Peggy Kelland
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Peggy Kelland is an at-large representative on the Wappingers Central School District school board in New York. First elected in 2014, Kelland won a new term in the at-large general election on May 16, 2017.
Kelland participated in Ballotpedia's 2017 school board candidate survey. Click here to read her responses.
Elections
2017
Four of the nine seats on the Wappingers Central School District Board of Education were up for general election on May 16, 2017. Three of the seats were up for election to regular three-year terms, but the fourth seat was up for election to a one-year term due to an appointment on the board.[1] Incumbents Peggy Kelland, John Lumia, and Tracy Pelton and challenger Keith Odums ran unopposed and won the election.[2] Pelton won the one-year term as she received the fewest votes.[3][4]
Results
| Wappingers Central School District, At-large General Election, 3- and 1-year terms, 2017 |
||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Keith Odums |
25.56% | 2,212 |
| John Lumia Incumbent |
25.50% | 2,207 |
| Peggy Kelland Incumbent |
25.14% | 2,176 |
| Tracy Pelton Incumbent |
23.80% | 2,060 |
| Total Votes | 8,655 | |
| Source: Wappingers Central School District, "Verified Vote Results 2017," accessed September 6, 2017 | ||
Funding
Kelland reported no contributions or expenditures to the New York State Board of Elections in the election.[5]
Endorsements
Kelland was endorsed by the Wappingers Congress of Teachers.[6]
2014
Peggy Kelland, fellow newcomers Tracy V. Pelton and Seema Rizvi, and incumbents Ved Shravah and John Lumia defeated six challengers for the five at-large seats in the general election on May 20, 2014.
The resignations of board members Thomas Piliouras and Daniel Miller in February 2014 led to an increase in the number of seats up for election from three to five. The candidate who received the fourth-most votes in the May election, Seema Rizvi, received Piliouras' seat, which carried an unexpired two-year term. The candidate who received the fifth-most votes in the May election, Ved Shravah, received Miller's seat, which carried an unexpired one-year term.[7][8]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | John Lumia Incumbent |
12.8% | 3,197 | |
| Nonpartisan | Peggy Kelland |
12.4% | 3,076 | |
| Nonpartisan | Tracy V. Pelton |
11.4% | 2,835 | |
| Nonpartisan | Seema Rizvi |
10% | 2,490 | |
| Nonpartisan | Ved Shravah Incumbent |
9.6% | 2,398 | |
| Nonpartisan | Stephen Perillo | 8.8% | 2,192 | |
| Nonpartisan | Anne LaValle | 8.4% | 2,098 | |
| Nonpartisan | Matthew Henning | 7.4% | 1,847 | |
| Nonpartisan | Eddy A. Sloshower | 7.1% | 1,759 | |
| Nonpartisan | Emanuele Marinaro | 7% | 1,731 | |
| Nonpartisan | Charles J. Ricotta | 5.1% | 1,275 | |
| Total Votes | 24,898 | |||
| Source: Poughkeepsie Journal, "Wappingers budget passes; 5 win seats," May 20, 2014 | ||||
Funding
Kelland did not file a campaign finance report with the New York State Board of Elections during the election.[9][10]
Endorsements
Kelland was endorsed by the Wappingers Congress of Teachers.[11]
Campaign themes
2017
Ballotpedia survey responses
Peggy Kelland participated in Ballotpedia's 2017 survey of school board candidates.[12] In response to the question "What do you hope to achieve if elected to the school board?" the candidate stated on May 5, 2017:
| “ | I hope to continue our excellent relationships within the Board and with the administration, staff, students, parents, and community as we work together to provide an appropriate, rigorous, and well-rounded education for every student in our district.[13][14] | ” |
Ranking the issues
The candidate was asked to rank the following issues based on how they should be prioritized by the school board, with 1 being the most important and 7 being the least important. Each ranking could only be used once.
| Education policy |
|---|
 |
Click here to learn more about education policy in New York. |
| Education on the ballot |
| Issue importance ranking | |
|---|---|
| Candidate's ranking | Issue |
| Improving post-secondary readiness | |
| Balancing or maintaining the district's budget | |
| Closing the achievement gap | |
| Expanding arts education | |
| Improving education for special needs students | |
| Improving relations with teachers | |
| Expanding school choice options | |
| “ | There are no rankings in question 5.[14] | ” |
| —Peggy Kelland (May 5, 2017) | ||
Positions on the issues
The candidate was asked to answer eight questions from Ballotpedia regarding significant issues in education and the school district. The questions are highlighted in blue and followed by the candidate's responses. Some questions provided multiple choices, which are noted after those questions. The candidate was also provided space to elaborate on their answers to the multiple choice questions.
