Orange Unified School District elections (2016)
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Three of the seven seats on the Orange Unified School District Board of Education were up for general election on November 8, 2016. In his bid for re-election, Trustee Area 2 incumbent John Ortega defeated challenger Daniel Correa. In Trustee Area 3, incumbent Alexia Deligianni-Brydges ran unopposed and won re-election by default. The race for the open Trustee Area 6 seat featured candidates Nicole Baitx-Kennedy, Brenda Lebsack, and Jeremy Wayland, and Lebsack won.[1][2] On top of choosing candidates to represent Trustee Areas 2 and 6, citizens of the school district also voted on a $288 million bond measure.
Elections
Voter and candidate information
The Orange Unified Board of Education consists of seven members elected to four-year terms. Elections are held on a staggered basis every November of even-numbered years. Four seats were up for election on November 4, 2014, one seat was up for special election to a two-year term on March 1, 2016, and three seats were up for election on November 8, 2016. There was no primary election.[3]
To get on the ballot, school board candidates had to register with the county elections office by August 12, 2016. If incumbents did not file by that deadline, the filing deadline was extended for non-incumbent candidates until August 17, 2016. In order to qualify as candidates, they had to be at least 18 years old, citizens of California, residents of the school district, registered voters, and "not legally disqualified from holding civil office," according to the bylaws of the Orange Unified Board of Education. Once they took office, school board members could not be employed by the school district.[4][5]
To vote in this election, residents of the school district had to register by October 24, 2016.[6] Photo identification was not required to vote in this election.[7]
Candidates and results
Trustee Area 2
Results
| Orange Unified School District, Trustee Area 2 General Election, 4-year term, 2016 |
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| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 John Ortega Incumbent |
62.74% | 45,065 |
| Daniel Correa | 37.26% | 26,768 |
| Total Votes | 71,833 | |
| Source: Orange County Registrar of Voters, "2016 Presidential General Election Official Results for Election," accessed December 7, 2016 | ||
Candidates
John Ortega 
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Daniel Correa | ||
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Trustee Area 3
Results
This race was canceled due to lack of opposition. Incumbent Alexia Deligianni-Brydges won re-election by default.[1]
Candidates
| Alexia Deligianni-Brydges
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Trustee Area 6
Results
| Orange Unified School District, Trustee Area 6 General Election, 4-year term, 2016 |
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| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Brenda Lebsack |
57.95% | 42,020 |
| Jeremy Wayland | 27.49% | 19,935 |
| Nicole Baitx-Kennedy | 14.56% | 10,562 |
| Total Votes | 72,517 | |
| Source: Orange County Registrar of Voters, "2016 Presidential General Election Official Results for Election," accessed December 7, 2016 | ||
Candidates
| Nicole Baitx-Kennedy | Brenda Lebsack
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Jeremy Wayland | |||
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Additional elections on the ballot
- See also: California elections, 2016
The district's school board election shared the ballot with a bond measure for the school district, a number of statewide ballot measures, and elections for the following offices:[8][9]
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Key deadlines
The following dates were key deadlines for California school board elections in 2016:[10][11]
| Deadline | Event |
|---|---|
| August 1, 2016 | Semi-annual campaign finance report due |
| August 10, 2016 - November 8, 2016 | 24-hour campaign contribution reporting period |
| August 12, 2016 | Candidate filing deadline |
| August 17, 2016 | Extended filing deadline for non-incumbent candidates for open seats |
| September 29, 2016 | First pre-election campaign finance report due |
| October 24, 2016 | Voter registration deadline |
| October 27, 2016 | Second pre-election campaign finance report due |
| November 8, 2016 | Election Day |
| January 31, 2017 | Semi-annual campaign finance report due |
Endorsements
The Orange Unified Education Association endorsed Trustee Area 2 incumbent John Ortega.[12] CCSA Advocates endorsed Ortega and Trustee Area 6 candidate Brenda Lebsack.[13] The community organization Evolve endorsed Trustee Area 6 candidate Jeremy Wayland.[14]
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
Candidates in this race were required to file two pre-election reports. The first was due on September 29, 2016, and the second was due on October 27, 2016. If candidates received more than $1,000 from a single source between August 10, 2016, and November 8, 2016, they had to file a campaign finance report within 24 hours of receiving the contribution.[11]
Candidates who did not raise or spend more than $2,000 on their campaigns had to file an exemption form by September 29, 2016. They did not have to file additional campaign finance reports.[11]
Candidates who had a remaining balance from previous campaigns or who had raised or spent money on their campaigns prior to the candidate filing deadline had to file a semi-annual campaign finance report by August 1, 2016. The next semi-annual campaign finance report was due January 31, 2017.[11]
Reports
No contributions or expenditures were reported in the election, according to the Orange County Registrar of Voters.[15]
Past elections
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2016
2014Trustee Area 1This election was canceled due to lack of opposition. Trustee Area 1 incumbent Diane Singer was re-elected by default.[16] Trustee Area 4
Trustee Area 5
Trustee Area 7
2012Trustee Area 2This election was canceled due to lack of opposition. Incumbent John Ortega was re-elected by default.[17] Trustee Area 3
Trustee Area 6
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What was at stake?
