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San Francisco Unified School District elections (2016)
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Four of the seven seats on the San Francisco Unified School District Board of Education were up for at-large general election on November 8, 2016. In their bids for re-election, incumbents Matthew Haney, Rachel Norton, and Jill Wynns ran against challengers Stevon Cook, Rob Geller, Ian Kalin, Phillip Kim, Trevor McNeil, and Mark Sanchez.[1] Haney and Norton won re-election, and Sanchez and Cook won the other two seats on the ballot.[2] On top of choosing the next members of the board of education, citizens of the school district also voted on a $744 million school bond measure.
Geller and Kalin participated in Ballotpedia's 2016 survey of school board candidates. Click here to read their responses.
Elections
Voter and candidate information
The San Francisco Unified Board of Education consists of seven members elected to four-year terms. Elections are held at large on a staggered basis every November of even-numbered years. Three seats were up for election on November 4, 2014, and four seats were up for election on November 8, 2016. There was no primary election.[3]
To get on the ballot, school board candidates had to register with the county elections office by August 12, 2016. If incumbents did not file by that deadline, the filing deadline was extended for non-incumbent candidates until August 17, 2016. In order to qualify as candidates, they had to be at least 18 years old, citizens of California, residents of the school district, registered voters, and "not legally disqualified from holding civil office," according to the bylaws of the San Francisco Unified Board of Education. Once they took office, school board members could not be employed by the school district.[4][5]
To vote in this election, residents of the school district had to register by October 24, 2016.[6] Photo identification was not required to vote in this election.[7]
Candidates and results
At-large
Results
| San Francisco Unified School District, At-large General Election, 4-year terms, 2016 |
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| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Matthew Haney Incumbent |
18.89% | 175,803 |
| Mark Sanchez |
16.73% | 155,706 |
| Stevon Cook |
16.37% | 152,335 |
| Rachel Norton Incumbent |
13.86% | 129,012 |
| Jill Wynns Incumbent | 10.16% | 94,571 |
| Trevor McNeil | 9.27% | 86,233 |
| Phillip Kim | 6.99% | 65,045 |
| Ian Kalin | 4.81% | 44,788 |
| Rob Geller | 2.75% | 25,617 |
| Write-in votes | 0.16% | 1,482 |
| Total Votes | 930,592 | |
| Source: San Francisco Department of Elections, "November 8, 2016 Official Election Results," accessed December 7, 2016 | ||
Candidates
Matthew Haney 
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Rachel Norton
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Jill Wynns | |||
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| Stevon Cook
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Rob Geller | Ian Kalin | |||
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| Phillip Kim | Trevor McNeil | Mark Sanchez
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Additional elections on the ballot
- See also: California elections, 2016
The district's school board election shared the ballot with a bond measure for the district, a number of statewide ballot measures, and elections for the following offices:[8][9]
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Key deadlines
The following dates were key deadlines for California school board elections in 2016:[10][11]
| Deadline | Event |
|---|---|
| August 1, 2016 | Semi-annual campaign finance report due |
| August 10, 2016 - November 8, 2016 | 24-hour campaign contribution reporting period |
| August 12, 2016 | Candidate filing deadline |
| August 17, 2016 | Extended filing deadline for non-incumbent candidates for open seats |
| September 29, 2016 | First pre-election campaign finance report due |
| October 24, 2016 | Voter registration deadline |
| October 27, 2016 | Second pre-election campaign finance report due |
| November 8, 2016 | Election Day |
| January 31, 2017 | Semi-annual campaign finance report due |
Endorsements
