Pat Higgins
2021 - Present
2027
4
Pat Higgins is a member of the Anchorage School District School Board in Alaska, representing Seat E. He assumed office on May 3, 2021. His current term ends in 2027.
Higgins ran for re-election to the Anchorage School District School Board to represent Seat E in Alaska. He won in the general election on April 2, 2024.
Biography
Higgins is a human resources professional with more than 30 years of senior HR management experience in the public and private sector. He has worked and traveled throughout Alaska, from the North Slope when he worked for Alyeska Pipeline to Sitka/Juneau where he served as HR Director and a member of the Executive Management Team for the Alaska Native owned Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium and as a HR consultant for Coastal Villages Region Fund, an organization with fishing and crabbing interests in the Bering Sea that was formed to provide employment and community development opportunities to 20 rural communities on the west coast of Alaska. Higgins graduated from Louisiana State University with a degree in Personnel Management before moving to Anchorage in 1983. He is married to his wife of 35 years, Patti, and has a son, two daughters and one grandson.[1]
Elections
2024
See also: Anchorage School District, Alaska, elections (2024)
General election
General election for Anchorage School District Board of Education Seat E
Incumbent Pat Higgins defeated Kay Schuster in the general election for Anchorage School District Board of Education Seat E on April 2, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Pat Higgins (Nonpartisan) | 54.3 | 35,272 |
 | Kay Schuster (Nonpartisan) | 44.6 | 28,960 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 1.1 | 688 | ||
| Total votes: 64,920 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Higgins in this election.
2021
See also: Anchorage School District, Alaska, elections (2021)
General election
General election for Anchorage School District Board of Education Seat E
The following candidates ran in the general election for Anchorage School District Board of Education Seat E on April 6, 2021.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Pat Higgins (Nonpartisan) | 32.6 | 21,407 |
| Sami Graham (Nonpartisan) | 32.1 | 21,038 | ||
 | Alisha Hilde (Nonpartisan) | 12.6 | 8,265 | |
| Rachel Blakeslee (Nonpartisan) | 9.8 | 6,402 | ||
 | Edgar Blatchford (Nonpartisan) | 8.0 | 5,267 | |
| Nial Sherwood Williams (Nonpartisan) | 4.0 | 2,653 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.9 | 604 | ||
| Total votes: 65,636 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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2018
General election
General election for Alaska House of Representatives District 25
Josh Revak defeated Pat Higgins in the general election for Alaska House of Representatives District 25 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Josh Revak (R) | 51.9 | 3,637 |
| Pat Higgins (D) | 47.9 | 3,356 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.2 | 15 | ||
| Total votes: 7,008 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Alaska House of Representatives District 25
Josh Revak defeated incumbent Charisse Millett in the Republican primary for Alaska House of Representatives District 25 on August 21, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Josh Revak | 57.2 | 969 |
 | Charisse Millett | 42.8 | 725 | |
| Total votes: 1,694 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Alaska Democratic, Libertarian, and Independence parties primary election
Alaska Democratic, Libertarian, and Independence parties primary for Alaska House of Representatives District 25
Pat Higgins advanced from the Alaska Democratic, Libertarian, and Independence parties primary for Alaska House of Representatives District 25 on August 21, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Pat Higgins | 100.0 | 957 |
| Total votes: 957 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2016
Elections for the Alaska House of Representatives took place in 2016. The primary election took place on August 16, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was June 1, 2016.
Incumbent Charisse E. Millett defeated Pat Higgins in the Alaska House of Representatives District 25 general election.[2][3]
| Alaska House of Representatives, District 25 General Election, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  Charisse E. Millett Incumbent |
50.64% | 3,685 | |
| Democratic | Pat Higgins | 49.36% | 3,592 | |
| Total Votes | 7,277 | |||
| Source: Alaska Secretary of State | ||||
Pat Higgins ran unopposed in the Alaska House of Representatives District 25 Democratic Primary.[4][5]
| Alaska House of Representatives, District 25 Democratic Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | |
| Democratic | Pat Higgins (unopposed) | |
Incumbent Charisse E. Millett ran unopposed in the Alaska House of Representatives District 25 Republican Primary.[4][5]
| Alaska House of Representatives, District 25 Republican Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | |
| Republican | Charisse E. Millett Incumbent (unopposed) | |
2014
Pat Higgins defeated newcomers Liz Ross and Dean Williams for Seat C in the general election on April 1, 2014.
Election results
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Patt Higgins Incumbent |
51.9% | 20,250 | |
| Nonpartisan | Dean Williams | 28% | 10,914 | |
| Nonpartisan | Liz Ross | 18.7% | 7,308 | |
| Nonpartisan | Write-in | 1.4% | 531 | |
| Total Votes | 39,003 | |||
| Source: Municipality of Anchorage, "Election Results," accessed June 3, 2014 | ||||
Funding
Higgins did not report any campaign contributions or expenditures to the Alaska Public Offices Commission.[6]
Endorsements
Higgins did not receive any official endorsements for his campaign.
