Southwest Independent School District elections (2015)
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Three seats on the Southwest Independent School District Board of Trustees were scheduled for election on May 9, 2015, but the election was canceled due to a lack of opposed races. These races did not appear on the ballot.
Unopposed at-large incumbents Florinda Bernal, Keith Byrom and James Sullivan were automatically re-elected due to the cancellation.[1]
About the district
Southwest Independent School District is located in Bexar County, Texas. The county seat is San Antonio. Bexar County had an estimated 1,817,610 residents in 2013, according to the United States Census Bureau.[2] Southwest Independent School District was the 88th-largest school district in Texas, serving 12,459 students in the 2011-2012 school year.[3]
Demographics
Bexar County underperformed in comparison to the Texas average in terms of higher education achievement in 2013. Statewide, 26.7 percent of persons aged 25 and older held bachelor's degrees or higher, compared to 26.3 percent of county residents. The statewide median household income was $51,900, while it was $50,112 in Bexar County. The county's poverty rate was equal to the statewide average of 17.6 percent.[2]
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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 Southwest Board of Trustees consists of seven members who are elected at-large. They serve three-year terms. There was no primary election, and the general election was scheduled for May 9, 2015.[5] However, the election was canceled due to a lack of opposed races.
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.[6]
Elections
2015
Candidates
At-large
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Results
This election was canceled due to a lack of opposed races. Incumbent Keith Byrom, Florinda Bernal and James Sullivan won re-election without opposition.
Endorsements
There were no official endorsements in this election.
Campaign finance
No contributions or expenditures were reported as of April 9, 2015, according to the Texas Ethics Commission.[7] 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.[8]
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.[9]
Past elections
Information about earlier elections can be found by clicking [show] at the right. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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2014
2013
2012Florinda Bernal, Keith Byrom and James Sullivan were unopposed in 2012, which led to the cancellation of that year’s election.[10] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
What was at stake?
2015
Issues in the district
Report on trustees' educational backgrounds
An investigative report about the educational backgrounds of school board trustees in 15 San Antonio-area school districts found that 40 percent did not have bachelor's degrees and several did not have high school diplomas. The report specifically found that 57 percent of Southwest ISD's trustees had a bachelor's degree or higher: Keith Byrom holds a doctoral degree and Mike C. Frazier holds a master's degree, Yolanda Garza-Lopez and Sylvester Vasquez hold bachelor's degrees and Ida Sudolcan and Florinda Bernal have high school diplomas.[11]
One member, James Sullivan, had no high school diploma or GED. He was interviewed for the report by KENS 5, where he stated that having dropped out of high school to work with his parents in the carnival business helps him connect with district students. He stated, "I bring something no other board members have. I encourage every kid to stay in school and get their education, because I wasn't able to." He also stated that if the state were to institute a minimum educational requirement for school board trustees, he would obtain whatever degree was required to maintain his seat.[11]
District named in ELL lawsuit
In 2014, a lawsuit by the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) was brought forward contending that Texas had failed to adequately monitor programs put in place to help students with English learning barriers, such as English language learner (ELL) programs. Southwest ISD was specifically named in the 2014 lawsuit, but the case stretched back farther. In 2006, LULAC had won a lawsuit against the state on the same issue, but that decision was later overturned by the Texas Fifth District Court of Appeals in 2010. The circuit court stated that further study of the issue was needed.[12]
When the 2014 lawsuit was filed, LULAC's attorney David Hinojosa said, "Four years ago, the 5th Circuit described the performance of ELL students as ‘alarming’ and when one out of every two long-term ELL students is not advancing in English today, this shows that things have not changed. This lawsuit should be the wake-up call that is needed to spur positive, affirmative action by the school districts and the State of Texas once and for all.” Before Southwest ISD was served with official papers, a district spokesperson stated the district believed "in the education of all students from all backgrounds and we look forward to sharing our academic progress."[12]
Key deadlines
The following dates were key deadlines for Texas school board elections in May 2015:[5][8]
| 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
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Southwest Independent School District Texas. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
| Southwest Independent School District | Texas | School Boards |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Margaret Koenig, "Email correspondence with Adriana Rocha Garcia, Southwest ISD Director of Public Relations," March 4, 2015
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 United States Census Bureau, "Quick Facts: Bexar 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
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Texas Secretary of State, "May 9, 2015 Election Law Calendar," accessed January 21, 2015
- ↑ Southwest Independent School District, "Board Member Qualifications," accessed April 8, 2014
- ↑ Texas Ethics Commission, "Search Campaign Finance Reports," accessed April 10, 2015
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 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
- ↑ Margaret Koenig, "Email correspondence with Adriana Rocha Garcia, Southwest ISD Director of Public Relations," February 27, 2015
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 KENS 5, "Grading S.A.-area school trustees: 2 out of 5 lack bachelor's degree," January 30, 2015
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 The Texas Tribune, "Lawsuit: Texas' English Language Programs Fall Short," June 10, 2014
| 2015 Southwest Independent School District Elections | |
| Bexar County, Texas | |
| Election date: | May 9, 2015 - Canceled |
| Candidates: | At-Large: Incumbent Keith Byrom • Incumbent Florinda Bernal • Incumbent James Sullivan |
| Important information: | What was at stake? • Key deadlines • Additional elections on the ballot |
