Salinas Union High School District elections (2015)
2018 →
← 2013
|
 |
Method of election Elections What was at stake? Candidate survey Key deadlines Additional elections External links |
Salinas Union High School District Monterey County, California ballot measures Local ballot measures, California |
 |
Four seats on the Salinas Union High School District Board of Trustees were up for general election on November 3, 2015. Trustee Area 1 incumbent Carlos Rubio was up for election to a two-year term. Trustee Area 2 incumbent Patricia Padilla-Salsberg and Trustee Area 4 incumbent Kathryn Ramirez were up for re-election to four-year terms. The vacant Trustee Area 6 seat was also up for election to a four-year term.[1][2][3]
Rubio defeated challenger John Fickas to keep the Trustee Area 1 seat. In Trustee Area 2, Padilla-Salsberg won against challenger Raymond Scott Beasley. The Trustee Area 4 race featured Ramirez and challenger John "Tony" Villegas. Ramirez won re-election to the seat. Candidate Sandra Ocampo ran unopposed and won the vacant Trustee Area 6 seat.[4][5]
Challenger John "Tony" Villegas participated in Ballotpedia's 2015 survey of school board candidates. To read his responses, check out the "Ballotpedia survey responses" section.
See how this race compared to past school board elections in both the district and the state in the "Election trends" section.
About the district
Salinas Union High School District is located in Monterey County in west-central California. The county seat of Monterey County is Salinas. Monterey County was home to 428,826 residents in 2013, according to the United States Census Bureau.[6] During the 2011-2012 school year, Salinas Union High School District was the 112th-largest school district by enrollment in California and served 13,761 students.[7]
Demographics
Monterey County underperformed compared to the rest of California in terms of higher education achievement in 2013. The United States Census Bureau found that 23.0 percent of Monterey County residents aged 25 years and older had attained a bachelor’s degree compared to 30.7 percent for California as a whole. The median household income for Monterey County was $59,168, compared to $61,094 for the entire state. The poverty rate for Monterey County was 17.0 percent, compared to 15.9 percent statewide.[6]
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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.
Voter and candidate information
The Salinas Union High Board of Trustees consists of seven members elected geographically by district to four-year terms. Board members are elected on a staggered basis every November of odd-numbered years. There are no primary elections. Four seats were up for election on November 5, 2013. Four seats were also on the ballot on November 3, 2015, due to a seat up for election for a two-year term.[1][3]
School board candidates had to be at least 18 years old, residents of the school district and qualified voters. They could not be employees of the school district while in office.[9] To get on the ballot, candidates had to file their declaration of candidacy with the Monterey County Elections by August 7, 2015.[1]
To vote in this election, residents of the district had to register by October 19, 2015. Voters could cast vote-by-mail ballots from October 24, 2015, through Election Day.[10] Photo identification was not required to vote in California.
Elections
2015
Candidates
Trustee Area 1
Election results
| Salinas Union High School District, Trustee Area 1 (2-year term), General Election, 2015 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Carlos Rubio Incumbent |
51.3% | 750 |
| John Fickas | 48.7% | 711 |
| Total Votes | 1,461 | |
| Source: County of Monterey, "Final Official Report," accessed November 17, 2015 | ||
Candidates
| Carlos Rubio | John Fickas | ||
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
|
Trustee Area 2
Election results
| Salinas Union High School District, Trustee Area 2, General Election, 2015 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Patricia Padilla-Salsberg Incumbent |
70.5% | 1,210 |
| Raymond Scott Beasley | 29.5% | 506 |
| Total Votes | 1,716 | |
| Source: County of Monterey, "Final Official Report," accessed November 17, 2015 | ||
Candidates
Patricia Padilla-Salsberg 
|
Raymond Scott Beasley | ||
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
|
Trustee Area 4
Election results
| Salinas Union High School District, Trustee Area 4, General Election, 2015 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Kathryn Ramirez Incumbent |
54.5% | 577 |
| John "Tony" Villegas | 45.5% | 482 |
| Total Votes | 1,059 | |
| Source: County of Monterey, "Final Official Report," accessed November 17, 2015 | ||
Candidates
| Kathryn Ramirez
|
John "Tony" Villegas | ||
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
|
Trustee Area 6
Election results
Sandra Ocampo ran unopposed. She won the Trustee Area 6 seat by default.