2016
Issues in the election
Measure S
In addition to choosing candidates for the Trustee Area 2 and 6 seats on the Orange Unified School District Board of Education, citizens of the school district voted on Measure S on November 8, 2016. The measure asked for $288 million in bonds to upgrade and repair the school district's facilities. A 55 percent majority was required for the measure to pass. It was approved with over 60 percent of the vote.[18] The measure appeared on the ballot as follows:
| “ | To repair and modernize aging high school classrooms, labs and school facilities, including deteriorated roofs, plumbing, and electrical systems, complete earthquake safety retrofits, improve campus safety/security, and upgrade careertraining facilities, science labs, libraries, and technology that support student achievement in math, science, engineering and skilled trades, shall Orange Unified School District issue $288,000,000 in bonds, at legal interest rates, with independent citizen oversight, no money for administrators’ salaries, and all money locally-controlled?[19] | ” |
| —Orange Unified School District (2016)[20] | ||
Issues in the district
Ballot measure seeks to implement term limits
A measure to implement term limits for members of the Orange Unified Board of Education was on the ballot on June 7, 2016. The measure asked voters if board members should be limited to serving a maximum of three four-year terms.[21] Voters approved the measure with over 86 percent of them casting ballots in favor.[22]
The board voted 6-1 to place the measure on the ballot in March 2016. Trustee Kathy Moffat was the lone dissenting vote. She said research indicated that term limits could erase institutional memory, make board members rely on staff and outside influencers, and decide on "quick fixes" rather than long-term solutions. “Having less experience is counterproductive,” Moffat said.[23]
Trustee John Ortega, who originally brought up the measure, said that 12 years was a long time. Trustee Mark Wayland said term limits would help bring new perspectives to the board and counteract incumbency advantage. “It’s easier to run, and you spend less money if you don’t have to go up against the 'I' word,” Wayland said.[23]
The following impartial analysis of the measure was prepared by the office of the Orange County Counsel:
| “ |
California Education Code section 35107 allows the governing board of a school district to submit a proposal to limit the number of terms a member of its governing board can serve to voters for approval. If approved by a majority of voters voting on the measure, the measure would only apply prospectively. Presently, the Board of Education of the Orange Unified School District consists of seven members. Each Board member has a term of four years and, currently, there are no limits on the number of terms a Board member may serve. This measure was placed on the ballot by the Board of Education for the Orange Unified School District. The measure would restrict any member from serving more than three terms on the Board of Education consisting of four years each whether served consecutively or nonconsecutively. Members that have served the lifetime three term maximum allowed under this measure would not be able to serve on the Board of Education again. If the majority of the voters within the Orange Unified School District voting on the proposal vote 'yes,' members of the Board of Education would be subject to a lifetime term limit of three terms consisting of four years each whether served consecutively or nonconsecutively. A 'no' vote on this measure will disapprove the proposal and no term limits will be established.[19] |
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| —Orange County Counsel (2016)[24] | ||
Want to see how this election related to state and national trends on this topic? Ballotpedia tracked this issue in the 2016 election cycle so you can see the connections and impact on this race in context.
