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St. Louis Public Schools elections (2015)
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Two seats on the St. Louis Elected Board of Education were up for general election on April 7, 2015.
The at-large seats of incumbents David L. Jackson and Katie Wessling were up for re-election. They ran against four candidates: Charli Cooksey, Joey Hollins, Thomas Oldenburg and Natalie Vowell. Wessling was re-elected to another four-year term, while Cooksey replaced Jackson.[1]
In 2007, the State of Missouri implemented a three-member Special Administrative Board to serve as the school district's governing body. Its primary functions were to establish and monitor plans and procedures for the school system. One member was appointed by the Governor of Missouri, one was appointed by the mayor of St. Louis, and one member was appointed by the president of the St. Louis Board of Aldermen. At the time of the appointment, the district had accrued $40 million in debt and was failing to meet the state's academic standards. During this time, the seven-member elected school board remained in place, however it did not have governing power over the school district. [2] The board concluded its tenure on June 30, 2019.[3][4][5][6]
About the district
- See also: St. Louis Public Schools, Missouri
St. Louis Public Schools is located in east-central Missouri in St. Louis County. The county seat is Clayton. This county was home to 1,001,444 residents in 2013, according to the United States Census Bureau.[7] In the 2012-2013 school year, St. Louis Public Schools was the largest school district in Missouri and served 32,364 students.[8]
Demographics
St. Louis County outperformed the rest of Missouri in terms of higher education achievement in 2013. The United States Census Bureau found that 40.6 percent of county residents aged 25 years and older had attained a bachelor's degree, compared to 26.2 percent for Missouri as a whole. The median household income in St. Louis County was $58,910, compared to $47,380 for the state of Missouri. The poverty rate was 10.9 percent, compared to 15.5 percent for the entire state.[7]
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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 St. Louis Elected Board of Education consists of seven members elected at-large to four-year terms. There was no primary election, and the general election was held on April 7, 2015. Two seats were up for election in 2015.[10]
School board candidates had to file with their county elections department during the candidate filing period, which began on December 16, 2014, and ended on January 20, 2015. To vote in the 2015 general election, residents had to register by March 11, 2015. The absentee voting deadline was April 1, 2015.[11]
Elections
2015
Candidates
At-large
| David L. Jackson | Katie Wessling 
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Charli Cooksey
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| Joey Hollins | Thomas Oldenburg | Natalie Vowell | |||
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Election results
| St. Louis Public Schools, At-Large General Election, 4-year terms, 2015 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan |  Charli Cooksey |
23.2% | 6,431 | |
| Nonpartisan | Katie Wessling Incumbent |
20.9% | 5,789 | |
| Nonpartisan | David L. Jackson Incumbent | 18.8% | 5,224 | |
| Nonpartisan | Natalie Vowell | 18.2% | 5,039 | |
| Nonpartisan | Thomas Oldenburg | 9.7% | 2,680 | |
| Nonpartisan | Joey Hollins | 7.9% | 2,190 | |
| Nonpartisan | Write-in votes | 1.4% | 387 | |
| Total Votes | 27,740 | |||
| Source: St. Louis Board of Election Commissioners, "April 7th, 2015–General Municipal Election–Summary - Official Results," accessed July 15, 2015 | ||||
Endorsements
Both the 7th and 8th Wards of the Independent Democratic Association endorsed Katie Wessling and Charli Cooksey.[12][13]
Past elections
Information about earlier elections can be found by clicking [show] at the right. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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2014
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What was at stake?
Issues in the district
District takeover
In 2007, the State of Missouri stripped the existing St. Louis Board of Education of its control and implemented a three-member Special Administrative Board. One member was appointed by the governor of Missouri, one by the mayor of St. Louis, and one by the president of the St. Louis Board of Aldermen. The seven-member elected board remained in place, though its power was largely revoked.[14]
The state cited widespread instability in leadership, failing finances, and struggling academics as reasons for the takeover.[15] At the time of the appointment, the district had accrued $40 million of debt and was failing to meet the state's academic standards.[16]
The initial takeover was meant to last until 2014. In the spring of that year, the Missouri State Board of Education voted to extend the SAB's control through June 2016, and in February 2016, the period was extended to at least 2019. While the district's performance and financial status has improved substantially since 2007, Education Commissioner Chris Nicastro said time was still needed to ensure changes were being established for the long term. “At this point, our feeling is that allowing the transitional district to continue provides some stability going forward that would allow that trend to assert itself if in fact it’s going to,” said Nicastro.[17][18]
Key deadlines
The following dates were key deadlines for the St. Louis Public Schools election in 2015:[11]
| Deadline | Event |
|---|---|
| December 16, 2014 | First day for candidates to file nomination documents |
| January 20, 2015 | Last day for candidates to file nomination documents |
| February 24, 2015 | First day for absentee voting |
| February 26, 2015 | Last day to file first campaign finance report |
| March 8, 2015 | Last day to organize a campaign finance committee |
| March 11, 2015 | Last day to register to vote in the general election |
| March 30, 2015 | Last day to file second campaign finance report |
| April 1, 2015 | Last day for absentee voting |
| April 7, 2015 | Election Day |
| May 7, 2015 | Last day to file final campaign finance report |
Additional elections on the ballot
- See also: Missouri elections, 2015
This election shared the ballot with general elections for county and municipal offices, along with local bond measures.[19]
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms St. Louis Public Schools Missouri. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
| St. Louis Public Schools | Missouri | School Boards |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ St. Louis Board of Election Commissioners, "April 7 Official Election Results," accessed July 15, 2015
- ↑ District Administration, "Superintendent Kelvin Adams turns around St. Louis schools," June 21, 2013
- ↑ St. Louis Public Schools, "Special Administrative Board," accessed April 26, 2021
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedaccreditation - ↑ St. Louis Public Radio, "Plans expected to transition St. Louis Public Schools back to control by elected board," February 16, 2016
- ↑ St. Louis Public Radio, "State Board Of Education Extends SAB Control Of St. Louis Public Schools For Two More Years," April 15, 2014
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 United States Census Bureau, "St. Louis County, Missouri," accessed February 3, 2014
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "ELSI Table Generator," accessed April 22, 2014
- ↑ Missouri Secretary of State, "Missouri Election Results," accessed January 23, 2015
- ↑ St. Louis Elected Board of Education, "Elected Board Members," accessed July 15, 2015
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Jackson County Election Board, "2015 Missouri Election Calendar," accessed January 19, 2015
- ↑ 8th Ward Independent Democratic Association, "Elected School Board Endorsements for April 7 General Election," February 23, 2015
- ↑ 7th Ward Independent Democratic Association, "7th Ward April 7th General Election Endorsements," March 31, 2015
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedSAB - ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedstl - ↑ District Administration, "Superintendent Kelvin Adams turns around St. Louis schools," July 1, 2013
- ↑ St. Louis Public Radio, "Plans expected to transition St. Louis Public Schools back to control by elected board," February 16, 2016
- ↑ St. Louis Public Radio, "State Board Of Education Extends SAB Control Of St. Louis Public Schools For Two More Years," April 15, 2014
- ↑ St. Louis County Election Board, "General Municipal Election," accessed February 24, 2015
| 2015 St. Louis Public Schools Elections | |
| St. Louis County, Missouri | |
| Election date: | April 7, 2015 |
| Candidates: | At-large: • Incumbent, David L. Jackson • Incumbent, Katie Wessling • Charli Cooksey • Joey Hollins • Thomas Oldenburg • Natalie Vowell |
| Important information: | What was at stake? • Key deadlines • Additional elections on the ballot |
