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Union Public Schools elections (2014)
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Union Public Schools Tulsa County, Oklahoma ballot measures Local ballot measures, Oklahoma |
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One seat on the Union Public Schools school board was scheduled to be up for general election on February 11, 2014.
No candidate had filed for the seat.[1] Board member Scott McDaniel chose not to seek re-election to his seat. Stacey Roemerman was appointed to fill the vacancy on the board on April 14, 2014.[2]
About the district
Union Public Schools is located in Tulsa County, Oklahoma. The county seat of Tulsa County is Tulsa. According to the United States Census Bureau, Tulsa County had a population of 603,403 residents in 2014.[3] Union was the 12th-largest school district in Oklahoma, serving 14,931 students during the 2010-11 school year.[4]
Demographics
Tulsa County overperformed in comparison to the rest of Oklahoma in terms of higher education achievement in 2012. The United States Census Bureau found that 29.5% of Tulsa County residents aged 25 years and older had attained a bachelor's degree compared to 23.2% for Oklahoma as a whole. The median household income in Tulsa County was $47,845 compared to $44,891 for the state of Oklahoma. The poverty rate in Tulsa County was 15.4% compared to 16.6% for the entire state.[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
As of the 2014 election, the Union school board consisted of five members elected to five-year terms by geographic electoral districts. There was no primary election and the general election was scheduled to be held on February 11, 2014; however, no candidate filed for the seat.[6] The District 4 member represented the west central portion of the school district.[7]
Candidates began to file affidavits of candidacy on December 2, 2013. The filing deadline for school board candidates to get on the ballot in the general election was December 4, 2013, and the deadline to contest a candidacy was December 6, 2013.[8]
Elections
2014
Candidates
District 4
No candidate filed for this seat.[1]
Campaign finance
No contributions or expenditures were reported during the election, according to the Oklahoma Ethics Commission.[9]
Past elections
Information about earlier elections can be found by clicking [show] at the right. | |
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2013Heather McAdams ran unopposed for re-election and won the District 3 seat by default. The school district canceled the election due to the lack of opposition.[10] | |
What was at stake?
One seat on the school board was scheduled to be up for election on February 11, 2014; however, no candidate filed for the District 4 seat. The election also had two bond proposals on the ballot. Both were approved.[1][11]
Issues in the district
Witchcraft allegation
In 2000, Brandi Blackbear, a student at Union Intermediate High School, was suspended for allegedly casting a hex on a teacher that caused him to fall ill. The American Civil Liberties Union filed a $10 million lawsuit against the district on her behalf, stating that casting a spell was not sufficient grounds for suspension. The case also stated that the district violated her rights by taking her notebook used to write horror stories and prohibiting her from expressing her interest in Wicca. Joann Bell, Executive Director of the ACLU of Oklahoma, said, "I for one would like to see the so-called evidence this school has that a 15-year-old girl made a grown man sick by casting a magic spell." The district alleged that Blackbear was summoned to Assistant Principal Charlie Bushyhead's office because she was "disrupting the education process." She had been suspended once before for such reasons. Blackbear and the ACLU eventually dropped the lawsuit.[12][13]
Key deadlines
The following dates were key deadlines for the Union Public Schools election in 2014:[8][14]
| Deadline | Event |
|---|---|
| December 2, 2013 | First day to file affidavits of candidacy |
| December 4, 2013 | Last day to file affidavits of candidacy |
| December 6, 2013 | Last day to contest a candidacy |
| February 1, 2014 | Last day to file first campaign finance report |
| February 11, 2014 | Election day |
| March 23, 2014 | Last day to file second campaign finance report |
| April 1, 2014 | Runoff election (if necessary) |
| August 21, 2014 | Last day to file final campaign finance report |
Additional elections on the ballot
There were propositions on the ballot in this election. Proposition 1 aimed at upholding an $18,830,000 bond for the purpose of constructing, equipping, repairing, and remodeling school buildings, acquiring school furniture, and other such costs. Proposition 2 was for a $2,170,000 bond for the purpose of purchasing transportation equipment.[15] Both Propositions were approved in the election.[11]
External links
See also
- Oklahoma
- Union Public Schools, Oklahoma
- Oklahoma school board elections, 2014
- List of school board elections in 2014
- School board elections, 2014
- Tulsa County, Oklahoma ballot measures
- Local ballot measures, Oklahoma
- Election preview: 2014 school board elections start quietly in Oklahoma
- Post election:Oklahoma school board elections see low turnout, most uncontested
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Tulsa County, "Annual School Election, accessed January 4, 2014
- ↑ Union Public Schools, "Minutes Of The Regular Meeting Board Of Education," April 14, 2014
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 United States Census Bureau, "Tulsa County, Oklahoma," accessed January 15, 2014
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "ELSI Table Generator," accessed January 15, 2014
- ↑ Oklahoma, "MESA - Current Registration Statistics by County," accessed January 15, 2014
- ↑ Union Public Schools, "School Board," accessed January 15, 2014
- ↑ Owasso Public Schools, "Board Zones," accessed January 15, 2014
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Oklahoma, "2014 Instructions for Filing for Annual School Elections," accessed January 15, 2014
- ↑ Oklahoma, "Candidate Information," accessed January 15, 2014
- ↑ Union Public Schools, "Bond vote Feb. 12, Board member maintains seat," accessed January 15, 2014
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Oklahoma State Election Board, "Annual School Election — February 11, 2014," accessed February 12, 2014
- ↑ Patrick H. Moore, All Things Crime, "Oklahoma High School Student Suspended for ‘Casting a Spell’?" January 12, 2014
- ↑ Staff, ACLU, "ACLU of Oklahoma Files Federal Lawsuit on Behalf of Student Accused of "Hexing" a Teacher," October 26, 2000
- ↑ Oklahoma, "Generic Calendar for Filing Campaign Contributions and Expenditure Reports(C-1's)," accessed January 15, 2014
- ↑ Tulsa County, "Sample Ballot," accessed January 14, 2014
| 2014 Union Public Schools Elections | |
| Tulsa, Oklahoma | |
| Election date: | February 11, 2014 |
| Candidates: | District 4: • Brent England |
| Important information: | What was at stake? • Key deadlines • Additional elections on the ballot |
