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Saint Paul Public Schools elections (2016)
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One of the seven seats on the Saint Paul Public Schools Board of Education was up for at-large special election to a one-year term on November 8, 2016.[1] Five candidates filed to run for the seat—Eduardo Barrera, Greg Copeland, Jeanelle Foster, Cindy Kerr, and Tony Klehr. Foster won the election.[2][3]
Elections
Voter and candidate information
The Saint Paul Board of Education consists of seven members elected at large to four-year terms. Regular elections are held on a staggered basis every November of odd-numbered years. Four seats were up for election on November 3, 2015, and three seats were up for election on November 7, 2017.[4] Due to a vacancy on the board, a special election was held for one one-year term on November 8, 2016.[1]
To get on the ballot, school board candidates had to file with the Ramsey County Elections Office between August 2, 2016, and August 16, 2016.[5] The deadline to withdraw from the race was August 18, 2016.[6]
To vote in this election, citizens of the district had to register by October 18, 2016.[6] Photo identification was not required to vote in Minnesota.[7]
Candidates and results
At-large
Results
| Saint Paul Public Schools At-large Special Election, 1-year term, 2016 |
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| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Jeanelle Foster |
37.91% | 35,221 |
| Eduardo Barrera | 20.86% | 19,381 |
| Cindy Kerr | 17.89% | 16,621 |
| Greg Copeland | 16.13% | 14,983 |
| Tony Klehr | 5.50% | 5,108 |
| Write-in votes | 1.71% | 1,592 |
| Total Votes | 92,906 | |
| Source: Saint Paul Public Schools, "Board Meeting Minutes: 11/15/16 - BOE," accessed December 22, 2016 | ||
Candidates
| Eduardo Barrera | Greg Copeland | Jeanelle Foster 
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| Cindy Kerr | Tony Klehr | ||
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Additional elections on the ballot
- See also: Minnesota elections, 2016
The Saint Paul Public Schools election shared the ballot with the presidential election as well as elections for seats in the Minnesota State Senate and the Minnesota House of Representatives. It also shared the ballot with Ramsey County elections for county commissioners and soil and water supervisors.[8]
Key deadlines
The following dates were key deadlines for Minnesota school board elections in 2016:[6][9]
| Deadline | Event |
|---|---|
| August 16, 2016 | Candidate filing deadline |
| August 18, 2016 | Candidate withdrawal deadline |
| October 18, 2016 | Voter registration deadline |
| October 29, 2016 | Pre-election campaign finance report due |
| November 8, 2016 | General election date |
| December 7, 2016 | Post-election campaign finance report due |
| January 2, 2017 | Board members take office |
Endorsements
The Twin Cities Pioneer Press and the St. Paul DFL Party endorsed candidate Jeanelle Foster.[10][11]
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 received a total of $15,095.96 and spent a total of $7,013.58 in the election, according to the Ramsey County Elections.[12]
| Candidate | Contributions | Expenditures | Cash on hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eduardo Barrera | $1,850.00 | $1,650.00 | $200.00 |
| Greg Copeland | $1,019.00 | $323.62 | $695.38 |
| Jeanelle Foster | $11,669.94 | $4,586.64 | $7,083.30 |
| Cindy Kerr | $557.02 | $453.32 | $103.70 |
| Tony Klehr | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
Past elections
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What was at stake?
2016
Issues in the district
Superintendent removed
During a crowded board meeting on June 21, 2016, the Saint Paul school board voted to remove Superintendent Valeria Silva from her role more than one year before her contract was due to end. Her position ended on July 15, 2016, although she continued with the district in an advisory position until 2017, while still receiving her full salary. The board voted 5-2 in favor of a severance package totaling $787,500.[13]
Principal Adrain Pendelton of St. Paul's Obama Elementary voiced support of Silva, saying her work in racial equity benefited her students greatly: "My thinking changed from 'Here are the children, I got to pour all this stuff in them, these empty vessels' to 'Our children bring a lot of assets to our building, and it's up to me as a leader to find those and help those shine and help those grow,'" said the principal. On the other hand, community members appeared at the meeting with signs reading "You're Fired."[13]
During Silva's tenure, the district saw violence against teachers that brought the teacher's union to contemplate a strike. The former superintendent's opposition to student suspension caused some to blame her policies for incidents where teachers were attacked by their students.[14] Silva's time as superintendent also saw a budget crisis with a projected $15.1 million deficit for the 2016-2017 school year.[15]
In an interview with Minnesota Public Radio, Silva did not agree with those blaming her for increased violence against teachers in the district. "I think the reason that we have more violence in our community is because of the status of our community," she said. "Our kids are in extreme need."[16] Also commenting on her removal as superintendent, Silva said she was saddened. "It’s leaving your family, and too fast, too quick."[16] The board appointed John Thein as interim superintendent beginning July 18, 2016.
