New Bedford Public Schools elections (2013)
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Four seats on the School Committee for New Bedford Public Schools were up for primary election on October 8, 2013, and in the general election on November 5, 2013. Incumbents Jack Nobrega and Lawrence J. Finnerty and newcomer Josh Amaral defeated challengers Brian Pastori, Christopher A. Cotter and Maria H. Mojica-Mosquea to win the three at-large seats with full four-year terms. Incumbent Bruce Oliveira ran unopposed and won an at-large seat with an unexpired two-year term.
About the district
New Bedford Public Schools is located in southeast Massachusetts in Bristol County. The county seat of Bristol County is Taunton. As of the 2010 Census, the county was home to 552,780 residents.[1] In the 2011-2012 school year, New Bedford Public Schools was the eighth-largest school district in Massachusetts and served 12,551 students.[2]
Demographics
Bristol County underperformed compared to the rest of Massachusetts in terms of higher education achievement in 2013. The United States Census Bureau found that 25.3 percent of Bristol County residents aged 25 years and older had attained a bachelor's degree compared to 39.4 percent for Massachusetts as a whole. The median household income in Bristol County was $55,298 compared to $66,866 for the state of Massachusetts. The poverty rate in Bristol County was 12.4 percent compared to 11.4 percent for the entire state.[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.
Method of board member selection
The New Bedford School Committee consists of seven members, six of whom are elected to four-year terms. Each of those six members are elected at-large by all residents in the school district. The seventh member and Chairman is New Bedford's Mayor, who is Jonathan F. Mitchell. The primary election was held on October 8, 2013, and the general election was held on November 5, 2013.
Individuals interested in running for the board began obtaining nominating papers on May 20, 2013. The deadline to submit nomination papers for signature certification for the 2013 general election was August 20, and the filing deadline was September 3.[4]
Elections
2013
Candidates
At-large (4 year term)
- Jack Nobrega
- Incumbent
- Retired, basketball coach
- Lawrence J. Finnerty
- Incumbent
- Retired, educator
- Brian Pastori
- Graduate, University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth
- Staffer, Community Economic Development Center
- Josh Amaral
- Student
- Christopher A. Cotter
- Graduate, University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth
- Detective, New Bedford Police Department
- Maria H. Mojica-Mosquea
- Graduate, University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth
- Resident service coordinator, New Bedford Housing Authority
At-large (2 year term)
- Bruce Oliveira
- Incumbent
- Graduate, University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth
- Small business owner
Election results
| New Bedford Public Schools, At-Large General Election, 4-year term, 2013 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan |  Lawrence J. Finnerty Incumbent |
19.3% | 4,489 | |
| Nonpartisan | Josh Amaral |
19.3% | 4,472 | |
| Nonpartisan | Jack Nobrega Incumbent |
16.9% | 3,921 | |
| Nonpartisan | Maria H. Mojica-Mosquea | 15.9% | 3,687 | |
| Nonpartisan | Christopher A. Cotter | 15.1% | 3,514 | |
| Nonpartisan | Brian Pastori | 13.4% | 3,107 | |
| Nonpartisan | Write-in votes | 0.1% | 33 | |
| Total Votes | 23,223 | |||
| Source: New Bedford Guide, "2013 New Bedford Election Results," accessed November 6, 2013 | ||||
| New Bedford Public Schools, At-Large Special Election, 2-year term, 2013 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan | Bruce Oliveira Incumbent |
100% | 6,501 | |
| Total Votes | 6,501 | |||
| Source: Daniel Anderson, "Email correspondence with the New Bedford Election Commission," December 18, 2013 | ||||
| New Bedford Public Schools, At-Large Primary Election, 4-year term, 2013 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan | Lawrence J. Finnerty Incumbent |
19.9% | 2,682 | |
| Nonpartisan | Jack Nobrega Incumbent |
18.5% | 2,486 | |
| Nonpartisan | Josh Amaral |
16.2% | 2,183 | |
| Nonpartisan | Christopher A. Cotter |
13.8% | 1,856 | |
| Nonpartisan | Maria H. Mojica-Mosquea |
13% | 1,750 | |
| Nonpartisan | Brian Pastori |
11.7% | 1,569 | |
| Nonpartisan | Michael Janson | 7% | 938 | |
| Total Votes | 13,464 | |||
| Source: New Bedford, Massachusetts, "Preliminary Election," accessed October 9, 2013 | ||||
Endorsements
Both the New Bedford Democratic City Committee and the Coalition for Social Justice endorsed Brian Pastori and Maria H. Mojica-Mosquea for the school board seats.[5][6] The Standard-Times also endorsed Mojica-Mosquea, along with Josh Amaral and incumbent Lawrence J. Finnerty.[7]
Campaign finance
Candidates received a total of $4,604.58 and spent a total of $9,109.88 during the election, according to the City of New Bedford.[8]
| Candidate | Contributions | Expenditures | Cash on hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jack Nobrega | $0.00 | $5,509.06 | $82,488.99 |
| Lawrence J. Finnerty | $800.00 | $400.44 | $5,363.96 |
| Brian Pastori | $520.00 | $320.99 | $1,794.00 |
| Josh Amaral | $1,095.00 | $1,561.97 | $1,470.94 |
| Christopher A. Cotter | $0.00 | $16.01 | -$16.01 |
| Maria H. Mojica-Mosquea | $2,198.58 | $1,131.32 | $1,603.38 |
| Michael Janson | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Bruce Oliveira | $0.00 | $170.00 | $5353.57 |
Past elections
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2011
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What was at stake?