2011
Higgins defeated Bob Griffin and Dustin Darden for Seat C on April 5, 2011. He won with 47.41% of the vote.[7]
2008
Higgins defeated Jim Bailey, David Boyle, David Dunsmore, Leigh Carrigan, Gilbert Sanchez, Steve Pratt, Kathleen Plunkett and Scott Pryde for Seat C on April 1, 2008. He won with 25.53% of the vote.[8]
Campaign themes
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Pat Higgins did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.
2021
Pat Higgins did not complete Ballotpedia's 2021 Candidate Connection survey.
2016
Higgins' campaign website highlighted the following issues:
| “ |
Alaskans can't afford to lose our PFD. I believe that you know how to spend your money better than the government does, and that goes for the PFD as well. One thing is clear: we cannot afford to lose our PFD. The PFD is crucial to our local economy, as well as something that many Alaskans depend on during the year. To take it away, would be incredibly detrimental to those who work so hard in our state. There are other reasonable ways to support the state's budget, without hurting our citizens. If elected to State House, I will work hard for those solutions. Education for the Future. As a father of three children, I have seen first hand how important education is to the future. While serving on the Anchorage School Board for nine years, I worked tirelessly to improve graduation rates for Anchorage's classes. Education and innovation are tied closely together, and with a strong education for our students, Alaska can be a part of an innovative future for everyone. Safety for one, safety for all. First and foremost, safe neighborhoods are vital to every single Alaskan. As a member of State House, I would work with the existing infrastructure of local communities to promote our citizens safety.[9] |
” |
| —Pat Higgins[10] | ||
2014
Higgins' campaign website listed the following campaign themes for 2014:[11]
Career Technology Education (CTE)
|
"The mission of the Anchorage School District is to prepare every student for success in life. To be successful, every student needs to graduate high school with a plan that leads to a career! Every high school graduate must be academically prepared to enter college, but college is only one of many paths that may lead to careers. There are lots of great career options and we need to help students see the connection between school and employment opportunities. Many job opportunities in the construction, medical and engineering career fields do not require a college degree and offer great pay in Alaska! Voters have approved two bonds to expand CTE in middle and high schools. I am proud of my role in promoting more CTE in schools. I was an outspoken Board Member during the past three years on expanding CTE. It keeps kids in school, helps them learn, and gives them the opportunity for a great future!" |
Graduation Rates
|
"During the past six years, the graduation rate has increased every year; it has gone from 63.02% to 76.2%. If you count those who graduate in their fifth year the graduation rate increases to 79.6%. We are on schedule to graduate 90% by 2020! ASD employees are doing a better job of identifying students are risk and providing assistance. This significant improvement but doesn't tell the whole story. Students This progress is impressive, but we must do better. We must help every student to graduate from high school, college and career ready. The cost of drop outs in our community and the country is massive. Drop outs are more likely to be in jail at some point in their life and will earn a fraction of high school graduates. To continue to improve graduation rates, we must expand CTE and provide more intervention at early grades. " |
Drop out rates
|
"During the past three years, dropout rate has declined from 5.1 to 3.59 percent. That means a lot more kids are in school and a lot less are on the streets vulnerable and getting in trouble with the law. It is not easy to keep kids in school when they can drop out at 16. If a student doesn't see the benefit of obtaining a high school diploma, isn't motivate to do the work in class, and doesn't feel welcomed in school they are at great risk of dropping out. CTE, graduation coaches and career guides are making a difference, and we have the hard numbers to see the improvement. But the most important factor is always the great ASD staff and their commitment to keeping students in school! " |
Accountability in the classroom
|
"As a result of a Board directive I proposed and was approved unanimously by the Board; the district is measuring academic improvement for every child, every year. The United States lags in education but we excel at giving high grades. Parents need to know how well they child is advancing with confidence. Teachers need to have factual data to measure their success. And the School Board needs this information to determine what they can do to improve educational outcomes." |
Controlling costs
|
"Tax dollars should be treated with great respect. Every federal, state and local dollar spent on education belongs to the citizens and it is the Board obligation to spend it wisely. One area of concern is administration costs. Administration is jokingly referred to as a necessary evil, but it is necessary to the success of any organization. However, since it doesn't provide educational services directly, controlling how much is spent on administration is important. During the past three years every School Board budget has reduced the percentage spent on administration. But that is only a start. As Chair of the Board Audit Committee, I am committed to conducting management reviews to identify areas for improvement and to cut costs. The first management review was purchasing. An outstanding review was conducted by an external team of experts. The administrative processes involved were identified as outdated and very expensive. New policies will automate 80 percent of all purchases, cut staffing and cost, and improve controls. We are just starting. Management reviews are being planned for several departments and will be expanded even more in the future. The Board is unanimous in our belief that our responsibility for governance requires more that simply approving budgets presented for our approval." |
