Pitt County Schools elections (2016)
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Nine of the nine seats on the Pitt County Schools school board were up for by-district general election on November 8, 2016. The 2016 election provided an opportunity for the entire school district to be divided into nine new electoral districts.
In District 1, former board member Robert Moore filed for election unopposed and won the seat. In District 2, incumbent Mildred Council ran unopposed for re-election and won another term. District 3 saw three candidates file for the seat including the two board members Mary Blount-Williams and Billy Peaden, as well as newcomer Herbert Wright. Blount-Williams successfully secured the seat. In District 4, incumbent Marc Whichard lost his seat to challenger Betsy Flanagan. District 5 was another unopposed race: Anna Smith ran for the seat and won. District 6 saw incumbent Worth Forbes file for the seat. He defeated challenger Connie Blake. Districts 7, 8 and 9 were all unopposed races with one candidate who filed for each seat: board incumbent Caroline Doherty, Melinda Fagundus and incumbent Benjie Forrest, respectively. All three won.[1][2]
Elections
Voter and candidate information
The 2016 elections for the Pitt County Schools school board consisted of nine members elected to four-year terms. The 2014 election saw the temporary combination of several districts that only existed until the 2016 elections, for which the entire school district was divided into nine new electoral districts. Prior to 2014, the board consisted of 12 members elected to six-year terms, with two members selected from each of six electoral districts, one seat being designated as Seat A and the other as Seat B. [3]
There was no primary election, and a general election was held on November 8, 2016. Candidates had until December 21, 2015, to file nominating petitions.
Candidates and results
District 1
Results
| Pitt County Schools, District 1 General Election, 4-year term, 2016 |
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| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Robert Moore (unopposed) |
95.59% | 5,872 |
| Write-in votes | 4.41% | 271 |
| Total Votes (100) | 6,143 | |
| Source: North Carolina State Board of Elections, "Official General Election Results-Pitt," accessed December 5, 2016 | ||
Candidates
Robert Moore 
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District 2
Results
| Pitt County Schools, District 2 General Election, 4-year term, 2016 |
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| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Mildred Council (unopposed) |
95.41% | 6,053 |
| Write-in votes | 4.59% | 291 |
| Total Votes (100) | 6,344 | |
| Source: North Carolina State Board of Elections, "Official General Election Results-Pitt," accessed December 5, 2016 | ||
Candidates
| Mildred Council
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District 3
Results
| Pitt County Schools, District 3 General Election, 4-year term, 2016 |
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| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Mary Blount-Williams |
39.38% | 2,436 |
| Billy Peaden | 30.07% | 1,860 |
| Herbert Wright | 30.04% | 1,858 |
| Write-in votes | 0.52% | 32 |
| Total Votes (100) | 6,186 | |
| Source: North Carolina State Board of Elections, "Official General Election Results-Pitt," accessed December 5, 2016 | ||
Candidates
| Mary Blount-Williams
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Billy Peaden | Herbert Wright | |||
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District 4
Results
| Pitt County Schools, District 4 General Election, 4-year term, 2016 |
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| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Betsy Flanagan |
68.37% | 4,993 |
| Marc Whichard Incumbent | 30.84% | 2,252 |
| Write-in votes | 0.79% | 58 |
| Total Votes (100) | 7,303 | |
| Source: North Carolina State Board of Elections, "Official General Election Results-Pitt," accessed December 5, 2016 | ||
Candidates
| Marc Whichard | Betsy Flanagan
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District 5
Results
| Pitt County Schools, District 5 General Election, 4-year term, 2016 |
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| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Anna Smith (unopposed) |
97.76% | 6,805 |
| Write-in votes | 2.24% | 156 |
| Total Votes (100) | 6,961 | |
| Source: North Carolina State Board of Elections, "Official General Election Results-Pitt," accessed December 5, 2016 | ||
Candidates
| Anna Smith
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District 6
Results
| Pitt County Schools, District 6 General Election, 4-year term, 2016 |
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| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Worth Forbes Incumbent |
57.42% | 4,199 |
| Connie Blake | 41.64% | 3,045 |
| Write-in votes | 0.94% | 69 |
| Total Votes (100) | 7,313 | |
| Source: North Carolina State Board of Elections, "Official General Election Results-Pitt," accessed December 5, 2016 | ||
Candidates
| Worth Forbes
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Connie Blake | ||
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District 7
Results
| Pitt County Schools, District 7 General Election, 4-year term, 2016 |
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| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Caroline Doherty (unopposed) |
97.28% | 6,539 |
| Write-in votes | 2.72% | 183 |
| Total Votes (100) | 6,722 | |
| Source: North Carolina State Board of Elections, "Official General Election Results-Pitt," accessed December 5, 2016 | ||
Candidates
| Caroline Doherty
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District 8
Results
| Pitt County Schools, District 8 General Election, 4-year term, 2016 |
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| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Melinda Fagundus (unopposed) |
96.77% | 4,847 |
| Write-in votes | 3.23% | 162 |
| Total Votes (100) | 5,009 | |
| Source: North Carolina State Board of Elections, "Official General Election Results-Pitt," accessed December 5, 2016 | ||
Candidates
| Melinda Fagundus
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District 9
Results
| Pitt County Schools, District 9 General Election, 4-year term, 2016 |
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| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Benjie Forrest (unopposed) |
95.21% | 5,639 |
| Write-in votes | 4.79% | 284 |
| Total Votes (100) | 5,923 | |
| Source: North Carolina State Board of Elections, "Official General Election Results-Pitt," accessed December 5, 2016 | ||
Candidates
| Benjie Forrest
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Additional elections on the ballot
- See also: North Carolina elections, 2016
The following offices shared primary, general or both election dates with the school board elections in Wayne County:
The North Carolina Connect NC Public Improvement Bond question was also on the March ballot statewide.
