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Mesquite Independent School District elections (2015)

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2015 Mesquite Independent School District Elections

General Election date:
May 9, 2015
Table of Contents
About the district
Method of election
Elections
What was at stake?
Key deadlines
Additional elections
External links
See also
Texas
Mesquite Independent School District
Dallas County, Texas ballot measures
Local ballot measures, Texas
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Two seats on the Mesquite Independent School District Board of Trustees were up for general election on May 9, 2015.

In the Place 6 race, incumbent Christina Hall lost to challenger Elaine Hornsby Whitlock. Place 7 incumbent Phil Appenzeller ran unopposed to win re-election.[1]

The Mesquite Board of Trustees also put a $280 million bond package to voters in this election, which included renovation projects, repairs and routine maintenance, technology upgrades and annual capital outlay.[2] The measure was approved after approximately 77 percent of voters supported it.[3]

See also: What was at stake in the Mesquite Independent School District 2015 election?

About the district

See also: Mesquite Independent School District, Texas
Mesquite Independent School District is located in Dallas County, Texas.

Mesquite Independent School District is located in Dallas County, Texas. The county seat of Dallas County is Dallas. Dallas County was home to an estimated 2,480,331 residents in 2013, according to the United States Census Bureau.[4] Mesquite Independent School District was the 30th-largest school district in Texas, serving 38,287 students during the 2011-2012 school year.[5]

Demographics

Dallas County outperformed the rest of Texas in terms of higher education achievement in 2013. The United States Census Bureau found that 28.6 percent of Dallas County residents aged 25 years and older had attained a bachelor's degree, compared to 26.7 percent for the state as a whole. The median household income in Dallas County was $49,481, compared to $51,900 statewide. The poverty rate in Dallas County was 19.1 percent, compared to 17.6 percent for the entire state.[4]

Racial Demographics, 2013[4]
Race Dallas County (%) Texas (%)
White 68.3 80.3
Black or African American 23.1 12.4
American Indian and Alaska Native 1.1 1.0
Asian 5.7 4.3
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 0.1 0.1
Two or More Races 1.7 1.8
Hispanic or Latino 39.0 38.4

Presidential Voting Pattern,
Dallas County[6]
Year Democratic Vote (%) Republican Vote (%) Other Vote (%)
2012 57.1 41.6 1.3
2008 57.3 42.0 0.7
2004 49.0 50.4 0.6
2000 44.9 52.6 2.5

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

The Mesquite Board of Trustees consists of seven members elected to three-year terms. Each member is elected to a specific position but represents the entire district. There was no primary election, and a general election took place on May 9, 2015. Two seats were on the ballot in May 2015.[7]

School board candidates submitted paperwork with the school district secretary by February 27, 2015. Each candidate must be at least 18 years old, a registered voter and a resident of the district for at least six months. Members filed two campaign finance reports with the district clerk prior to the election unless they did not receive or spend $500 during the campaign.[8]

Elections

2015

Candidates

Place 6

  • Christina Hall
    • Incumbent
    • Reservation agent
  • Elaine Hornsby Whitlock Green check mark transparent.png
    • Graduate, Texas Tech University, Texas A&M University at Commerce and Texas Women's University
    • Retired educator and administrator

Place 7

  • Phil Appenzeller Green check mark transparent.png
    • Incumbent
    • Graduate, Evangel University and the University of Missouri – Kansas City School of Law
    • Lawyer

Election results

Place 6
Mesquite Independent School District,
Place 6 General Election, 3-year term, 2015
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Nonpartisan Green check mark transparent.pngElaine Hornsby Whitlock 53.6% 2,840
     Nonpartisan Christina Hall Incumbent 46.4% 2,456
Total Votes 5,296
Source: Dallas County Elections, "Joint Election - May 9, 2015," accessed May 9, 2015 These election results are not official and will be updated when certified results are available. You can submit certified results by contacting us.
Place 7
Mesquite Independent School District,
Place 7 General Election, 3-year term, 2015
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Nonpartisan Green check mark transparent.pngPhil Appenzeller Incumbent 100% 4,004
Total Votes 4,004
Source: Dallas County Elections, "Joint Election - May 9, 2015," accessed May 9, 2015 These election results are not official and will be updated when certified results are available. You can submit certified results by contacting us.

Endorsements

No candidate received any official endorsements for his or her campaign during the election.

Campaign finance

See also: List of school board campaign finance deadlines in 2015
Campaign Finance Ballotpedia.png

No contributions or expenditures were reported as of April 9, 2015, according to the Texas Ethics Commission.[9] The next filing deadline was May 1, 2015.

Texas school board candidates and officeholders must file semiannual reports, which were due on January 15, 2015, and July 15, 2015. In addition, candidates in contested elections were required to file 30-day and 8-day pre-election reports, unless the candidate chose modified reporting.[8]

Candidates in contested elections who did not intend to exceed $500 in contributions or expenditures, excepting filing fees, were eligible for modified reporting. If they exceeded the threshold before the 30th day prior to the election, candidates were required to submit the 30- and 8-day reports. If they exceeded the threshold after the 30th day prior to the election, they were required to file a report within 48 hours of exceeding the threshold and participate in regular reporting for the rest of the election cycle.[10]

Past elections

What was at stake?

Issues in the district

2015 bond package

In the May election, voters in Mesquite ISD also approved a $280 bond package. The plans for the bond included carrying out renovations in the district, upgrading technology, larger rebuilding of existing structures and new campuses in the district. Since voters approved the package, property taxes will increase by no more than five cents per $100 of valuation, according to the district. For example, if a homeowner's property is valued at $100,000, it will increase by about $4.16. The district's last bond election was in 2007 and addressed similar expenditures for seven years.[2][3]

Key deadlines

The following dates were key deadlines for the Mesquite Independent School District election in 2015:[8][11]

Deadline Event
December 29, 2014 Deadline to post notice of candidate filing deadline
January 28, 2015 First day to file for place on general election ballot
February 27, 2015 Last day to file for place on general election ballot
March 4, 2015 Last day to withdraw from ballot
March 10, 2015 First day to apply for ballot by mail
April 9, 2015 Last day for voter registration with county clerk
Campaign finance report due
April 27, 2015 First day of early voting
April 30, 2015 Last day to apply for ballot by mail
May 1, 2015 Campaign finance report due
May 5, 2015 Last day of early voting
May 9, 2015 Election Day
May 20, 2015 Final day for canvassing of votes
July 15, 2015 Campaign finance report due

Additional elections on the ballot

See also: Texas elections, 2015

The election on May 9, 2015, shared the ballot with other municipal elections in Dallas County.

Recent news

This section links to a Google news search for the term "Mesquite + Independent + School + District + Texas"

See also

Mesquite Independent School District Texas School Boards
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External links

Footnotes