Candidate survey
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About the district
The Orange Unified School District is located in Orange County in southern California. The county seat is Santa Ana. Orange County was home to 3,169,776 residents in 2015, according to the United States Census Bureau.[25] The district was the 36th-largest school district in the state in the 2013–2014 school year and served 29,750 students.[26]
Demographics
Orange County outperformed California as a whole in terms of higher education achievement from 2010 to 2014. The United States Census Bureau found that 37.3 percent of county residents aged 25 years and older had attained a bachelor's degree, compared to 31 percent of state residents. The median household income for Orange County was $75,998, compared to $61,489 for the entire state. The percentage of people in poverty in the county was 12.9 percent, while it was 16.4 percent statewide.[25]
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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.
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms 'Orange Unified School District' 'California'. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
| Orange Unified School District | California | School Boards |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Orange County Registrar of Voters, "Candidate Filing Log," accessed August 15, 2016
- ↑ Orange County, "Orange County Unofficial Results for Election," accessed November 9, 2016
- ↑ Orange Unified School District, "Board of Education," accessed July 28, 2016
- ↑ Orange Unified School District, "BB 9220(a): Governing Board Elections," accessed July 28, 2016
- ↑ California Elections Code, “Part 5, Section 10600-10604: School District And Community College District Governing Board Elections,” accessed June 15, 2016
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "Voter Registration," accessed June 13, 2016
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "California Online Voter Registration," accessed June 13, 2016
- ↑ Orange County Registrar of Voters, "Candidate Filing Log," accessed September 23, 2016
- ↑ Orange County Registrar of Voters, "Measures Appearing on the Ballot," accessed September 23, 2016
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "November 8, 2016, General Election Calendar," accessed July 27, 2016
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 California Fair Political Practices Commission, "Filing Schedule for Candidates and Controlled Committees for Local Office Being Voted on November 8, 2016," accessed July 27, 2016
- ↑ California Teachers Association, "CTA Locally Endorsed Candidates," September 28, 2016
- ↑ CCSA Advocates, "Our Endorsements: November 2016 Elections," accessed October 27, 2016
- ↑ Evolve, "Endorsements: November 8, 2016 General Election," accessed October 13, 2016
- ↑ Orange County Registrar of Voters, "Orange County Public Portal for Campaign Finance Disclosure," accessed March 7, 2017
- ↑ California Election Code, "Section 10229," accessed October 13, 2014
- ↑ Orange Unified School District Board of Education, "Regular Meeting Minutes," December 13, 2012
- ↑ Orange County Registrar of Voters, "Election Results," accessed November 14, 2016
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Orange County Registrar of Voters, "Ballot Measures-S," accessed November 2, 2016
- ↑ Voter's Edge, "Orange Unified School District Measure G," accessed May 27, 2016
- ↑ Orange County, "2016 Presidential Primary Election," accessed June 8, 2016
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 Foothills Sentry, "Voters will decide term limits for OUSD board," accessed May 31, 2016
- ↑ Orange County Registrar of Voters, "Impartial Analysis Orange Unified School District Measure G," accessed May 27, 2016
- ↑ 25.0 25.1 25.2 United States Census Bureau, "Orange County, California," accessed July 19, 2016
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "ELSI Table Generator," accessed November 16, 2015
- ↑ Orange County Registrar of Voters, "Election Results Archive," accessed July 11, 2014
| 2016 Orange Unified School District Elections | |
| Orange County, California | |
| Election date: | November 8, 2016 |
| Candidates: | Trustee Area 2: • Incumbent, John Ortega • Daniel Correa Trustee Area 3: • Incumbent, Alexia Deligianni-Brydges Trustee Area 6: • Nicole Baitx-Kennedy • Brenda Lebsack • Jeremy Wayland |
| Important information: | What was at stake? • Additional elections on the ballot • Key deadlines |