The community organization Evolve endorsed all nine candidates in this race.[12] The San Francisco Republican Party endorsed incumbent Jill Wynns and challenger Trevor McNeil, and the San Francisco Democratic Party endorsed incumbents Matthew Haney and Rachel Norton and challengers Stevon Cook and Mark Sanchez.[13][14]
The United Educators of San Francisco also endorsed Haney, Norton, Cook, and Sanchez.[15] CCSA Advocates endorsed challengers Ian Kalin and Phillip Kim.[16]
President Barack Obama (D) also endorsed Haney.[17]
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 in this race were required to file two pre-election reports. The first was due on September 29, 2016, and the second was due on October 27, 2016. If candidates received more than $1,000 from a single source between August 10, 2016, and November 8, 2016, they had to file a campaign finance report within 24 hours of receiving the contribution.[11]
Candidates who did not raise or spend more than $2,000 on their campaigns had to file an exemption form by September 29, 2016. They did not have to file additional campaign finance reports.[11]
Candidates who had a remaining balance from previous campaigns or who had raised or spent money on their campaigns prior to the candidate filing deadline had to file a semi-annual campaign finance report by August 1, 2016. The next semi-annual campaign finance report was due January 31, 2017.[11]
Reports
Candidates received a total of $247,034.72 and spent a total of $194,238.82 as of November 4, 2016, according to the San Francisco Ethics Commission.[18]
| Candidate | Existing balance | Contributions | Expenditures | Cash on hand |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matthew Haney | $0.00 | $82,928.41 | $50,702.52 | $32,225.89 |
| Rachel Norton | $0.00 | $12,735.00 | $9,858.94 | $2,876.06 |
| Jill Wynns | $5,282.32 | $7,675.00 | $8,181.63 | $4,775.69 |
| Stevon Cook | $0.00 | $42,786.31 | $33,426.39 | $9,359.92 |
| Rob Geller | $0.00 | $3,726.00 | $2,527.16 | $1,198.84 |
| Ian Kalin | $5,745.84 | $67,830.00 | $71,857.67 | $1,718.17 |
| Phillip Kim | $0.00 | $11,484.00 | $9,261.82 | $2,322.18 |
| Trevor McNeil | $0.00 | $10,264.00 | $435.18 | $9,528.82 |
| Mark Sanchez | $0.00 | $7,606.00 | $7,987.51 | ($381.51) |
Past elections
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What was at stake?
2016
Issues in the election
Bond measure
In addition to choosing four candidates for the San Francisco Unified School District Board of Education on November 8, 2016, citizens of the district voted on a $744 million school bond measure. A 55 percent majority was required for the measure to pass.[19] It was approved with over 79 percent of the vote.[20] The following question appeared on the ballot:
| “ |
To repair and rehabilitate San Francisco Unified School District facilities to current accessibility, health, safety, seismic and instructional standards, replace worn-out plumbing, electrical, HVAC, and major building systems, renovate outdated classrooms and training facilities, construct school facilities and replace aging modular classrooms, improve information technology systems and food service preparation systems, shall the San Francisco Unified School District issue bonds in an amount not to exceed $744,250,000 at legal rates, with annual audits, and citizen’s oversight?[21] |
” |
| —San Francisco Unified School District (2016)[22] | ||
Issues in the district
District one of 100 to pursue socioeconomic integration
The San Francisco Unified School District was included in a list of 100 school districts pursuing socioeconomic integration. The school districts, which included 13 other California school districts and charter schools, were listed in a report published by the Century Foundation, a "progressive, nonpartisan think tank that seeks to foster opportunity, reduce inequality, and promote security at home and abroad," according to its website. The report showed that socioeconomic integration grew from two schools in 1996, when the foundation first started researching the issue, to 100 in October 2016, when the report was published. Richard Kahlenberg, a senior fellow at the Century Foundation, praised the U.S. Department of Education for offering incentives for school districts to voluntarily use socioeconomic integration.[23][24]