Note: The date for North Carolina's congressional primary was June 7, 2016. This primary was originally scheduled for March 15, 2016.
Key deadlines
The following dates were key deadlines for this North Carolina school board election:[4]
| Deadline | Event |
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| December 21, 2015 | Candidate filing deadline |
| February 29, 2016 | First quarter campaign finance deadline |
| July 12, 2016 | Second quarter campaign finance deadline |
| October 31, 2016 | Third quarter campaign finance deadline |
| November 8, 2016 | General Election Day |
| January 11, 2017 | Fourth quarter campaign finance deadline |
Endorsements
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
School board candidates in North Carolina were required to file campaign finance reports to their county's board of elections unless the candidate:
(1) Did not receive more than one thousand dollars ($1,000) in contributions, and
(2) Did not receive more than one thousand dollars ($1,000) in loans, and
(3) Did not spend more than one thousand dollars ($1,000).[5]
The third quarter campaign finance deadline was October 31, 2016, and the fourth quarter deadline was January 11, 2017.[6]
Past elections
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2014District 1 Seat ANote: The election for District 1 Seat A was for an unexpired two-year term.
Districts 1 and 2 Seat B
Districts 3 and 6 Seat B
Districts 4 and 5 Seat B
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What was at stake?
2016
Issues in the district
Pitt County Schools receives $16.2 million grant
Pitt County Schools was awarded a $16.2 million grant to aid in creating incentives for its teachers, the district announced at a board meeting on October 3, 2016. It was one of only 13 districts in the country chosen by the U.S. Department of Education to receive the Teacher Incentive Fund grant. Over the following five years, the district used the money to create strategies to recruit, retain, and reward teachers, which is part of a program called “R3: Recruiting, Retaining and Rewarding Educators through Multiple Career Pathways and Performance-Based Compensation,” also referred to as R3 for short. According to Tom Feller, co-director of R3, 80 percent of the funds will go to pay supplementation for teachers and administrators, such as bonuses and incentives.[7]
Transgender bathroom law
North Carolina passed the Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act (HB2) stating that individuals in government-operated facilities must use the bathroom that corresponds with the gender stated on their birth certificate on March 23, 2016. The law was passed by the legislature in a one-day specially called session and was signed into law that night by Governor Pat McCrory (R). The bill reversed an earlier ruling that allowed transgender individuals to use the restroom of their preference, and it offset local ordinances in the state that let transgender citizens do so.[8]
HB2's effect on NC school districts
Since HB2 was signed into law, many school districts in the state have struggled to formulate a response. Not only does Title IX prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, but the state law's validity is being disputed in court. North Carolina school districts are unsure of how to balance these two laws. In the Wake County Public School System, Wake County sheriff Donnie Harrison said he would consider pulling deputies out of schools if the district does not decide on a consistent transgender bathroom policy. Harrison said the district did not have a uniform policy on the use of bathrooms by transgender students, which was causing confusion and unease among parents.[9][10]
According to Lisa Luten, a Wake County Public School System spokesperson, transgender student issues with bathrooms and locker rooms are handled on a case-by-case basis. "No child has ever been at risk based on how we have handled this issue,” Luten said. “Because this issue is still being debated in federal courts, the school system is unable to create a formal policy.”[9] The district's superintendent, James Merrill, said that transgender bathroom questions ought to be addressed by administrators rather than student resource officers. According to Nathan Smith, the director of public policy for the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network, the consequence is that many schools decide their transgender bathroom policies on a case-by-case basis, leading to conflicting messages.[9][11]
Lawsuits filed