ASD employees
|
"I believe the public is fortunate to have all the talented teachers we have in Anchorage. I am very concerned of the impact that budget cuts are having on staffing in our classrooms. Increasing classroom sizes and reducing the number of electives undermines our efforts to increase graduation rates, reduce drop outs, and improve academic outcomes. As an HR professional, I believe the lack of a defined benefit retirement system has impacted our recruitment and retention problems of teachers. More than half of the teachers hired five years ago are no longer with the school district. Our retirement system is not competitive with school districts outside of Alaska. I voted with all other School Board Members to recommend that the Legislators re-establish a defined benefit retirement system.." |
Local taxes and state funding
|
"As a School Board Member, I can state that I will never increase your local property taxes! If I wanted to have the ability to make that decision, I would run for the Assembly or Mayor. The School Board does not decide local taxes or State funding. As a taxpayer, I have seen my taxes go up substantially in the past ten years too. But since I only joined the School Board Member three years ago, I wasn't on the Board when the Assembly increased spending from 2000 to 2008. Since I joined the Board in 2008, local tax contributions have not seen the kind of increases in the past. In 2009, there was an increase of 3.4 percent for schools. In 2010, the Assembly provided a small increase, but required ASD to return all the additional money back to the Municipality! In 2011, the Assembly approved a 1.6 percent increase but it required the School District to give all but .7 percent back to the Municipality. Bottom line, during the last four years the Municipality has reduced the amount of money it provides to the district by 2.5 million dollars. The Board's job is to carefully spend what the Assembly, Mayor, Legislator and Governor approve for the School District to spend. When we are given increases less than the rate of inflation, we can still direct money to get maximize the benefit of every public dollar. However, limited resources will eventually limit options such as summer schools and sports. I am disappointed with the State contributions. The State is obligated to fund education as its top priority under our Constitution. It is unreasonable for the Legislature and Governor to not increase the Base Student Allocation (money we can use in the classroom.) Due to inflation this has reduced funding for education more than 10% resulting in the elimination of hundreds of school district positions including teachers. Failure of the Legislature to forward fund education impacts the ability of every school district to effectively plan for the next year. At a 2008 joint meeting of the Assembly, Mayor, and School Board, a lawsuit was proposed to allow the court to determine the funding obligation of the State. That is an option I would support because I am convinced it would dramatically reduce local proper taxes and improve education at the same time." |
Classroom sizes
|
"Last year when the school board cut close to 200 position because of lack of funding from the state; the Board actually increased the number of teachers. I supported this decision because we need to put all resources possible in the classroom. There is nothing more important than the teacher in education. As the classroom size increase, the time spent with each student is reduced. Some students require more time than the teacher has to give because of classroom size, and all students are impacted. I know one positive connection with an adult, often a relative or teacher, motivates a potential drop out to remain in school. The simple solution when the budget needs to be cut is to raise classroom size. However, that does not make it the right place to cut. I believe we must make every effort to cut outside the classroom. Increasing classroom size by cutting teachers should be last option." |
Role of the board
|
"I believe the Board should challenge the District to set and achieve high goals, acknowledge the staff for successes and assume responsibility when it falls short. When I joined the Board, a majority stated their job was to support the Administration. Today, all School Board Members accept that their job is to direct the Administration on its goals. I am proud that the culture of the Board is to listen to the public in making decisions, solicit and consider carefully input from all staff in addition to top Administration management team, and to reconsider decisions when additional information is provided. I am also proud that the current Board has been active in attending training opportunities, school related events, and public ceremonies." |
Note: The above quote is from the candidate's website, which may include some typographical or spelling errors.
See also
2024 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Anchorage School District, "School Board," accessed February 10, 2014
- ↑ State of Alaska Division of Elections, "November 8, 2016 General Election Candidate List," accessed August 22, 2016
- ↑ Alaska Secretary of State, "General Election Official Results 2016," accessed December 2, 2016
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 State of Alaska Division of Elections, "August 16, 2016 Primary Candidate List," accessed June 8, 2016
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 State of Alaska Division of Elections, "2016 Primary Election results," accessed September 12, 2016
- ↑ Alaska Public Offices Commission, "Financial Disclosure," accessed February 10, 2014
- ↑ Municipality of Anchorage, "Election Results," accessed February 10, 2014
- ↑ Municipality of Anchorage, "Election Results," accessed February 10, 2014
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Pat Higgins for State House, "Issues," accessed September 26, 2016
- ↑ Pat Higgins 4 School Board, "Issues," accessed February 10, 2014