Candidates
| Sandra Ocampo
| |
|---|---|
|
|
|
Endorsements
Trustee Area 1 incumbent Carlos Rubio, Trustee Area 2 incumbent Patricia Padilla-Salsberg and Trustee Area 6 candidate Sandra Ocampo were endorsed by the Monterey Bay Central Labor Council.[11] Rubio, Padilla-Salsburg and Trustee Area 4 incumbent Kathryn Ramirez were endorsed by the Monterey/Santa Cruz Building and Construction Trades Council.[12]
Padilla-Salsberg was also endorsed by the community organization Evolve, and Ramirez was further endorsed by fellow incumbent Carlos Rubio.[13][14]
Trustee Area 1 challenger John Fickas and Trustee Area 4 challenger John "Tony" Villegas were endorsed by the Salinas Valley Leadership group.[15] Villegas was also endorsed by the Salinas Chamber of Commerce.[16]
Campaign finance
Candidates received a total of $63,151.00 and spent a total of $32,690.51 in the election, according to the Monterey County Elections Office.[17]
Campaign finance reporting requirements in California vary depending on how much money candidates spend or raise. For candidates planning to raise or spend less than $1,000, an Officeholder and Candidate Campaign Statement Short Form (Form 470) must be filed with their county or city elections office. If candidates plan to spend up to $1,000, including their own funds, they must also file a Candidate Intention Statement (Form 501). "If a candidate does not raise any money and personal funds are used only to pay filing or ballot statement fees, the candidate is not required to file the Form 501," according to the Fair Political Practices Commission. If candidates raise money outside of their own funds, a separate campaign bank account must be established.[18]
Candidates raising or spending more than $1,000, including their personal funds, must file a Candidate Intention Statement (Form 501), file a Statement of Organization (Form 410) and establish a separate bank account for campaign funds. They must then file Recipient Committee Campaign Statements (Form 460) to disclose their contributions and expenditures throughout their campaigns. If they receive more than $1,000 from a single source within 90 days of the election, they must file a 24-hour Contribution Report (Form 497).[18]
District 1
| Candidate | Contributions | Expenditures | Cash on hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carlos Rubio | $14,750.00 | $1,344.34 | $13,405.66 |
| John Fickas | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
District 2
| Candidate | Contributions | Expenditures | Cash on hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patricia Padilla-Salsberg | $18,632.00 | $7,791.76 | $10,840.24 |
| Raymond Scott Beasley | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
District 4
| Candidate | Contributions | Expenditures | Cash on hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kathryn Ramirez | $18,308.00 | $13,637.48 | $4,670.52 |
| John "Tony" Villegas | $11,461.00 | $9,916.93 | $1,544.07 |
District 6
| Candidate | Contributions | Expenditures | Cash on hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sandra Ocampo | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
Past elections
Information about earlier elections can be found by clicking [show] at the right. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2013Trustee Area 2No candidates filed to run for election to the Trustee Area 2 seat. Trustee Area 3
Trustee Area 5
Trustee Area 7
2011In 2011, three seats on the Salinas Union High School District Board of Trustees were unopposed. Patricia Padilla-Salsberg, Kathryn Ramirez and Cheryl Larison won these elections by default. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
What was at stake?
2015
Election trends
- See also: 2013 school board elections
With four seats on the ballot on November 3, 2015, more than half of the Salinas Union High Board of Trustees had the potential to change hands. Three of the four incumbents ran to retain their seats, guaranteeing at least one newcomer would join the board. The three incumbents won, and an unopposed candidate took the open seat. With one seat unopposed, an average of 1.75 candidates ran per seat in this election. This was lower than the 2014 state average of 1.91 candidates running per seat up for election in California's largest school districts.
