Lee's Summit R-7 Schools elections (2014)
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Three seats on the Lee's Summit R-7 Schools school board were up for general election on April 8, 2014. Incumbents Terri Harmon, Chris Storms, and Bill Baird defeated Mark Ousnamer for the three at-large seats. Incumbent Jack Wiley did not seek re-election.
About the district
- See also: Lee's Summit R-7 Schools, Missouri
Lee's Summit R-7 Schools is located in northwest Missouri in Jackson County. The county seats of Jackson County are Independence and Kansas City. Jackson County had a population of 679,996 residents, according to the United States Census Bureau in 2014.[1] In the 2011-2012 school year, Lee's Summit R-7 Schools was the seventh-largest school district in Missouri and served 17,825 students.[2]
Demographics
In 2013, Jackson County had a higher percentage of residents with a bachelor's degree compared to the state overall. The United States Census Bureau reported that 27.6 percent of residents aged 25 and older in Jackson County had earned a bachelor's degree, compared with 26.2 percent for Missouri. The county’s median household income was $47,015, slightly below the state median of $47,380. The poverty rate in Jackson County was 17.4 percent, above the state rate of 15.5 percent.[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
As of the 2014 election, the Lee's Summit school board consisted of seven members elected at-large to three-year terms. There was no primary election and the general election was held on April 8, 2014, for three seats.
Candidates began to file affidavits of candidacy on December 17, 2013. The filing deadline for school board candidates to get on the ballot in the general election was January 21, 2014, and the deadline for candidate certification was January 28, 2014.[4]
Elections
2014
Candidates
- Bill Baird
- Owner, The Baird Group at Platinum Realty
- Graduate, Baker University
- Terri Harmon
- Incumbent
- Owner, myVP, consulting practice
- Graduate, Augustana College
- Mark Ousnamer
- Engineer, educator
- Graduate, University of Arkansas and University of Missouri
- Chris Storms
- Incumbent
- Niscayah, Inc., account manager
- Graduate, University of Central Missouri
Election results
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Terri Harmon Incumbent |
29.9% | 4,132 | |
| Nonpartisan | Bill Baird |
28.3% | 3,914 | |
| Nonpartisan | Chris Storms Incumbent |
24.9% | 3,448 | |
| Nonpartisan | Mark Ousnamer | 16.9% | 2,336 | |
| Total Votes | 13,830 | |||
| Source: Jackson County Board of Elections, "Summary Report," April 11, 2014 | ||||
Endorsements
The Missouri National Education Association endorsed incumbents Terri Harmon and Chris Storms, as well as Bill Baird.[5]
Campaign finance
Bill Baird received a total of $925.26 in campaign contributions and did not expend anything, leaving him with $925.26 on hand. He was the only candidate to file a finance report with the Missouri Ethics Commission.[6]
Past elections
Information about earlier elections can be found by clicking [show] at the right. | |
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2013The school district canceled this election since incumbent Phyllis Balagna and newcomer Bob White ran unopposed and won the two at-large seats by default.[7] 2012The school district canceled this election since incumbents Ron Baker and Patti Buie ran unopposed and won the two at-large seats with full three-year terms by default. The school board also appointed Phyllis Balagna to fill an at-large position with an unexpired one-year term.[8] | |
What was at stake?
Three seats on the Lee's Summit school board were up for general election on April 8, 2014. Incumbents Terri Harmon, Chris Storms, and Bill Baird defeated challenger Mark Ousnamer for the three at-large seats. Incumbent Jack Wiley decided not to seek re-election.
Issues in the district
Budget containment
Lee's Summit R-7 Schools had faced budgetary challenges since the 2008–2009 academic year due to declines in state and local funding. Measures included reductions in administrative, instructional, and support staff positions; a one-year district-wide salary freeze; deferred textbook purchases; and new activity fees for athletics and other programs. From 2008–2009 through the end of the 2013–2014 school year, the district implemented cost containment totaling more than $92 million.[9]
Key deadlines
The following dates were key deadlines for the Lee's Summit R-7 election in 2014:[4]
| Deadline | Event |
|---|---|
| December 17, 2013 | First day for candidate filing |
| December 24, 2013 | First day for candidate filing (Kansas City) |
| January 21, 2014 | Last day for candidate filing |
| January 28, 2014 | Final certification date |
| March 12, 2014 | Last day to register to vote |
| April 8, 2014 | Election day |
Additional elections on the ballot
The Lee's Summit school board election shared the ballot with other municipal elections in Kansas City.
See also
- Missouri
- Lee's Summit R-7 Schools, Missouri
- Missouri school board elections, 2014
- List of school board elections in 2014
- School board elections, 2014
- Jackson County, Missouri ballot measures
- Local ballot measures, Missouri
- Election preview: More than 100 candidates running in California, Missouri and South Dakota school board elections
- Post-election:Incumbents fare well in Missouri, South Dakota and California school board elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 United States Census Bureau, "Jackson County, Missouri," accessed February 3, 2014
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "ELSI Table Generator," accessed April 22, 2014
- ↑ Missouri Secretary of State, "Missouri Election Results," accessed January 23, 2015
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Missouri Secretary of State, "2014 Election Calendar," accessed February 6, 2014
- ↑ Missouri NEA, "Recommendations," accessed April 8, 2014
- ↑ Missouri Ethics Commission, "Campaign Finance Reports," accessed April 9, 2014
- ↑ KC Education Enterprise, "No School Board Election This Year in the Lee’s Summit School District," March 31, 2013
- ↑ Lee's Summit R-7 Schools, "Board Elections," accessed March 18, 2015
- ↑ Lee's Summit R-7 Schools, "Cumulative total is $92.5 million from 2008-09 through 2013-14," accessed February 3, 2013
| 2014 Lee's Summit R-7 Schools Elections | |
| Kansas City, Missouri | |
| Election date: | April 8, 2014 |
| Candidates: | At-large: Bill Baird • Incumbent, Terri Harmon • Mark Ousnamer • Incumbent Chris Storms |
| Important information: | What was at stake? • Key deadlines • Additional elections on the ballot |
