South Washington County Schools elections (2017)
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Five of the seven seats on the South Washington County Schools school board in Minnesota were up for nonpartisan general election on November 7, 2017. Four seats were up for general election to regular four-year terms, and the fifth seat was up for special election to a two-year term due to a vacancy on the board.[1] In the race for the four-year terms, at-large incumbents Tracy Brunnette, Katie Schwartz, and Sharon H. Van Leer won re-election. Incumbent Katy McElwee-Stevens did not win re-election, as Patricia Driscoll won the fourth seat. Challengers Thor Halverson, Alexandra Hedberg, Douglas Hoffman, David Pyrz, and William Thurmes were defeated in that race. Heather Hirsch won the two-year term, defeating Wael Abdelkader, Sean Brown, Duane Girard, and Steve Lagoon.[2] In addition to choosing members for the school board, school district residents also voted on three referendum questions for the school district.[3]
Driscoll, Halverson, Pyrz, and Lagoon participated in Ballotpedia's 2017 survey of school board candidates. Click here to read their responses.
The 2017 election added the board's first newcomers since 2013. For information on elections trends in the district, click here.
Elections
Voter and candidate information
The South Washington County school board consists of seven members elected to four-year terms. Elections are held at large on a staggered basis so that three or four seats are up for election every November of odd-numbered years.[4][5]
School board candidates had to be at least 21 years old upon taking office, residents of the school district for a minimum of 30 days before the election, and eligible to vote in Minnesota. They could not run for any other office on the ballot at the same time as the school board election, and they could not have been convicted of an offense for which they were required to register as a predatory offender.[6] To get on the ballot, school board candidates had to file between August 1, 2017, and August 15, 2017.[7] The deadline for candidates to withdraw was August 17, 2017.[8]
Citizens of the school district could register to vote on election day, but the deadline to register prior to election day was October 17, 2017. Vote-by-mail or in-person early voting was open from September 22, 2017, to November 6, 2017.[9] Photo identification was not required to vote in Minnesota.[10]
Candidates and results
At-large (4-year terms)
Results
| South Washington County Schools, At-large General Election, 4-year terms, 2017 |
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| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Patricia Driscoll |
11.96% | 4,353 |
| Katie Schwartz Incumbent |
11.07% | 4,031 |
| Tracy Brunnette Incumbent |
10.92% | 3,977 |
| Sharon H. Van Leer Incumbent |
10.91% | 3,970 |
| William Thurmes | 10.04% | 3,656 |
| Alexandra Hedberg | 9.84% | 3,582 |
| Katy McElwee-Stevens Incumbent | 9.53% | 3,471 |
| Douglas Hoffman | 9.19% | 3,345 |
| David Pyrz | 8.97% | 3,267 |
| Thor Halverson | 7.01% | 2,553 |
| Write-in votes | 0.55% | 199 |
| Total Votes | 36,404 | |
| Source: South Washington County Schools, "School Board Meeting Minutes November 16, 2017," accessed December 8, 2017 | ||
Candidates
Tracy Brunnette 
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Katy McElwee-Stevens | Katie Schwartz
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Sharon H. Van Leer
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 Patricia Driscoll
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| Thor Halverson
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Alexandra Hedberg | Douglas Hoffman | David Pyrz
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William Thurmes |
At-large (2-year term)
Results
| South Washington County Schools, At-large Special Election, 2-year term, 2017 |
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|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Heather Hirsch |
25.33% | 2,489 |
| Steve Lagoon | 24.63% | 2,420 |
| Sean Brown | 22.41% | 2,202 |
| Wael Abdelkader | 17.22% | 1,692 |
| Duane Girard | 9.73% | 956 |
| Write-in votes | 0.67% | 66 |
| Total Votes | 9,825 | |
| Source: South Washington County Schools, "School Board Meeting Minutes November 16, 2017," accessed December 8, 2017 | ||
Candidates
| Wael Abdelkader | Sean Brown | Duane Girard | |||
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| Heather Hirsch
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Steve Lagoon
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Additional elections on the ballot
- See also: Minnesota elections, 2017
The South Washington County school board election shared the ballot with municipal elections in Washington County and three referendum questions for the school district.[11][12]
Key deadlines
The following dates were key deadlines for the Minnesota school board elections in 2017:[7][8][9][13]
Endorsements
The United Teachers of South Washington County endorsed incumbent Sharon H. Van Leer and challengers Patricia Driscoll, Alexandra Hedberg, and William Thurmes for the four-year term seats and Sean Brown for the two-year term.[14] OutFront Minnesota Action and former South Washington County Superintendent Tom Nelson also endorsed Van Leer.[15]
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
The South Washington County Schools does not publish and freely disclose school board candidate campaign finance reports. If you have any information regarding the campaign finance disclosures in this race, please contact the school board elections team at editor@ballotpedia.org.
