Lewisville Independent School District elections (2017)
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Two of the seven seats on the Lewisville Independent School District board of trustees in Texas were up for general election on May 6, 2017. In her bid for re-election to Place 6, incumbent Kristi Hassett defeated challengers Jon Hanna, Eric Parker, and Peter Rabner. Place 7 incumbent Tracy Scott Miller defeated challengers Shari Chambers and Sandra Weinstein. A third challenger, Colleen Shaw, originally filed in the Place 7 race, but she formally withdrew her candidacy on April 19, 2017, citing personal reasons. While she no longer campaigned for the position, Shaw's name still appeared on the ballot.[1][2][3]
Hassett, Miller, Chambers, and Weinstein participated in a candidate forum on March 21, 2017. Click here to view a video of the forum.
The 2017 election attracted the highest average number of candidates per seat in four election cycles in the district. Four ran per seat in 2017, while in races in 2014, 2015, and 2016, an average of two or 2.5 candidates ran per seat. Click here for more election trends in the district.
Elections
Voter and candidate information
The Lewisville Independent board of trustees consists of seven members elected by district to three-year terms. Elections are held on a staggered basis every year in May. Three seats—Places 3, 4, and 5—were up for election on May 7, 2016, and two seats—Places 6 and 7—were up for election on May 6, 2017.[4]
To qualify for the ballot, board candidates had to be at least 18 years old, U.S. citizens, registered voters, and residents of the board of trustees district they sought to represent. They could not be convicted of a felony. To get on the ballot, they had to file their candidacy applications with the school district by February 17, 2017.[5]
To vote in this election, citizens of the school district had to register by April 6, 2017.[6]
Place 6
Results
| Lewisville Independent School District, Place 6 General Election, 3-year term, 2017 |
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| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Kristi Hassett Incumbent |
67.69% | 8,027 |
| Eric Parker | 13.53% | 1,604 |
| Peter Rabner | 10.36% | 1,229 |
| Jon Hanna | 8.42% | 999 |
| Total Votes | 11,859 | |
| Source: Denton County Elections, "Cumulative Report–Official: Denton County–2017 May General and Special Elections," accessed June 6, 2017 | ||
Candidates
Kristi Hassett 
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Jon Hanna | ||
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| Eric Parker | Peter Rabner | ||
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Place 7
Results
| Lewisville Independent School District, Place 7 General Election, 3-year term, 2017 |
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|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Tracy Scott Miller Incumbent |
54.35% | 6,491 |
| Sandra Weinstein | 20.97% | 2,505 |
| Shari Chambers | 14.94% | 1,784 |
| Colleen Shaw | 9.74% | 1,163 |
| Total Votes | 11,943 | |
| Source: Denton County Elections, "Cumulative Report–Official: Denton County–2017 May General and Special Elections," accessed June 6, 2017 | ||
Candidates
| Tracy Scott Miller
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Shari Chambers | ||
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| Colleen Shaw | Sandra Weinstein | ||
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Additional elections on the ballot
- See also: Texas elections, 2017
The Lewisville Independent board of trustees shared the ballot with a bond referendum for the school district and two seats on the Lewisville City Council.[7]
Key deadlines
The following dates were key deadlines for the Lewisville Independent board of trustees election.[8][9]
| Deadline | Event |
|---|---|
| February 17, 2017 | Candidate filing deadline |
| April 6, 2017 | Campaign finance reporting deadline |
| April 6, 2017 | Voter registration deadline |
| April 24, 2017 - May 2, 2017 | Early voting period |
| April 28, 2017 | Campaign finance reporting deadline |
| May 6, 2017 | General election date |
| July 17, 2017 | Campaign finance reporting deadline |
Endorsements
The Greater Lewisville Association of Realtors (GLAR) endorsed Place 6 incumbent Kristi Hassett and Place 7 incumbent Tracy Scott Miller.[10]
Do you know of an official or organization that endorsed a candidate in this race? Let Ballotpedia know by email at editor@ballotpedia.org.