Salinas Union High's 2013 school board election saw an average of two candidates per seat. Three incumbents ran for re-election, and all three retained their seats. The fourth seat was left open to an appointed newcomer as no one filed to run for it. In 2014, just over 25 percent of board seats in California's largest school districts were unopposed, and 37.65 percent of seats went to newcomers statewide.
Issues in the election
Candidate forum
Four of the six candidates running in the Salinas Union High School District election participated in a candidate forum on September 30, 2015. The event was hosted by The Salinas Californian. Some of the topics included why the candidates thought they were the best option for the position, how they would keep district schools safe and what they saw as the board's responsibilities in overseeing the district.[19]
Best for the job
When asked why he thought he was the best candidate for the position, Trustee Area 1 incumbent Carlos Rubio said he was most suitable due to his work experience in both the private and public sector. He also said, “I’m bilingual and bicultural. I keep an open mind.”
Trustee Area 2 Incumbent Patricia Padilla-Salsberg said her experience made her a great candidate. She cited her two previous terms on the board and the 17 years she worked as a district employee. “I’m passionate and I’m really committed,” she said.
Raymond Scott Beasley, Padilla-Salsberg's challenger in Trustee Area 2, said he knew how to get things done and was familiar with board procedures. “That’s the most important thing in sitting on a board,” he said.
Trustee Area 4 challenger John "Tony" Villegas cited his military, coaching and teaching experience as reasons to vote for him. He also said has experience in school construction, which would be helpful with the district's plans to build a new high school.[19]
Keeping schools safe
When asked how they would keep district schools safe, both Padilla-Salsberg and Beasley said they wanted Salinas police resource officers back on campuses. Beasley said additional security guards were also needed. Padilla-Salsberg suggested the district employ school supervisors to work an evening shift in order to allow students to stay in a safe environment after school.
Rubio said school staff and parents had to shift their attitudes and focus on the students who could cause trouble. He said only 3 percent of the population causes problems, and it is that 3 percent who needs the attention. He emphasized his point by comparing the $10,000 it costs to educate a high school student for a year and the $60,000 it costs to support someone in prison for a year.
Villegas said qualified teachers and administrators should be allowed to carry concealed weapons while in school. He said that would help the schools in the district avoid a mass shooting.[19]
Overseeing district responsibilities
The candidates were asked what the school board's most important task was in overseeing the district. Beasley and Villegas said overseeing the district was the superintendent's job. Villegas, however, said the board should be educated in oversight in order to understand what they and the superintendent should be doing. Beasley said the board could be contacted if there were concerns in how the superintendent was overseeing the district.
Padilla-Salsberg and Rubio said that oversight required research and learning for board members. Padilla-Salsberg also said it was the board's responsibility to know the goals of the district and to communicate the board's agenda to the superintendent. Rubio said talking with district employees and having open communication and an open door policy was necessary for overseeing the district.[19]
Ballotpedia survey responses
One of the seven candidates in this race participated in Ballotpedia's 2015 survey of school board candidates. The following sections display the responses to the survey questions from challenger John "Tony" Villegas.
Top priorities
When asked what his top priorities would be if elected, Villegas stated:
| “ | Stopping the bullying that is detrimental to learning process in the classroom by students, by employees, teachers, administration, and by board members against colleagues throughout the district. To say students are the only bullies in the educational environment is very short sighted in deed.[20] | ” |
| —John "Tony" Villegas (2015)[21] | ||
Ranking the issues
Villegas was asked to rank the following issues by importance in the school district, with 1 being the most important and 7 being the least important. This table displays his rankings:
| Issue importance ranking | ||
|---|---|---|
| Issue | Villegas' ranking | |
| Expanding arts education | ||
| Expanding career-technical education | ||
| Balancing or maintaining the district's budget | ||
| Improving college readiness | ||
| Closing the achievement gap | ||
| Improving education for special needs students | ||
| Expanding school choice options | ||
Positions on the issues
Villegas was asked to answer 10 multiple choice and short answer questions from Ballotpedia regarding significant issues in education and the school district. A link to his responses can be found below.