The Century Foundation's report came five months after data released by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) in May 2016 showed schools across the country had been largely resegregated. The data showed that "the number of high-poverty schools serving primarily black and brown students more than doubled between 2001 and 2014," according to The Washington Post.[25]
The GAO said that those high-poverty schools did not offer students the same access to opportunities that other schools did and were also more likely to expel or suspend students for disciplinary issues. The rise of resegregation began in the 1990s when school districts that had integrated were released from court-ordered mandates. The student population in the United States also changed, becoming less white and affluent.[25]
A 2007 decision by the U.S. Supreme Court stopped school districts from assigning students to schools based on race. Those in favor of integrating schools turned to a different integration method: using the socioeconomic status of students.[23]
Superintendent leaves for Houston
On July 27, 2016, Superintendent Richard A. Carranza announced he would be leaving the district to become superintendent of the Houston Independent School District in Texas. The school board appointed Myong Leigh, the district's deputy superintendent for policy and operations, to replace Carranza in the interim starting September 1, 2016.[26]
Carranza served the district for four years, and his tenure "has largely been free of controversy," according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Carranza said Houston ISD had many similarities to San Francisco Unified, though on a bigger scale. “The honest truth is, there is never a good time to make a transition,” said Carranza. “But SFUSD is on really solid ground. You can point in every direction and see solid structures and systems and strategies in place to ensure kids are being taken care of in the city.”[26]
“I hope to hear about Houston dramatically reducing school suspensions, introducing LGBT studies and becoming a sanctuary school district,” Board President Matt Haney said. “For us, these are our values, this is what has been important in San Francisco, and Richard has reflected that.”[26]
When he accepted the interim position, Leigh said he was not interested in pursuing the permanent position. “I don’t see myself as a candidate for the role, but I definitely see the need in the meantime. I’m stepping up because I feel this is how I can be of most value and service to the district,” said Leigh.[26]
Candidate survey
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Ballotpedia invites school board candidates to participate in its annual survey. |
Survey responses
Two candidates in this race participated in Ballotpedia's 2016 survey of school board candidates. The following sections display the responses to the survey questions from Rob Geller and Ian Kalin.
Hope to achieve
When asked what he hoped to achieve if elected to the school board, Kalin stated:
| “ | IMPROVED ACCOUNTABILITY. San Francisco is failing to grade our schools. We need transparent, official performance metrics. SIMPLIFIED ENROLLMENT. Neighborhoods are torn apart. We can improve diversity and communities by reforming student assignments. BUDGET SOLUTIONS. Teacher shortages, overcrowding, and run-down facilities limit our children’s potential. Better fiscal oversight can avert this crisis.[21] | ” |
| —Ian Kalin (September 22, 2016)[27] | ||
Geller did not answer the question that asked what he hoped to achieve if elected to the school board.[28]
Ranking the issues
The candidates were 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 their rankings:
| Issue importance ranking | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Issue | Geller's ranking | Kalin's ranking | ||
| Expanding arts education | ||||
| Improving relations with teachers | ||||
| Balancing or maintaining the district's budget | ||||
| Improving post-secondary readiness | ||||
| Closing the achievement gap | ||||
| Improving education for special needs students | ||||
| Expanding school choice options | ||||
Positions on the issues
The candidates were asked to answer nine multiple choice and short answer questions from Ballotpedia regarding significant issues in education and the school district. A link to their responses can be found below.