Incumbents Jack Nobrega, John Fletcher and Bruce Oliveira announced that they would file for re-election. Oliveira ran unopposed for a two-year term, all other candidates competed for three seats with three-year terms.[9] On August 13, incumbent Lawrence J. Finnerty announced that he would seek municipal office rather than re-election to the School Committee, which left one board seat vacant.[10] South Coast Today journalist Natalie Sherman notes that Finnerty was an independent voice on the board, and that, "...his retirement could shift the internal dynamics of the board."[11] However, Fletcher and Finnerty both ultimately decided to reverse their decisions. Five challengers, Brian Pastori, Josh Amaral, Christopher A. Cotter, Maria H. Mojica-Mosquea and Michael Janson also filed for the four available School Committee seats. In the end, both incumbents, Nobrega and Fletcher, retained their seats and Amaral won a seat on the board.[11]
Issues
In August, 2013, Superintendent Pia Durkin announced that the school district would be laying off more than 200 employees, including 150 teachers. These cuts came in response to budgetary problems within the district, and Superintendent Durkin confirmed that these cuts were final and would not be reversed, unlike layoffs in previous years.[12] Following the announcement of the cuts, Superintendent Durkin admitted that the cuts "created a great deal of angst" in the community.[13] The school district also had "one of the worst records in the state in terms of student test scores and graduation rates."[13] The school board voted to open an "innovation school" to address academic performance issues in the district, which resulted in a backlash from challenger Josh Amaral and the local teachers union, the New Bedford Educators Association.[11]
Key deadlines
The following dates were key deadlines for the New Bedford Public Schools election in 2013:[4]
| Deadline | Event |
|---|---|
| May 20, 2013 | First day to pick up nomination papers |
| August 20, 2013 | Last day to submit nomination papers for signature certification |
| September 3, 2013 | Last day to file nomination papers with the Board of Election Commissioners. |
| September 5, 2013 | Last day and hour for filing withdrawals or objections to nomination papers |
| September 18, 2013 | Last day to register to vote in the city primary election |
| October 1, 2013 | Last day for candidates and PACs to file campaign finance reports |
| October 8, 2013 | Primary election day |
| October 14, 2013 | Last day to file recount petitions |
| October 16, 2013 | Last day to register to vote in the city general election |
| October 28, 2013 | Last day for candidates and PACs to file campaign finance reports |
| November 5, 2013 | Election day |
| November 15, 2013 | Last day to file recount petitions |
Additional elections on the ballot
This election only shared the ballot with other municipal elections, including the re-election effort of Mayor Jonathan F. Mitchell, who served as the Chairman of the School Committee. No additional measures appeared on the ballot.
See also
- School board elections review: Voters opt for experience over new blood in nation's largest school districts
- School board election wrap-up: Incumbents re-elected overwhelmingly in November 5 elections
- Massachusetts
- New Bedford Public Schools, Massachusetts
- List of school board elections in 2013
- Bristol County, Massachusetts ballot measures
- Local ballot measures, Massachusetts
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 United States Census Bureau, "Bristol County, Massachusetts," accessed January 26, 2015
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "ELSI Table Generator," accessed April 22, 2014
- ↑ Massachusetts Secretary of State, "Enrollment Breakdown as of 2/15/2012," accessed November 18, 2013
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 City of New Bedford, Massachusetts, "Local Election Calendar ," accessed August 16, 2013
- ↑ Richard M. Drolet, South Coast Today, "Endorsement: School Committee," November 1, 2013
- ↑ Facebook, "Coalition for Social Justice," accessed October 11, 2013
- ↑ South Coast Today, "Our View: School Committee endorsements," November 3, 2013
- ↑ City of New Bedford, "Campaign Disclosures," accessed February 11, 2014
- ↑ New Bedford Guide, "2013 New Bedford Elections," accessed November 5, 2013
- ↑ Natalie Sherman, South Coast Today, "Municipal elections housekeeping," August 13, 2013
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Natalie Sherman, South Coast Today, "Observers point to possibility of turnover in New Bedford School Committee election," July 13, 2013
- ↑ Jim Phillips, WBSM, "Durkin: 2013 Will Be Challenging School Year," August 8, 2013
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Natalie Sherman, South Coast Today, "Pia Durkin wastes no time tackling New Bedford's school problems," August 4, 2013
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