In reaction to Silva's removal, board member Jean O’Connell resigned from her position, requiring a special election be held on November 8, 2016, to fill the seat. In the interim, the board appointed Cedrick Baker to the position.[17][18]
Candidate survey
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About the district
- See also: Saint Paul Public Schools, Minnesota
The Saint Paul school district is located in east-central Minnesota in Ramsey County. The county seat is St. Paul. This county was home to 538,133 residents in 2015, according to the United States Census Bureau.[19] The district was the second-largest school district in the state in the 2013–2014 school year and served 38,228 students.[20]
Demographics
Ramsey County outperformed Minnesota as a whole in terms of higher education achievement from 2010 to 2014. The United States Census Bureau found that 39.8 percent of county residents aged 25 years and older had attained a bachelor's degree, compared to 33.2 percent of state residents. The median household income in Ramsey County was $55,460, compared to $60,828 for the entire state. The poverty rate was 16.5 percent, compared to 11.5 percent statewide.[19]
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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 'Saint Paul Public Schools' 'Minnesota'. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
| Saint Paul Public Schools | Minnesota | School Boards |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Saint Paul Public Schools, "Applications to Fill Board of Education Vacancy on Interim Basis are Now Open," accessed July 21, 2016
- ↑ Minnesota Secretary of State, "Candidate Filings: 2016 State General Election," accessed August 17, 2016
- ↑ Minnesota Secretary of State, "Results for Selected Contests in School District No. 625 - ST PAUL," accessed November 9, 2016
- ↑ Saint Paul Public Schools, "The Saint Paul Board of Education," accessed July 25, 2016
- ↑ Saint Paul Public Schools, "Resolution Calling Special Election To Fill Vacant School Board Office," July 12, 2016
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Minnesota Secretary of State, "2016 School District Elections Guide," accessed June 1, 2016
- ↑ Minnesota Secretary of State, "Do I Need To Bring ID?" accessed May 27, 2016
- ↑ Minnesota Secretary of State, "Candidate Filings 2016 State General Election: Ramsey County," accessed August 26, 2016
- ↑ Minnesota Secretary of State, "2016 Minnesota School Districts without a Primary Elections Calendar," accessed July 21, 2016
- ↑ Twin Cities Pioneer Press, "Editorial: For St. Paul School Board, Jeanelle Foster," October 13, 2016
- ↑ Educators 4 Excellence, "St. Paul DFL endorses newcomer Jeanelle Foster for school board," August 15, 2016
- ↑ Ramsey County Elections, "2016 Campaign Finance Reports," accessed December 8, 2016
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 MPR News, "St. Paul board removes Silva as superintendent," June 21, 2016
- ↑ The Daily Caller, "Superintendent Fired, Gets $800,000 Severance Package From Taxpayers," June 23, 2016
- ↑ Twin Cities Pioneer Press, "St. Paul Public Schools projects $15 million deficit," March 8, 2016
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Twin Cities Pioneer Press, "Valeria Silva to MPR: I made mistakes but don’t regret major changes," June 23, 2016
- ↑ Twin Cities Pioneer Press, "St. Paul school board will fill board vacancy before election," July 12, 2016
- ↑ Saint Paul Public Schools, "The Saint Paul Board of Education," accessed October 19, 2016
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 United States Census Bureau, "Ramsey County, Minnesota," accessed July 25, 2016
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "ELSI Table Generator," accessed November 16, 2015
- ↑ Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State, "Election Results and Statistics," accessed October 14, 2013
| 2016 Saint Paul Public Schools Special Election | |
| Ramsey County, Minnesota | |
| Election date: | November 8, 2016 |
| Candidates: | At-large: • Eduardo Barrera • Greg Copeland • Jeanelle Foster • Cindy Kerr • Tony Klehr |
| Important information: | What was at stake? • Additional elections on the ballot • Key deadlines |
