Middleton-Cross Plains School District elections (2017)
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Three seats on the Middleton-Cross Plains School District school board were up for at-large general election on April 4, 2017. Area II incumbent Bob Green and Area IV incumbents Annette Ashley and Paul Kinne were all unopposed in their bids for re-election and won additional terms on the board.[1][2]
The 2016 election in the Middleton-Cross Plains district was also unopposed. Area I incumbent Kelly Kalscheur won another term on the board, and newcomers Kurt Karbusicky and Todd Smith secured the Area III and IV seats, respectively, without facing any opposition.
Elections
Voter and candidate information
The Middleton-Cross Plains school board consists of nine publicly elected members. While members are elected at large and serve the entire district, they must reside in particular geographic areas within the district to run for particular seats on the board. The number of seats is not equally divided among the districts.
The Springfield, West Middleton, and central areas—Areas I, III, and V respectively—have one member each on the board. Cross Plains, or Area II, has two members. The remaining area, Area IV, covering Middleton and Westport, has four members. Areas II, IV, and V each had one seat up for election each on April 7, 2015. Areas I, III, and IV each had one seat up for election on April 5, 2016. The remaining one Area II seat and two Area IV seats were up for election on April 4, 2017.[3]
School board candidates had to be at least 18 years old, U.S. citizens, and residents of the school district for a minimum of 28 consecutive days before filing as a candidate. They also could not be disqualified from voting under Wisconsin law.[4]
To get on the ballot, school board candidates had to file nomination papers with the school district clerk by January 3, 2017. If incumbents whose terms were up for re-election did not file to run in the race and did not file written notification that they would not be running, the candidate filing deadline could have been extended until January 6, 2017. The terms of candidates elected in the race started on April 24, 2017.[4]
Candidates and results
Area II
Results
| Middleton-Cross Plains School District, Area II General Election, 3-year term, 2017 |
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| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Bob Green Incumbent (unopposed) |
99.00% | 5,163 |
| Write-in votes | 1% | 52 |
| Total Votes | 5,215 | |
| Source: Elisabeth Moore, "Email correspondence with Cheryl Janssen," May 24, 2017 | ||
Candidates
Bob Green
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Area IV
Results
| Middleton-Cross Plains School District, Area IV General Election, 3-year terms, 2017 |
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|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Annette Ashley Incumbent |
54.31% | 4,604 |
| Paul Kinne Incumbent |
45.01% | 3,816 |
| Write-in votes | 0.68% | 58 |
| Total Votes | 8,478 | |
| Source: Elisabeth Moore, "Email correspondence with Cheryl Janssen," May 24, 2017 | ||
Candidates
| Annette Ashley
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Paul Kinne
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Additional elections on the ballot
- See also: Wisconsin elections, 2017
The Middleton-Cross Plains School District school board election shared the ballot with elections for the office of Wisconsin Superintendent of Public Instruction and one seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court.[5]
Key deadlines
The following dates were key deadlines for Wisconsin school board elections in 2017:[6][7]
| Deadline | Event |
|---|---|
| January 3, 2017 | Candidate filing deadline |
| January 16, 2017 | Campaign finance deadline for candidates registered before January 1 |
| February 13, 2017 | Campaign finance deadline for districts holding primary elections |
| March 27, 2017 | Campaign finance deadline for general election |
| April 4, 2017 | Election Day |
| April 24, 2017 | Board members take office |
| July 15, 2017 | Post-election campaign finance deadline |
Endorsements
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
No candidate in this election reported contributions or expenditures, according to the Middleton-Cross Plains School District.[8]
All school board candidates in Wisconsin were required to file a campaign registration statement with the Wisconsin Ethics Commission after qualifying as candidates. This statement declares their candidacy to the county clerk's office and allows them to claim exemption from reporting campaign contributions and expenditures. Candidates were only required to report campaign contributions and expenditures if they did one or both of the following:[9]
- Accepted contributions, made disbursements, or incurred debt in excess of $2,000 during the calendar year
- Accepted more than $100 from a single source during the calendar year, barring contributions made by candidates to their own campaigns
There were three campaign finance report deadlines in 2017:
- The pre-primary report was due February 13, 2017,
- The pre-election report was due March 27, 2017, and
- The post-election report was due July 15, 2017.[10]
Candidates who filed before January 1, 2017, also had to file a continuing campaign finance report on January 16, 2017.[7]
Past elections
Information about earlier elections can be found by clicking [show] at the right. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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2016Area I
Area III
Area IV
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What was at stake?