On May 9, 2016, Gov. McCrory and the Justice Department filed opposing lawsuits, the former in support of the law and the latter against it. On one side, the U.S. Department of Justice's civil rights office said that the law is discriminatory and infringes on civil rights. “This action is about a great deal more than just bathrooms,” said Attorney General Loretta Lynch. “This is about the dignity and respect we accord our fellow citizens and the laws that we, as a people and as a country, have enacted to protect them.” Gov. McCrory's lawsuit was against the Justice Department, charging the federal government with “baseless and blatant overreach.” McCrory defended the necessity of the law as a response to a nondiscrimination ordinance in Charlotte.[12]
The ACLU and the Justice Department asked a judge to hold off on HB2 while the lawsuit is being decided. According to federal documents, the trial could take place as early as October or November 2016. The Charlotte Observer stated that it would "not be unreasonable to expect [U.S. District Judge Thomas] Schroeder's ruling by the summer of 2017, perhaps before."[8]
Backlash
On July 21, 2016, the NBA announced that it planned to move its All-Star Game from Charlotte, North Carolina, which was scheduled to be held there in 2017. According to the Charlotte Observer, this decision will cost the city approximately $100 million. On September 12, 2016, the NCAA ousted seven championships that were scheduled to be held in the state during the 2016-2017 school year. Two days later, the Atlantic Coast Conference made a similar decision, revealing that it planned to move the men's football championship game scheduled for December 2016 from Charlotte.
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.
About the district
- See also: Pitt County Schools, North Carolina
Pitt County Schools is located in the county of the same name in North Carolina. The seat of county government is Greenville. Pitt County was home to 175,842 residents between 2010 and 2015, according to the United States Census Bureau.[13] The district was the 14th-largest school district in the state in the 2013–2014 school year and served 23,622 students.[14]
Demographics
Pitt County outperformed North Carolina as a whole in terms of higher education attainment between 2010 and 2014. The United States Census Bureau found that 28.8 percent of county residents aged 25 years and older had attained a bachelor's degree or higher, compared to 27.8 percent for the state. The median household income in the county was $42,011, compared to $46,693 for the state. County residents lived below the poverty level at a rate of 23.4 percent, compared to 17.2 percent for state residents.[13]
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Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms 'Pitt County Schools' 'North Carolina'. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
| Pitt County Schools | North Carolina | School Boards |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Elisabeth Moore, "Email conversation with Dave Davis," January 22, 2016
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections, "Unofficial General Election Results-Pitt," accessed November 8, 2016
- ↑ Reflector, "Roundup: Local offices decided," November 5, 2014
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections, "Reporting Schedules," accessed November 1, 2016
- ↑ General Assembly of North Carolina, "Chapter 163: Elections And Election Laws, Article 22A - Regulating Contributions and Expenditures in Political Campaigns," accessed February 11, 2016
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections, "Reporting Schedules," accessed October 11, 2016
- ↑ Reflector, "Schools win $16.2M grant for teachers," October 4, 2016
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Charlotte Observer, "Understanding HB2: North Carolina’s newest law solidifies state’s role in defining discrimination," March 26, 2016
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Daily Tarheel, "Wake County sheriff calls for consistent transgender bathroom policy," September 29, 2016
- ↑ CBS North Carolina, "Wake sheriff threatens to pull deputies over transgender bathroom policy," September 27, 2016
- ↑ The News & Observer, "Four things to remember about House Bill 2," September 13, 2016
- ↑ Washington Post, "North Carolina, Justice Dept. file dueling lawsuits over transgender rights," May 9, 2016
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 United States Census Bureau, "Pitt County, North Carolina," accessed August 5, 2016
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "ELSI Table Generator," accessed November 16, 2015
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections, "NC Voter Statistics Results," accessed March 31, 2014
| 2016 Pitt County Schools Elections | |
| Election date: | November 8, 2016 |
| Candidates: | District 1: Robert Moore District 3: Mary Blount-Williams • Billy Peaden • Herbert Wright District 4: Incumbent, Marc Whichard • Betsy Flanagan District 6: Incumbent, Worth Forbes • Connie Blake |
| Important information: | What was at stake? • Additional elections on the ballot • Key deadlines |
