Socorro Independent School District elections (2015)
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Three seats on the Socorro Independent School District Board of Trustees were up for election on May 9, 2015.[1]
District 1 incumbent Hector Gonzalez won re-election unopposed. The two at-large incumbents, Antonio Ayub and Michael Najera, defeated challengers Frank Del Toro and Kenneth Gezelius to win re-election.[2]
About the district
Socorro Independent School District is located in El Paso County in western Texas. The county seat is El Paso. The county was home to an estimated 827,718 residents in 2013, according to the United States Census Bureau.[3] In the 2011-2012 school year, Socorro Independent School District was the 24th-largest school district in Texas, serving 43,672 students.[4]
Demographics
El Paso County underperformed in comparison to the rest of Texas in terms of higher education attainment, median income and poverty rate. In 2013, 20.7 percent of county residents over 25 years old held undergraduate degrees compared to a 26.7 percent statewide. The county had a median income of $40,157, compared to $51,900 for Texas as a whole. The poverty rate for El Paso County was 23.3 percent in comparison to the whole state at 17.6 percent.[3]
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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 Socorro Board of Trustees is made up of seven members who are elected to four-year terms. Five of the members are elected to single-member districts, and two are elected at-large.[6] There was no primary election, and the general election was held on May 9, 2015.[1]
A member of the board must be 18 years old, a U.S. citizen and a resident of the district. An individual seeking office must be a resident of the state for 12 months and a resident of the district for six months, prior to the last date on which the candidate could file to be listed on the ballot.
Elections
2015
Candidates
District 1 (one seat)
Hector Gonzalez 
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At-large (two seats)
| Antonio Ayub
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Michael Najera
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| Frank Del Toro | Kenneth Gezelius | ||
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Election results
District 1 (one seat)
| Socorro Independent School District, District 1 General Election, 4-year term, 2015 |
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| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan |  Hector Gonzalez Incumbent |
100% | 1,090 | |
| Total Votes | 1,090 | |||
| Source: El Paso County Elections, "Final Election Results," accessed May 26, 2015 | ||||
At-large (two seats)
| Socorro Independent School District, At-Large General Election, 4-year term, 2015 |
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| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan | Michael Najera Incumbent |
40.1% | 2,938 | |
| Nonpartisan | Antonio Ayub Incumbent |
30% | 2,196 | |
| Nonpartisan | Frank Del Toro | 19.9% | 1,460 | |
| Nonpartisan | Kenneth Gezelius | 10% | 729 | |
| Total Votes | 7,323 | |||
| Source: El Paso County Elections, "Final Election Results," accessed May 26, 2015 | ||||
Endorsements
The Socorro Education Association and the El Paso Times endorsed at-large incumbents Antonio Ayub and Michael Najera.[7][8]
Campaign finance
No contributions or expenditures were reported as of April 9, 2015, according to the Texas Ethics Commission.[9] The next filing deadline was May 1, 2015.
Texas school board candidates and officeholders must file semiannual reports, which were due on January 15, 2015, and July 15, 2015. In addition, candidates in contested elections were required to file 30-day and 8-day pre-election reports, unless the candidate chose modified reporting.[10]
Candidates in contested elections who did not intend to exceed $500 in contributions or expenditures, excepting filing fees, were eligible for modified reporting. If they exceeded the threshold before the 30th day prior to the election, candidates were required to submit the 30- and 8-day reports. If they exceeded the threshold after the 30th day prior to the election, they were required to file a report within 48 hours of exceeding the threshold and participate in regular reporting for the rest of the election cycle.[11]
Past elections
Information about earlier elections can be found by clicking [show] at the right. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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2013District 1
District 2Cynthia Najera was unopposed for the District 2 seat. She was declared elected to a four-year term by the board on March 26, 2013.[12] District 3Angelica Rodriguez was unopposed for the District 3 seat. She was declared elected to a four-year term by the board on March 26, 2013.[12] District 4Paul Guerra was unopposed for the District 2 seat. He was declared elected to a four-year term by the board on March 26, 2013.[12] District 5Gary Gandara was unopposed for the District 2 seat. He was declared elected to a four-year term by the board on March 26, 2013.[12] 2011At-largeThe 2011 election for two at-large seats was canceled as incumbents Antonio Ayub and Michael Najera were the only two candidates to file for the race.[13] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
What was at stake?