Reporting requirements
Minnesota school board candidates had to file an initial campaign finance report within 14 days of spending or receiving more than $750. They also had to file a pre-general report, a post-general report, and a year-end report. Those three reports were due on October 28, 2017, December 7, 2017, and January 31, 2018.[13]
Past elections
To see results from past elections in South Washington County Schools, click here.
What was at stake?
Issues in the election
Referendum questions
In addition to choosing members for the school board, citizens of the South Washington County school district also voted on three referendum questions for the school district. The questions asked to renew an existing operating levy, to approve an additional operating levy, and to approve a 10-year capital projects levy.[16] All three questions were approved by voters.[2] The three questions appeared on the ballot as follows:
| “ | Renewal of School District Expiring Referendum Revenue Authorization
The Board of Independent School District No. 833 (South Washington County Schools), Minnesota has proposed to renew the existing property tax referendum authorization of $780.72 per pupil that is scheduled to expire after taxes payable in 2017. The proposed referendum revenue authorization would be first levied in 2017 for taxes payable in 2018 and applicable for ten (10) years unless otherwise revoked or reduced as provided by law. Shall the renewal of the expiring property tax referendum proposed by the Board of Independent School District No. 833 (South Washington County Schools) be approved? __Yes |
” |
| —South Washington County Schools (2017)[12] | ||
| “ | Approval of Additional Referendum Revenue Authorization
The Board of Independent School District No. 833 (South Washington County Schools), Minnesota has proposed to increase its referendum revenue authorization by an additional $375 per pupil. The proposed referendum revenue authorization would be first levied in 2017 for taxes payable in 2018 and applicable for ten (10) years unless otherwise revoked or reduced as provided by law. Shall the additional increase in revenue proposed by the Board of Independent School District No. 833 (South Washington County Schools), Minnesota be approved? __Yes |
” |
| —South Washington County Schools (2017)[12] | ||
| “ | Approval of Technology Capital Project Levy Authorization
The Board of Independent School District No. 833 (South Washington County Schools), Minnesota has proposed a capital project levy for the acquisition and installation of improved instructional technology, technology systems, and technology support staffing. The proposed capital project levy authorization will raise approximately $2,000,000 for taxes payable in 2018, the first year it is to be levied, and would be authorized for ten (10) years. The estimated total cost of the projects to be funded over that time period is approximately $20,000,000, or 1.820% times the net tax capacity of the school district. Shall the capital project levy proposed by the Board of Independent School District No. 833 (South Washington County Schools), Minnesota be approved? __Yes |
” |
| —South Washington County Schools (2017)[12] | ||
Report a story for this election
Ballotpedia researches issues in school board elections across the United States, but information availability is a challenge for us in many school districts. Please contact us about the issues that impact your local school district. Note that not all submissions may meet Ballotpedia's coverage requirements for inclusion.
Candidate survey
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Ballotpedia invites school board candidates to participate in its annual survey. |
Survey responses
Three candidates in the race for the four-year terms and one candidate in the race for the two-year term participated in Ballotpedia's 2017 survey of school board candidates. The following sections display the responses to the survey questions from challengers Patricia Driscoll, Thor Halverson, David Pyrz, and Steve Lagoon.
Hope to achieve
When asked what she hoped to achieve if elected to the school board, Driscoll stated:
| “ | I hope to inspire the Board to do more, dream more and expect more.[17] | ” |
| —Patricia Driscoll (September 20, 2017)[18] | ||
When asked what he hoped to achieve if elected to the school board, Halverson stated:
| “ | I want to give teachers a stronger voice.[17] | ” |
| —Thor Halverson (September 20, 2017)[19] | ||
When asked what he hoped to achieve if elected to the school board, Pyrz stated:
| “ | I truly believe we can become a World Class school district! We have the support, the community, the involvement, the resources and the passion to do amazing things. We need, however, to become even better in the areas of child safety, maintain an unwavering prioritization of the classroom experience first, and hone the skills & disciplines of our leadership associated with transparent, critical decision-making. Accountability of the Board and Administration is paramount to achieve these objectives. I can help influence these priorities in a refreshing, positive, energetic way and help us become a World Class district!![17] | ” |
| —David Pyrz (October 5, 2017)[20] | ||
When asked what he hoped to achieve if elected to the school board, Lagoon stated:
| “ | I hope to make a contribution to our school board's mission to provide excellent educational opportunities for all of our districts students. I am greatly concerned about the growing problem of disrespectful and disruptive students who are a daily burden to teachers and staff, and who poison the classroom learning experience for the other students. I will be a strong advocate for greater discipline and accountability for such willfully obstinate students including expulsion until they are ready to take advantage of the great privilege of a free public education.[17] | ” |
| —Steve Lagoon (September 22, 2017)[21] | ||
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 | Driscoll's ranking (4-year term race) |
Halverson's ranking (4-year term race) |
Pyrz's ranking (4-year term race) |
Lagoon's ranking (2-year term race) |
| 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.