About the district
The San Francisco Unified School District is located in San Francisco County in west-central California. The county seat is San Francisco. San Francisco County was home to 864,816 residents in 2015, according to the United States Census Bureau.[29] The district was the sixth-largest school district in the state in the 2013–2014 school year and served 57,620 students.[30]
Demographics
San Francisco County outperformed California as a whole in terms of higher education achievement from 2010 to 2014. The United States Census Bureau found that 52.9 percent of county residents aged 25 years and older had attained a bachelor's degree, compared to 31 percent of state residents. The median household income for San Francisco County was $78,378, compared to $61,489 for the entire state. The percentage of people in poverty in the county was 12.1 percent, compared to 16.4 percent statewide.[29]
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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 'San Francisco Unified School District' 'California'. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
| San Francisco Unified School District | California | School Boards |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ City and County of San Francisco Department of Elections, "November 8, 2016 Election Information for Campaigns and Candidates," accessed August 22, 2016
- ↑ San Francisco Department of Elections, "November 8, 2016 Unofficial Election Results," accessed November 9, 2016
- ↑ San Francisco Unified School District, "Overview & Members," accessed August 9, 2016
- ↑ San Francisco Unified School District, "BB 9220 Board Bylaws: Board of Education Elections," accessed August 9, 2016
- ↑ California Elections Code, “Part 5, Section 10600-10604: School District And Community College District Governing Board Elections,” accessed June 15, 2016
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "Voter Registration," accessed June 13, 2016
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "California Online Voter Registration," accessed June 13, 2016
- ↑ City and County of San Francisco Department of Elections, "Voting in the November 8, 2016, Election," accessed September 26, 2016
- ↑ City and County of San Francisco Department of Elections, "Local Ballot Measure Status: November 8, 2016 Consolidated General Election," accessed September 26, 2016
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "November 8, 2016, General Election Calendar," accessed July 27, 2016
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 California Fair Political Practices Commission, "Filing Schedule for Candidates and Controlled Committees for Local Office Being Voted on November 8, 2016," accessed July 27, 2016
- ↑ Evolve, "Endorsements: November 8, 2016 General Election," accessed October 13, 2016
- ↑ San Francisco Republican Party, "Election 2016 in San Francisco," accessed October 17, 2016
- ↑ San Francisco Democratic Party, "November 2016 Endorsements," accessed October 17, 2016
- ↑ United Educators of San Francisco, "Fall Election Campaign Underway," September 8, 2016
- ↑ CCSA Advocates, "Our Endorsements: November 2016 Elections," accessed October 27, 2016
- ↑ Politico, "Obama endorses alums in hyper local races," November 5, 2016
- ↑ San Francisco Ethics Commission, "City and County of San Francisco Public Portal for Campaign Finance, Lobbyist and Campaign Consultant Disclosure," accessed November 4, 2016
- ↑ City and County of San Francisco Department of Elections, "Local Ballot Measure Status," accessed October 27, 2016
- ↑ 'San Francisco Department of Elections, "November 8, 2016 Unofficial Election Results," accessed November 14, 2016
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ San Francisco Elections Office, "San Francisco Voter Information Pamphlet and Sample Ballot," accessed September 26, 2016
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 The Washington Post, "These are the 100 U.S. school districts that are actively pursuing socioeconomic integration," October 14, 2016
- ↑ The Century Foundation, "About the Century Foundation," accessed October 18, 2016
- ↑ 25.0 25.1 The Washington Post, "On the anniversary of Brown v. Board, new evidence that U.S. schools are resegregating," May 17, 2016
- ↑ 26.0 26.1 26.2 26.3 San Francisco Chronicle, "SF schools chief Richard Carranza leaving for Houston job," July 27, 2016
- ↑ Ballotpedia's school board candidate survey, "Ian Kalin responses," September 22, 2016
- ↑ Ballotpedia's school board candidate survey, "Rob Geller responses," October 5, 2016
- ↑ 29.0 29.1 29.2 United States Census Bureau, "San Francisco County, California," accessed August 9, 2016
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "ELSI Table Generator," accessed November 16, 2015
- ↑ City and County of San Francisco Department of Elections, "Election Archives by Year," accessed August 4, 2014
| 2016 San Francisco Unified School District Elections | |
| San Francisco County, California | |
| Election date: | November 8, 2016 |
| Candidates: | At-large: • Incumbent, Matthew Haney • Incumbent, Rachel Norton • Incumbent, Jill Wynns • Stevon Cook • Rob Geller • Ian Kalin • Phillip Kim • Trevor McNeil • Mark Sanchez |
| Important information: | What was at stake? • Additional elections on the ballot • Key deadlines |
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