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San Mateo-Foster City Elementary School District elections (2015)
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Two seats on the San Mateo-Foster City School District Board of Trustees were up for general election on November 3, 2015.[1][2] The seats held by incumbents Colleen Marie Sullivan and Audrey Ng were on the ballot.[3]
Ng and newcomer Nancy Kohn Hsieh won election by defeating Bryan Williams. Sullivan did not file to run for re-election.[4][5]
See how this race compared to past school board elections in both the district and the state in the "Election trends" section. Challenger Nancy Kohn Hsieh participated in Ballotpedia's 2015 survey of school board candidates. To read her responses, check out the "Ballotpedia survey responses" section.
About the district
San Mateo-Foster City Elementary School District is located in San Mateo County in west-central California. The county seat is Redwood City. San Mateo County was home to 758,581 residents in 2014, according to the United States Census Bureau.[6] During the 2011-2012 school year, San Mateo-Foster City Elementary School District was the 145th-largest school district by enrollment in California and served 11,204 students.[7]
Demographics
San Mateo County outperformed the rest of California in terms of higher education achievement in 2013. The United States Census Bureau found that 44.4 percent of San Mateo 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 San Mateo County was $88,202, compared to $61,094 for the state of California. The percentage of people below poverty level in San Mateo County was 7.6 percent, compared to 15.9 percent for the entire state.[6]
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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.
Voter and candidate information
The San Mateo-Foster City Board of Trustees consists of five members elected at large to four-year terms. Board members are elected on a staggered basis every November of odd-numbered years. There are no primary elections. Three seats were up for election on November 5, 2013, and two seats were on the ballot on November 3, 2015.[2][9]
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.[10] To get on the ballot, candidates had to file their declaration of candidacy with the San Mateo County Elections by August 7, 2015.[2]
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.[11] Photo identification was not required to vote in California.
Elections
2015
Candidates
At-large
Audrey Ng 
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Nancy Kohn Hsieh
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Bryan Williams | |||
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Election results
| San Mateo-Foster City Elementary School District, At-large, General Election, 2015 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Audrey Ng Incumbent |
41.0% | 12,538 |
| Nancy Kohn Hsieh |
34.3% | 10,492 |
| Bryan Williams | 24.8% | 7,581 |
| Total Votes | 30,611 | |
| Source: San Mateo County, "November 3, 2015 Consolidated Municipal, School and Special District All-Mailed Ballot Election: San Mateo-Foster City School District Members, Governing Board," December 1, 2015 | ||
Endorsements
Incumbent Audrey Ng and challenger Nancy Kohn Hsieh were endorsed by the following organizations and elected officials:[12][13][14]
- San Mateo County Democratic Party
- The Daily Journal
- State Sen. Gerald Hill (D)
- City of Foster City Mayor Art Kiesel
- City of Foster City Vice-Mayor Gary Pollard
- San Mateo County Board of Education Trustee Rod Hsiao
Ng also received endorsements from the following organizations and elected officials:[13]
- San Mateo County Central Labor Council
- San Mateo County Board of Supervisors Member Carole Groom
- City of San Mateo Mayor Maureen Freschet
- City of Foster City Deputy Mayor Jack Matthews
- City of Foster City Council Member Steve Okamoto
Hsieh received further endorsements from the following organizations and elected officials:[14]
- National Association of Social Workers, California Chapter
- State Assemblyman Kevin Mullin (D)
- San Mateo City Council Member Rick Bonilla
- City of Foster City Council Member Herb Perez
Campaign finance
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.[15]
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).[15]
Past elections
Information about earlier elections can be found by clicking [show] at the right. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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2013Three seats on the San Mateo-Foster City School District Board of Trustees were up for election on November 5, 2013. The school district canceled the scheduled election due to a lack of opposition for the candidates who filed, which left Chelsea Bonini, Ed Coady and Lory Lorimer Lawson as the default winners of the three at-large seats. 2011
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What was at stake?
2015
Election trends
- See also: 2013 school board elections
With two seats up for election on November 3, 2015, nearly half of the San Mateo-Foster City Board of Trustees had the potential to change hands. One of the two incumbents ran for another term, guaranteeing at least one newcomer would join the board. The incumbent was re-elected to the board, and a newcomer won the open seat. Two challengers ran in this election, bringing the average number of candidates to 1.5 per seat.
In the 2013 school board election, three seats were on the ballot. Only one incumbent ran to retain her seat, but only two candidates filed to challenge her, leaving each seat unopposed. All three were elected to the board by default.
Both the 2013 and 2015 school board elections in the San Mateo-Foster City Elementary School District had fewer candidates run per seat than the 2014 state average of 1.91 candidates per seat up for election in California's largest school districts. That year, just over 25 percent of board seats in those districts were unopposed, and 37.65 percent of seats went to newcomers.