Campaign finance
There were three campaign finance deadlines for Texas school board candidates in 2017:[11]
- The 30th day report was due on April 6, 2017,
- The 8th day report was due on April 28, 2017, and
- The July semiannual report was due on July 17, 2017.
All school board candidates in the state were also required to file July semiannual campaign finance reports. Opposed school board candidates could choose "modified reporting" if they did not plan to exceed either $500 in contributions or $500 in expenditures in the election. Modified reporting exempts a candidate from filing the 30th and 8th day reports normally due before an election. If a candidate opted for modified reporting but exceeded the threshold before the 30th day prior to the election, he or she had to file the 30th and 8th day reports. Unopposed school board candidates were only required to file a campaign finance report on the July semiannual deadline.[12]
Reports
Candidates received a total of $11,423.00 and spent a total of $13,205.60 as of May 3, 2017, according to the Lewisville Independent School District.[13]
| Candidate | Contributions | Expenditures | Cash on hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Place 6 | |||
| Kristi Hassett | $2,878.00 | $3,496.07 | ($618.07) |
| Jon Hanna | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Eric Parker | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Peter Rabner | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Place 7 | |||
| Tracy Scott Miller | $7,955.00 | $4,855.27 | $3,099.73 |
| Shari Chambers | $0.00 | $1,163.00 | ($1,163.00) |
| Colleen Shaw | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Sandra Weinstein | $590.00 | $3,691.26 | ($3,101.26) |
Past elections
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What was at stake?
2017
Election trends
- See also: School boards in session: 2015 in brief
The 2017 Lewisville Independent board of trustees election attracted the highest average number of candidates per seat in four election cycles in the district. Eight candidates ran for two seats in 2017, while an average of two or 2.5 candidates ran per seat in 2014, 2015, and 2016.
Both incumbents whose seats were up for election in 2017 ran to retain their seats, and they each defeated three challengers. At least one incumbent ran for re-election in 2014, 2015, and 2016, and at least one newcomer was elected to the board each of those years.
| School board election trends | ||||||
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| Year | Candidates per seat | Unopposed seats | Incumbents running for re-election | Incumbent success rate | Seats won by newcomers | |
| Lewisville Independent School District | ||||||
| 2017 | 4.00 | 0.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 0.00% | |
| 2016 | 2.00 | 33.33% | 33.33% | 100.00% | 66.67% | |
| 2015 | 2.50 | 0.00% | 100.00% | 50.00% | 50.00% | |
| 2014 | 2.50 | 0.00% | 50.00% | 0.00% | 100.00% | |
| Texas | ||||||
| 2015 | 1.69 | 48.62% | 77.98% | 83.53% | 34.40% | |
| 2014 | 1.86 | 37.61% | 75.22% | 81.76% | 38.05% | |
| United States | ||||||
| 2015 | 1.72 | 35.95% | 70.37% | 82.66% | 40.81% | |
| 2014 | 1.89 | 32.57% | 75.51% | 81.31% | 38.24% | |
Issues in the election
Candidate forum
Four of the eight candidates who ran for two Lewisville ISD board of trustees seats participated in a candidate forum on March 21, 2017. A video of the forum can be found below.