Report a story for this election
Ballotpedia researches issues in school board elections across the United States, but information availability is a challenge for us in many school districts. Please contact us about the issues that impact your local school district. Note that not all submissions may meet Ballotpedia's coverage requirements for inclusion.
Candidate survey
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Ballotpedia invites school board candidates to participate in its annual survey. |
Candidate forum
Bob Green and Annette Ashley participated in a candidate Q&A with the League of Women Voters of Dane County. The tables below compare their answers to the questions.[11]
| What in your professional and community background qualifies you for this elective office? | |
|---|---|
| Bob Green | Annette Ashley |
| "My wife Carla and I are long time residents of Cross Plains. We have two children Nicholas and Andrea that attended and graduated from Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District. I currently serve on the Village of Cross Plains Zoning Board of Appeals and as Board President of the Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District. I have served on the Village of Cross Plains Police Committee. I have also served on the Asbury United Methodist Church Council and as Chair of the Trustees."[11] | "Throughout the course of my career and my community involvement, one of the roles I fill most frequently is that of problem-solver. With a combination of creativity and resourcefulness, I strive to make every challenge a win-win situation for those involved. I bring experience in stretching resources, in creating new approaches and thinking outside of the box. My involvement in past referenda will be beneficial as our district faces future funding limitations and space constraints. Lastly, I bring a commitment to diversity and inclusiveness as we work to increase opportunities and eliminate barriers for all students."[11] |
| What are the most important budget issues facing your school district, and what are your ideas for addressing them? | |
|---|---|
| Bob Green | Annette Ashley |
| "After the passage of Act 10, our public schools are being asked to do more with less money. Thankfully with our increasing enrollment, our school district is able to fund a basic budget and offer small raises to our teachers and employees. However our increasing enrollment is creating pressure on our existing infrastructure. At our current growth rate, we will be looking to add to our Elementary andi High schools in the near future. We are currently working with a citizen Facilities Planning Committee for new options."[11] | "The biggest budget challenges to public education is the private school voucher program and the funding formula. Every dime shifted to private school vouchers reduces public education funding, and siphons funds from public schools. Districts across the state face limited resources, program cuts and reduced staff. The current funding formula is no longer feasible in today’s funding environment, and needs to be re-examined. It’s time to look at a formula that isn’t tied to property taxes alone but is sustainable and consistent from year to year, allowing districts to retain highly-trained and appropriately paid teachers to deliver quality education."[11] |
| What criteria would you use to evaluate proposals for a new public charter school in your district? | |
|---|---|
| Bob Green | Annette Ashley |
| "I believe that our school district does a good job educating our children. A new public charter school would need to offer new ideas and methods of teaching that we are not currently offering. There would need to be a well thought out plan using proven metrics that is also financially viable. There would need to be strong community support as well."[11] | "Charter Schools are viewed as new, innovative, community approaches to providing public education with the potential to specialize in certain areas (i.e. math, science, the arts). For evaluation purposes, the following criteria are important: access, academic excellence, accountability and community support. Student selection must be random to assure that every part of the community has open access to opportunities. Due to its unique approach, academic standards higher than traditional public schools should be established, requiring the collection of data to substantiate academic achievement and insure financial accountability. Strong support from parents, teachers and community partnerships is necessary for success."[11] |
| With fewer journalists dedicated to covering education issues, what do you see as your role in advocacy with the community? | |
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| Bob Green | Annette Ashley |
| "As a School Board member, it is important that we communicate with both parents and taxpayers the difficulties our schools face. While our schools are performing well, we still face the same funding and regulatory issues that all our state schools face. We will continue to work with local advocacy groups, PTA's, and other community groups to educate the public as these issues arise."[11] | "Legislative advocacy is essential to a strong education system. With less information available to parents and citizens, it is important for board members to include legislative updates as board meeting agenda items, educate parents within the district, support public education advocacy groups, contact legislators and recognize school successes. It is incumbent upon school board members to share our stories regarding how school districts are impacted to advocate for our students and the taxpayers who support them. Our schools are the heart of our communities, and legislators need to realize their actions are harming communities across the state."[11] |
Election trends
- See also: School board elections, 2017
The Middleton-Cross Plains School District saw unopposed elections in both 2016 and 2017. In 2015, the Wisconsin state average of unopposed seats was 32.00 percent, and the U.S. average was 35.95 percent. During the same year, 35.29 percent of the seats up for election in Wisconsin were filled by newcomers, while newcomers won 40.81 percent of school board seats in the largest school districts across the United States. The state saw a lower rate of seats won by newcomers in 2014 when that rate was 23.33 percent, while it was 38.24 percent in the U.S.
