Paul Chinaris
Paul Chinaris
was
a candidate for the District 1 seat on the Brevard School Board in Florida. He
was defeated by
Misty Belford in the general election on August 26, 2014.
Biography
Chinaris grew up in southern Florida. He graduated from Coconut Creek High School, and went on to receive an associate degree in criminal justice from Broward Community College and a bachelor's degree in criminology at Florida State University. He interned with the Leon County Public Defender's office.[1]
Currently, Chinaris runs his own company, World Electronics & Consulting, Inc., which he started in 1997. He is a member of the Titusville Area Chamber of Commerce and the Cocoa Rotary Club. He also serves on the Superintendents Insurance Advisory Board for Brevard County Public Schools. Previously, he was a member of the City of Cocoa Planning and Zoning Board.[1]
Chinaris is married to Carmella D'Andrea. They have two children who both attended Merritt Island Christian School, Enterprise Elementary and Space Coast Junior Senior High School.[1]
Elections
2014
- See also: Brevard Public Schools elections (2014)
The August 26, 2014, general election in Brevard County featured three seats up for election. Andy Ziegler was the only incumbent to seek re-election in 2014. He faced challengers Denise Coyle, Dale D. Davis and Dean Paterakis in the District 5 election. The general elections for Districts 1 and 2 featured challengers seeking to replace outgoing board members Barbara A. Murray and Michael Krupp. Misty Belford and Paul Chinaris were competing in the District 1 race while John Craig, Bob Mentillo and Keith Yarbrough were vying for the District 2 seat.
The general election determined if candidates for each seat could garner a majority of the vote total. Since no candidate received 50 percent plus one of the general election votes in Districts 3 and 5, the top two vote recipients in those races advanced to the runoff election on November 4, 2014.
Belford won the general election for District 1. The races for Districts 3 and 5 were decided in the runoff election. Craig and Yarbrough advanced to the runoff election for District 3, while Ziegler and Coyle advanced for District 5.
Results
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan |  Misty Belford |
56.3% | 8,297 | |
| Nonpartisan | Paul Chinaris | 43.7% | 6,438 | |
| Total Votes | 14,735 | |||
| Source: Brevard County Supervisor of Elections, "2014 Primary Election Official Results," September 2, 2014 | ||||
Funding
Chinaris reported $18,369.20 in monetary contributions, $350.57 in-kind contributions and $18,348.46 in expenditures to the Brevard County Supervisor of Elections, which left his campaign with $20.74 on hand.[2]
Endorsements
Chinaris was endorsed by the Brevard County Firefighters.[3]
Campaign themes
2014
Chinaris made the following statements regarding these issue on his campaign website.
Finance and Budget Issues
| “ | Financial uncertainties such as state funding and the half-penny sales tax initiative leave many unanswered questions about the school budget. I will work with the board and administration to make the tough and necessary decisions with the quality of our children’s education always the first priority.
My experience in the construction trade will prove invaluable in making the many decisions regarding capital projects and expenditures facing the Brevard Public Schools. As a successful business owner tasked with making payroll for 18 years, I understand the concept of fiscal responsibility. I’ve never made it a habit to “spend checks that haven’t cleared the bank”.[4] |
” |
| —Chinaris (2014)[5] | ||
Teachers
| “ | In recent years the challenges and demands teachers must meet have increased exponentially. This is due only in part to budget constraints. Convoluted evaluation processes, noncompliance with class size amendment, fewer teachers and less planning time in secondary schools are a few of the issues that make it harder for teachers to do the important job that they do so well, educating our students.
Brevard schools are among the very best in Florida. In 2013 Brevard County ranked 8th of 67 districts in ACT scores. Of the few districts in the state who administer the ACT test to 100% of their juniors, Brevard was ranked 1st by a wide margin. It is our teachers who work tirelessly to make that so. We entrust our teachers to care for and educate our children. Teachers deserve our respect, our appreciation and our support.[4] |
” |
| —Chinaris (2014)[5] | ||
Education Paths
| “ | The state is decreasing its funding of the dual enrollment program. I will work with Eastern Florida State College to continue the mandated program started locally by my friend and fellow Rotarian Dr. Bob Anderson. This Program helps many families with the skyrocketing costs of college education.
I am a strong proponent of vocational education. Our school district is a leader in vocational/technical programs, and I encourage the growth of these programs.[4] |
” |
| —Chinaris (2014)[5] | ||
Security
| “ | I will work with security experts, the sheriff’s office and local law enforcement to keep our children safe. I believe in reducing crime through environmental design. This means fencing schools as needed and implementing any other procedure needed to protect our most important asset-OUR CHILDREN.[4] | ” |
| —Chinaris (2014)[5] | ||
Outreach
| “ | I will reach out to city and county officials, and our local business leaders to influence our elected representatives in Tallahassee. We must work to reverse the trend of new legislation that continually chips away at K-12 public school funding..[4] | ” |
| —Chinaris (2014)[5] | ||
Honest, Open, Transparent Policy
| “ | It is the school board’s job to formulate policy for the district, as well as to advise and counsel the superintendent in the administrating of that policy. I welcome input from all stakeholders. A quality school system means that Brevard County is attractive to new residents and new businesses.
For my constituents and all of Brevard County, I pledge to work to the best of my ability to protect our children and to promote quality education for them using fiscal responsibility as the standard.[4] |
” |
| —Chinaris (2014)[5] | ||
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term "Paul + Chinaris + Brevard + Public + Schools + Florida"
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Paul Chinaris, "About," accessed August 21, 2014
- ↑ Brevard County Supervisor of Elections, "Candidate Contributions and Expenditures," accessed October 27, 2014
- ↑ Paul Chinaris, "Homepage," accessed August 21, 2014
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 Paul Chinaris, "The Issues," accessed August 21, 2014
| 2014 Brevard Public Schools Elections | |
| Brevard County, Florida | |
| Election date: | August 26, 2014 |
| Candidates: | District 1: • Misty Belford • Paul Chinaris District 2: • John Craig • Bob Mentillo • Keith Yarbrough |
| Important information: | What was at stake? • Key deadlines • Additional elections on the ballot |