Issues in the election
Measure X
In addition to choosing their next school board members, voters in the San Mateo-Foster City Elementary School District passed a $148 million measure on November 3, 2015. Measure X was put on the ballot to help the district deal with overcrowding issues. A 55 percent supermajority vote was required to pass the measure.[5][16][17]
Measure X authorized the district to increase its debt by up to $148 million through general obligation bonds. The bonds must be repaid within a maximum of 40 years. District officials estimated that an average property tax levy of $14.8 per $100,000 of assessed property value would be required to repay the bonds. The board planned to add classrooms on to school buildings across the district and to seek the purchase of land for a new elementary school with the new funds.[16]
Measure P, a $130 million measure, was rejected by voters in 2013. A board trustee at the time campaigned against Measure P. Because of this, Superintendent Joan Rosas sought unanimous support from board members for Measure X before it was put on the ballot.[18]
Voters saw the following question on the ballot:
| “ | To provide additional classrooms, relieve overcrowding and address increasing enrollment at San Mateo and Foster City schools, with funding that cannot be taken by the State, shall San Mateo - Foster City Elementary School District replace aging portable classrooms, update ad add new classrooms, provide modern classrooms, reduce class size, improve handicapped access, repair, construct, acquire equipment, classrooms, sites/facilities, by issuing $148,000,000 of bonds at legal rates, with citizen oversight, no money for administrators' salaries, and all funds benefiting San Mateo and Foster City schools?[19][20] | ” |
Issues in the district
New superintendent joins district
Superintendent Joan Rosas joined the San Mateo-Foster City Elementary School District in July 2015. She took the position after Cynthia Simms retired as superintendent at the end of the 2014-2015 school year.[21]
Rosas previously worked in the district. She left in 2011 to work as the assistant superintendent of student services for the San Mateo County Superintendent. She has worked in the education field for more than three decades. “This is the greatest opportunity I have to support students and families,” said Rosas.[21]
Ballotpedia survey responses
One of the three 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 Nancy Kohn Hsieh.
Top priorities
When asked what her top priority would be if elected, Hsieh stated:
| “ | My number one priority is that all of our students continue to receive a high quality education, whether they attend their neighborhood school, a magnet school, or participate in Special Education or the GATE program. I will work to make certain that every child has access to an excellent school and that they have the resources they need to become ""active, well-rounded, socially responsible citizens who positively impact today and the future,"" as stated in our district's Strategic Plan.
Whether a student is receiving Special Educational Services, is an English Language Learner, is below/at/or above grade level academically, it is important that teachers meet each student where they are and provide them with the instruction, guidance, opportunities, and supports necessary to help them achieve their academic, musical/artistic, physical, social, and emotional potential. Our teachers need ongoing district support in order to function optimally towards meeting these goals. I will work to ensure that they continue to receive this support.[20] |
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| —Nancy Kohn Hsieh (2015)[22] | ||
Ranking the issues
Hsieh 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 her rankings:
| Issue importance ranking | ||
|---|---|---|
| Issue | Hsieh's rankings | |
| 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
Hsieh 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 her responses can be found below.
Key deadlines
The following dates were key deadlines for the San Mateo-Foster City Elementary School District election in 2015:[1][2][23][24]
| Deadline | Event |
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| 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 San Mateo-Foster City Elementary School District election shared the ballot with municipal elections in Foster City and San Mateo.[25] It also shared the ballot with Measure X.[19]
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms San Mateo-Foster City Elementary School District California. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
| San Mateo-Foster City Elementary School District | California | School Boards |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Redwood City Elementary School District, Education Code: Part 4 Elections, Chapter 1 Election of School District Board Members, Article 1 Elections,” accessed January 29, 2015
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2013 California Code, “CA Elec Code § 8403 (2013),” accessed January 29, 2015
- ↑ Smart Voter, "Governing Board Member; San Mateo-Foster City Elementary School District Voter Information," accessed October 22, 2013
- ↑ San Mateo County Elections Office, "Consolidated Municipal, School & Special District Election Tuesday, November 3, 2015: Roster Of Candidates," accessed August 10, 2015
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 San Mateo County, "November 3, 2015 Consolidated Municipal, School and Special District All-Mailed Ballot Election: San Mateo-Foster City School District Members, Governing Board," December 1, 2015
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 United States Census Bureau, "San Mateo County, California," accessed September 24, 2015
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "ELSI Table Generator," accessed April 22, 2014
- ↑ San Mateo County Elections, "Election Results Archive," accessed August 6, 2014
- ↑ San Mateo-Foster City Elementary School District, "Board of Trustees: Members," accessed August 10, 2015
- ↑ San Mateo-Foster City Elementary School District, "BB 9220 Board Bylaws: Governing Board Elections," accessed August 10, 2015
- ↑ San Mateo County Elections, “Election Calendar November 3, 2015 Consolidated Municipal, School and Special District Election,” accessed August 7, 2015
- ↑ The Daily Journal, "Editorial: Ng, Kohn Hsieh for San Mateo-Foster City school board," October 13, 2015
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Audrey Ng for San Mateo-Foster City School Board of Trustees, "Endorsements," accessed October 30, 2015
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Nancy Kohn Hsieh for San Mateo-Foster City School Board November 3, 2015, "Endorsements," accessed October 30, 2015
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 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
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 San Mateo County Elections Office, "Impartial Analysis of Measure X," accessed October 2, 2015
- ↑ The Daily Journal, "District puts bond on ballot: San Mateo-Foster City Elementary School District will ask voters to pass tax for new school buildings," August 7, 2015
- ↑ San Jose Mercury News, "San Mateo-Foster City School District to pursue $150 million bond measure," August 4, 2015
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 San Mateo County Elections Office, “Measures appearing on the ballot on November 3, 2015,” accessed September 29, 2015
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 The Daily Journal, "New superintendent comes full circle: Joan Rosas returns to San Mateo-Foster City Elementary School District," July 27, 2015
- ↑ Ballotpedia School Board Candidate Survey, 2015, "Nancy Kohn Hsieh responses," October 3, 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
- ↑ San Mateo County Elections, "Regularly Scheduled Elections," accessed August 5, 2015
| 2015 San Mateo-Foster City Elementary School District Elections | |
| San Mateo County, California | |
| Election date: | November 3, 2015 |
| Candidates: | At-large: • Incumbent, Audrey Ng • Nancy Kohn Hsieh • Bryan Williams |
| Important information: | What was at stake? • Key deadlines • Additional elections on the ballot |