2015
Issues in the district
Security changes at El Dorado High School
In February 2015, officials at El Dorado High School announced their intention to tighten security at the campus in the following school year. Online threats of a mass shooting spurred the school to reconsider its current security measures. Lunchtime regulations were one of the main areas being considered for changes.[14]
Inappropriate conduct investigation
An employee at Roberto Ituarte Elementary School was under investigation for inappropriate conduct beginning in February 2015. While the matter was under investigation, the employee was placed on administrative leave. Parents were notified of the alleged behavior on February 17, 2015.[15] In March, the district concluded its investigation and concluded that, "there were no findings of misconduct."[16]
Key deadlines
The following dates were key deadlines for Texas school board elections in May 2015:[1][10]
| Deadline | Event |
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| January 28, 2015 | First day to file paperwork for ballot placement |
| February 27, 2015 | Last day to file paperwork for ballot placement |
| March 4, 2015 | Last day to withdraw from ballot |
| April 9, 2015 | Last day for voter registration with county clerk |
| Campaign finance report due | |
| April 27, 2015- May 5, 2015 |
Early in-person voting period |
| April 30, 2015 | Last day to request mailed ballot from county clerk |
| May 1, 2015 | Campaign finance report due |
| May 9, 2015 | Election Day |
| May 20, 2015 | Final day for canvassing of votes |
| July 15, 2015 | Campaign finance report due |
Additional elections on the ballot
- See also: Texas elections, 2015
In addition to these school trustee positions, municipal offices were also up for election on May 9, 2015.
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term "Socorro + Independent + School + District + Texas"
See also
| Socorro Independent School District | Texas | School Boards |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Texas Secretary of State, "May 9, 2015 Election Law Calendar," accessed January 21, 2015
- ↑ Margaret Koenig, "Email correspondence with Lupe Alvarez, Executive Assistant, Office of the Superintendent, Socorro ISD," March 3, 2015
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 United States Census Bureau, "Quick Facts: El Paso County," accessed January 21, 2015
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "ELSI Table Generator," accessed April 22, 2014
- ↑ Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections, "Presidential General Election Results Comparison - Texas," accessed January 21, 2015
- ↑ Socorro Independent School District, "Socorro ISD Board of Trustees," accessed January 21, 2015
- ↑ Facebook, "Socorro Education Association: Timeline Photo," March 25, 2015
- ↑ El Paso Times, "Editorial: Socorro ISD incumbents earn re-election," April 24, 2015
- ↑ Texas Ethics Commission, "Search Campaign Finance Reports," accessed April 10, 2015
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Texas Ethics Commission, "2015 Filing Schedule for Elections Held on Uniform Election Dates," accessed January 21, 2015
- ↑ Texas Ethics Commission, "Campaign Finance Guide for Candidates and Officeholders Who File with Local Filing Authorities," September 1, 2013
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 Socorro Independent School District, "MINUTES REGULAR BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING," May 21, 2013
- ↑ El Paso County Elections, "Socorro Independent School District Bond Election: May 14, 2011, Sample Ballot," April 5, 2011
- ↑ KFOX 14, "New security measures proposed at El Dorado High School," February 19, 2015
- ↑ KFOX 14, "Employee at Sgt. Roberto Ituarte Elementary placed on administrative leave over ‘inappropriate conduct’," February 18, 2015
- ↑ Daniel Anderson, "Email correspondence with Daniel Escobar, Chief Communication Officer, Socorro ISD," March 29, 2015