| Should new charter schools be approved in your district? (Not all school boards are empowered to approve charter schools. In those cases, the candidate was directed to answer the question as if the school board were able to do so.) |
|---|
| No. We have excellent public schools in our district. If a district has poor schools, the community needs to get together and improve them for all students. Our country is divided and addicted to electronic media. We desperately need common experiences for the benefit of all our children |
| Which statement best describes the ideal relationship between the state government and the school board? The state should always defer to school board decisions, defer to school board decisions in most cases, be involved in the district routinely or only intervene in severe cases of misconduct or mismanagement. |
| The state should only intervene in severe cases of misconduct or mismanagement. |
| Are standardized tests an accurate metric of student achievement? |
| No. Standardized tests are but one of several useful indicators. Children are not standardized. |
| How should the district handle underperforming teachers? Terminate their contract before any damage is done to students, offer additional training options, put them on a probationary period while they seek to improve or set up a mentorship program for the underperforming teacher with a more experienced teacher in the district? |
| Set up a mentorship program for the underperforming teacher with a more experienced teacher in the district. |
| Should teachers receive merit pay? |
| No. Education is a cooperative, not a competitive, endeavor. |
| Should the state give money to private schools through a voucher system or scholarship program? |
| No. Part of my education and that of my children was in private schools. Neither my parents nor I expected the taxpayers to foot the bill, anymore than they should pay my country club dues if I chose not to use the public tennis courts and golf courses. |
| How should expulsion be used in the district? |
| Since expelled students are possible participants in chronic unemployment, welfare dependency, and crime, expulsion should be a last resort for the safety of the other students. |
| What's the most important factor for success in the classroom: student-teacher ratio, the curriculum, teachers, parent involvement or school administration? |
| Teachers All are important, but after socio-economic status, teachers have the most direct influence. |
See also
- Wappingers Central School District, New York
- Wappingers Central School District elections (2017)
- Wappingers Central School District elections (2014)
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Poughkeepsie Journal, "Wappingers school board appoints former candidate to seat," November 29, 2016
- ↑ Abbey Smith, “Email communication with Alberta Pedro, Secretary to the Superintendent/District Clerk, Wappingers Central School District," April 18, 2017
- ↑ Wappingers Central School District, "Meet the Board of Education Candidates," accessed May 3, 2017
- ↑ Wappingers Central School District, "WCSD Vote Results," accessed May 16, 2017
- ↑ New York State Board of Elections, "Campaign Finance View Disclosure Reports: Search by Candidate or Committee Name," accessed June 6, 2017
- ↑ Wappingers Congress of Teachers, "BOE Candidates," accessed May 11, 2017
- ↑ ShreveportTimes, "Today's news summary, Feb. 11, 2014," February 11, 2014
- ↑ Poughkeepsie Journal, "Another Wappingers board member resigns," February 17, 2014
- ↑ New York State Board of Elections, "Contribution Search," accessed May 20, 2014
- ↑ New York State Board of Elections, "Expenditure Search," accessed May 20, 2014
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia on May 10, 2018.
- ↑ Note: The candidate's answers have been reproduced here verbatim without edits or corrections by Ballotpedia.
- ↑ Ballotpedia School Board Candidate Survey, 2017, "Peggy Kelland's responses," May 5, 2017
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
| Wappingers Central School District elections in 2017 | |
| Dutchess County, New York | |
| Election date: | May 16, 2017 |
| Candidates: | At-large: • Incumbent, Peggy Kelland • Incumbent, John Lumia • Incumbent, Tracy Pelton • Keith Odums |
| Important information: | What was at stake? • Additional elections on the ballot • Key deadlines |
| 2014 Wappingers Central School District Elections | |
| Dutchess County, New York | |
| Election date: | May 20, 2014 |
| Candidates: | At-large: • Incumbent, Ved Shravah • Incumbent, John Lumia • Matthew Henning • Peggy Kelland • Anne LaValle • Emanuele Marinaro • Tracy V. Pelton • Stephen Perillo • Charles J. Ricotta • Seema Rizvi • Eddy A. Sloshower |
| Important information: | Key deadlines • Additional elections on the ballot |
