Jason and I fell in love with Galena. We are fortunate that you, our neighbors, have helped us raise our children alongside yours in this special place where we drop everything to help during times of crisis and where we collaborate, innovate, and celebrate together. I’m eager to continue partnering to provide the highest quality education for our SHS, GILA, and IDEA students, “…ensuring our graduates are well-grounded, well-educated individuals able to maneuver effectively in a dynamic world” (GCSD Vision Statement).[5] |
” |
| —Kim Kopp (2016)[4] | ||
Path to the ballot
- See also: Laws governing recall in Alaska
The recall process was started in September 2016, when Bryant submitted a recall application along with 10 signatures to the Galena City Clerk and City Manager. Bryant then submitted a recall petition containing 25 signatures. The petition was approved and the Galena City Council set the date of the recall election on December 6, 2016.[2] A majority of voters cast ballots to recall Kopp, which tasked the remaining members of the board with the job of appointing a new member to replace her.[1][6]
When some community members voiced their objections to the reasons listed on the recall application before the City Council set the date of the election, Mayor Jon Korta said, “We are not in a position to verify. The clerk has certain responsibilities, and they are stated what her responsibilities are. We have to remember that, agree or disagree, an individual in the community has a right to this process, to initiate a recall petition. And it is up to the clerk to verify that all of the documentation is in order. Our clerk has verified that it has been in order.”[2]
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms 'Kim Kopp' 'Galena City School District' recall. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
- Galena City School District, Alaska
- Recall campaigns in Alaska
- Political recall efforts, 2016
- School board recalls
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Facebook, "KIYU post on December 6, 2016," accessed December 7, 2016
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Alaska Public Radio Network, "Galena to hold recall election for school board," December 5, 2016
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 City of Galena, "Clerk's Certification Of Petition For Recall Of School Board Member Kimberly Kopp," accessed December 7, 2016
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 KIYU, "2016 Galena Recall Election Forum," accessed December 7, 2016
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Alaska Public Radio Network, "Galena school board president ousted," December 7, 2016
 |
State of Alaska Juneau (capital) |
|---|---|
| Elections |
What's on my ballot? | Elections in 2025 | How to vote | How to run for office | Ballot measures |
| Government |
Who represents me? | U.S. President | U.S. Congress | Federal courts | State executives | State legislature | State and local courts | Counties | Cities | School districts | Public policy |