| School board election trends | |||||
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| Year | Candidates per seat | Unopposed seats | Incumbent success rate | Seats won by newcomers | |
| Middleton-Cross Plains School District | |||||
| 2017 | 1.00 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 0.00% | |
| 2016 | 1.00 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 66.66% | |
| Wisconsin | |||||
| 2015 | 1.38 | 32.00% | 84.00% | 35.29% | |
| 2014 | 1.40 | 46.67% | 88.46% | 23.33% | |
| United States | |||||
| 2015 | 1.72 | 35.95% | 82.66% | 40.81% | |
| 2014 | 1.89 | 32.59% | 81.31% | 38.24% | |
About the district
The Middleton-Cross Plains School District serves the communities of Middleton and Cross Plains in Dane County. The seat of county government is Madison. Located in south-central Wisconsin, the county was home to approximately 523,643 residents between 2010 and 2015, according to the United States Census Bureau. The district was the 22nd-largest school district in the state in the 2014-2015 school year and served 6,754 students.[12][13]
Demographics
Higher education achievement
Dane County outperformed Wisconsin as a whole in terms of higher education achievement between 2011 and 2015. The United States Census Bureau found that 47.9 percent of county residents aged 25 years and older had attained a bachelor's degree or higher, compared to 27.8 percent for the state as a whole, and 29.8 percent for the entire country.[13]
Median household income
From 2011 to 2015, the median household income in the county was $62,865, compared to $53,357 for the state as a whole. During that same period, the median household income for the entire United States was $53,889.[13]
Poverty rate
The poverty rate in Dane County was 11.2 percent from 2011 to 2015. During that same period, the poverty rate was 12.1 percent statewide, and it was 13.5 percent for the country as a whole.[13]
| Racial Demographics, 2015[13] | ||
|---|---|---|
| Race | Dane County (%) | Wisconsin (%) |
| White | 85.8 | 87.6 |
| Black or African American | 5.4 | 6.6 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.5 | 1.1 |
| Asian | 5.8 | 2.8 |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander | 0.1 | 0.1 |
| Two or More Races | 2.5 | 1.8 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 6.3 | 6.6 |
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 Middleton-Cross Plains School District Wisconsin election. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
| Middleton-Cross Plains School District | Wisconsin | School Boards |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Elisabeth Moore, "Email exchange with Cheryl Janssen," January 6, 2017
- ↑ Dane County, "2017 Spring Election Unofficial Canvas," accessed April 4, 2017
- ↑ Middleton-Cross Plains School District Policy Manual, "Policy I-D," November 28, 2011
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Wisconsin Association of School Boards, "Guide for Candidates: 2017 Spring Election Edition," accessed December 16, 2016
- ↑ Wisconsin Election Commission, "Candidate Tracking by Office: 2017 Spring Election - 4/4/2017," accessed December 16, 2016
- ↑ Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, "Guided for Candidates," accessed December 16, 2016
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Wisconsin Ethics Commission, "Campaign Finance Checklist," accessed December 16, 2016
- ↑ Elisabeth Moore, "Email exchange with Cheryl Janssen," March 29, 2017
- ↑ Wisconsin State Legislature, "11.0104 Reporting exemptions: limited activity," accessed December 15, 2016
- ↑ Wisconsin Ethics Commission, "Filing Deadlines and Reporting Periods," accessed December 15, 2016
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 11.6 11.7 11.8 League of Women Voters of Dane County, "Middleton-Cross Plains Area School Board," accessed April 3, 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
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 United States Census Bureau, "Dane County, Wisconsin," accessed January 13, 2017
| Middleton-Cross Plains School District elections in 2017 | |
| Dane County, Wisconsin | |
| Election date: | April 4, 2017 |
| Candidates: | Area II: Incumbent, Bob Green Area IV: Incumbent, Annette Ashley • Incumbent, Paul Kinne |
| Important information: | What was at stake? |