Key deadlines
The following dates were key deadlines for the Salinas Union High School District election in 2015:[1][2][22][23]
| Deadline | Event |
|---|---|
| June 8, 2015 - August 7, 2015 | Candidate filing period |
| July 31, 2015 | Semi-annual campaign finance report due |
| August 5, 2015 - November 2, 2015 | 24-hour campaign contribution reporting period |
| September 7, 2015 - October 20, 2015 | Write-in candidate filing period |
| September 24, 2015 | Pre-election campaign finance report due |
| October 19, 2015 | Voter registration deadline |
| October 22, 2015 | Pre-election campaign finance report due |
| October 24, 2015 | First day voters can cast vote-by-mail ballots |
| November 3, 2015 | Election Day |
| February 1, 2016 | Semi-annual campaign finance report due |
Additional elections on the ballot
- See also: California elections, 2015
The Salinas Union High School District election shared the ballot with elections for three seats on the Monterey County Board of Education and two seats on the Salinas City Elementary School District Board of Education.[24]
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Salinas Union High School District California. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
| Salinas Union High School District | California | School Boards |
|---|---|---|
 |
 |
|
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Monterey County Elections, “November 3, 2015 Cities, Schools and Special Districts Election,” accessed January 29, 2015
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2013 California Code, “CA Elec Code § 8403 (2013),” accessed January 29, 2015
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Salinas Union High School District, "Board Members," accessed January 29, 2015
- ↑ Monterey County Elections, "Candidate List," accessed August 10, 2015
- ↑ County of Monterey, "Semi-Final Official Report 04," accessed November 10, 2015
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 United States Census Bureau, “Monterey County, California,” accessed September 23, 2015
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "ELSI Table Generator," accessed April 22, 2014
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "Report of Registration as of February 10, 2015 - Registration by County," accessed September 28, 2015
- ↑ Salinas Union High School District, "Bylaw #9220: Board of Trustees Elections," accessed August 10, 2015
- ↑ Monterey County Elections, “Voter Services: General Information,” accessed August 10, 2015
- ↑ Monterey Bay Central Labor Council, "Labor's Endorsements for the November 2015 Election," accessed October 29, 2015
- ↑ Monterey/Santa Cruz Building and Construction Trades Council, "Political Endorsements," accessed October 30, 2015
- ↑ Facebook, "Kathryn Ramirez," June 2, 2015
- ↑ Evolve, "2015 Endorsements: November 03, 2015 Election," accessed October 27, 2015
- ↑ Salina Valley Leadership Group, "Category Archives: Candidates 2015," accessed October 27, 2015
- ↑ Facebook, "Tony Villegas: Public Figure," October 8, 2015
- ↑ Monterey County Elections Office, "Welcome to the Monterey County Elections Public Portal for Campaign Finance Disclosure," accessed December 7, 2015
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 Fair Political Practices Commission, "Local Candidates, Superior Court Judges, Their Controlled Committees, and Primarily Formed Committees for Local Candidates: Campaign Disclosure Manual 2," accessed August 5, 2015
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 The Californian, "Salinas school board candidates tackle the issues," October 1, 2015
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Ballotpedia School Board Candidate Survey, 2015, "John "Tony" Villegas responses," September 30, 2015
- ↑ California Election Code, "Section 8600-8606," accessed February 20, 2015
- ↑ Fair Political Practices Commission, "Filing Schedule for Candidates and Controlled Committees for Local Office Being Voted on November 3, 2015," accessed August 5, 2015
- ↑ Monterey County Elections, "Notice of Election," accessed August 5, 2015