Bond referendum
| Breakdown of bond referendum spending[14] | ||
|---|---|---|
| Existing facilities improvements | $249.1 million | |
| New facilities | $205.7 million | |
| Technology | $99.1 million | |
| Career & technical ed | $71.5 million | |
| Athletics | $45.1 million | |
| Fine arts | $38.2 million | |
| Safety & Security | $28.8 million | |
In addition to choosing two candidates for the Lewisville ISD board of trustees, citizens of the district also voted on a $737.5 million bond referendum. It was approved with over 62 percent of the vote, according to unofficial results.[3]
The district asked for the funds to renovate existing buildings and to build two new elementary schools, one new middle school, and two high school facilities. The district also listed the need for funds to upgrade athletic and fine arts facilities and to upgrade technology and security measures.[15]
The bond referendum added $192 to an annual property tax bill for a $100,000 home.[15] The board of trustees voted unanimously to put the referendum on the ballot. A breakdown of the bond funds can be found in the table to the right.[14]
The bond referendum appeared on the ballot as follows with the option to vote for or against:
| “ | The issuance of $737,550,000 of bonds by Lewisville Independent School District for the acquisition, construction and equipment of school buildings and the purchase of the necessary sites for school buildings and levying the tax in payment thereof, including the costs of any credit agreements executed in connection with the bonds.[16] | ” |
| —Lewisville Independent School District (2017)[7] | ||
Candidate survey
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Ballotpedia invites school board candidates to participate in its annual survey. |
About the district
The Lewisville Independent School District is located in Denton County in northeastern Texas. The county seat is Denton. Denton County was home to an estimated 780,612 residents in 2015, according to the United States Census Bureau.[17] The district was the 18th-largest school district in the state in the 2014-2015 school year and served 53,356 students.[18]
Demographics
Denton County outperformed Texas as a whole in terms of higher education achievement between 2011 and 2015. The United States Census Bureau found that 41.3 percent of county residents aged 25 years and older had attained a bachelor's degree, compared to 27.6 percent of state residents. The median household income in Denton County was $75,050, compared to $53,207 for the entire state. The county poverty rate was 8 percent, while it was 15.9 percent statewide.[17]
| Racial Demographics, 2011-2015[17] | ||
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| Race | Denton County (%) | Texas (%) |
| White | 78.5 | 79.7 |
| Black or African American | 9.8 | 12.5 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.9 | 1.0 |
| Asian | 8.2 | 4.7 |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander | 0.1 | 0.1 |
| Two or More Races | 2.5 | 1.9 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 19.2 | 38.8 |
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 Lewisville Independent School District Texas election. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
| Lewisville Independent School District | Texas | School Boards |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Lewisville Independent School District, "School Board Election - May 6, 2017," accessed February 20, 2017
- ↑ The Lewisville Texan Journal, "Shaw unofficially withdraws from race for school board," April 20, 2017
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Denton County Elections, "2017 May General and Special Elections: Unofficial Results," accessed May 6, 2017
- ↑ Lewisville Independent School District, "Board of Trustees," accessed February 21, 2017
- ↑ Lewisville Independent School District, "Board Members Eligibility/Qualifications," accessed February 21, 2017
- ↑ Dallas County Elections, "Joint Election- Saturday, May 6, 2017," accessed February 20, 2017
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Denton County Elections Administration, "Active Contests Options List: 2017 May General and Special Elections 05/06/2017 ," accessed April 13, 2017
- ↑ Texas Ethics Commission, "2017 Filing Schedule For Reports Due In Connection With Elections Held On Uniform Election Dates," accessed March 7, 2017
- ↑ Denton County Elections Administration, "Upcoming Election Information," accessed March 7, 2017
- ↑ The Cross Timbers Gazette, "Realtor group endorses local candidates," March 24, 2017
- ↑ Texas Ethics Commission, "2017 Filing Schedule for Reports Due in Connection with Elections Held on Uniform Election Dates," accessed March 28, 2017
- ↑ Texas Ethics Commission, "Campaign Finance Guide for Candidates and Officeholders Who File with Local Filing Authorities," accessed March 28, 2017
- ↑ Lewisville Independent School District, "Election Information - May 6, 2017," accessed May 3, 2017
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Lewisville ISD Bond Referendum 2017, "Frequently Asked Questions," accessed April 12, 2017
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Denton Record-Chronicle, "School districts put forth bond propositions," April 4, 2017
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 United States Census Bureau, "Denton County, Texas," accessed March 10, 2017
- ↑ U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, "Common Core of Data, file ccd_lea_052_1414_w_0216161a, 2014-2015," accessed November 16, 2016
| Lewisville Independent School District elections in 2017 | |
| Denton County, Texas | |
| Election date: | May 6, 2017 |
| Candidates: | Place 6: • Incumbent, Kristi Hassett • Jon Hanna • Eric Parker • Peter Rabner Place 7: • Incumbent, Tracy Scott Miller • Shari Chambers • Colleen Shaw • Sandra Weinstein |
| Important information: | What was at stake? • Additional elections on the ballot • Key deadlines |