- Patricia Driscoll's survey responses
- Thor Halverson's survey responses
- David Pyrz's survey responses
- Steve Lagoon's survey responses
Election trends
- See also: School boards in session: 2015 in brief
The 2017 South Washington County school board election was guaranteed to add one new member to the board due to an open seat for a two-year term. A second newcomer defeated an incumbent to win a seat on the board. The district last elected a newcomer to the board in 2013. Two newcomers were elected that year: one won an open seat, and one defeated an incumbent to win a seat on the board.
The district's 2011 and 2015 elections saw incumbents sweep the ballot. Every incumbent who was up for re-election ran and won against four challengers each year.
| School board election trends | ||||||
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| Year | Candidates per seat | Unopposed seats | Incumbents running for re-election | Incumbent success rate | Seats won by newcomers | |
| South Washington County Schools | ||||||
| 2017 | 3.00 | 0.00% | 80.00% | 75.00% | 40.00% | |
| 2015 | 2.33 | 0.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 0.00% | |
| 2013 | 3.50 | 0.00% | 75.00% | 66.67% | 50.00% | |
| 2011 | 2.33 | 0.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 0.00% | |
| Minnesota | ||||||
| 2015 | 1.70 | 18.18% | 69.70% | 95.65% | 33.33% | |
| United States | ||||||
| 2015 | 1.72 | 35.95% | 70.37% | 82.66% | 40.81% | |
About the district
The South Washington County school district is located in east-central Minnesota in Washington County. The county seat is Stillwater. The county was home to an estimated 540,649 residents in 2016, according to the United States Census Bureau.[22] The district was the sixth-largest school district in the state in the 2014-2015 school year and served 18,143 students.[23]
Demographics
Ramsey County outperformed Minnesota as a whole in terms of higher education achievement between 2011 and 2015. The United States Census Bureau found that 40.4 percent of county residents aged 25 years and older had attained a bachelor's degree, compared to 33.7 percent of state residents. During the same time period, the median household income in Ramsey County was $56,104, compared to $61,492 for the entire state. The poverty rate in the county was 15.1 percent, while it was 10.2 percent statewide.[22]
| Racial Demographics, 2016[22] | ||
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| Race | Ramsey County (%) | Minnesota (%) |
| White | 68.8 | 85.0 |
| Black or African American | 12.0 | 6.2 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 1.0 | 1.3 |
| Asian | 14.8 | 4.9 |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander | 0.1 | 0.1 |
| Two or More Races | 3.4 | 2.4 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 7.4 | 5.2 |
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 South Washington County Schools Minnesota election. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
| South Washington County Schools | Minnesota | School Boards |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ South Washington County Bulletin, "Candidacy Filing Notice," June 26, 2017
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Minnesota Secretary of State, "Results for Selected Contests in School District No. 833 - SOUTH WASHINGTON COUNTY," accessed November 7, 2017
- ↑ Minnesota Secretary of State, "Candidate Filings: 2017 Municipal and School District Elections," accessed August 16, 2017
- ↑ South Washington County Schools, "School Board Members," accessed August 15, 2017
- ↑ South Washington County Schools, "School Board," accessed August 15, 2017
- ↑ Minnesota Secretary of State, "Candidate Qualifications," accessed August 15, 2017
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Minnesota Secretary of State, "Candidate Filing Periods," accessed August 15, 2017
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Minnesota Secretary of State, "Candidate Withdrawal," accessed August 15, 2017
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Minnesota Secretary of State, "Elections Calendar," accessed August 15, 2017
- ↑ Minnesota Secretary of State, "Do I Need to Bring ID?" accessed August 15, 2017
- ↑ Washington County Elections, "Candidate Filing," accessed August 16, 2017
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 Washington County Elections, "General Election Ballot: Independent School District No. 833," accessed October 4, 2017
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Minnesota Secretary of State, "Campaign Finance Filings," accessed September 20, 2017
- ↑ United Teachers of South Washington County, "Home," accessed October 26, 2017
- ↑ Sharon Van Leer District 833 School Board, "Endorsements," accessed October 26, 2017
- ↑ South Washington County Schools," Board determines Nov. 7 levy and capital projects referendum questions," August 7, 2017
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 17.4 17.5 17.6 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Ballotpedia's school board candidate survey, "Patricia Driscoll responses," September 20, 2017
- ↑ Ballotpedia's school board candidate survey, "Thor Halverson responses," September 20, 2017
- ↑ Ballotpedia's school board candidate survey, "David Pyrz responses," October 5, 2017
- ↑ Ballotpedia's school board candidate survey, "Steve Lagoon responses," September 22, 2017
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 United States Census Bureau, "QuickFacts: Ramsey County, Minnesota; Minnesota," accessed August 16 2017
- ↑ U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, "Common Core of Data, file ccd_lea_052_1414_w_0216161a, 2014-2015," accessed November 16, 2016
