Visalia Unified School District elections (2013)
2016 →
|
 |
Method of election Elections What was at stake? Key deadlines Additional elections External links |
Visalia Unified School District Tulare County, California ballot measures Local ballot measures, California |
 |
Four seats on the school board for Visalia Unified School District were up for district wide elections that were held on November 5, 2013. The district switched from five trustee areas to seven trustee areas in November 2011 and this is the first election for four seats under the new rules. Charles Ulmschneider defeated Elda Balderas for the District 1 seat, while Juan R. Guerrero and Jim L. Qualls won unopposed races for District 2 and District 3 respectively. John L. Crabtree defeated David Alviso for the District 4 seat.
About the district
Visalia Unified School District is located in Tulare County in Visalia, California. It is located in the 18th largest county in California. According to the 2010 United States Census, Visalia is home to 124,442 residents.[1]
Demographics
Visalia underperformed in comparison to the rest of California in terms of higher education achievement in 2011, median household income and percentage of residents living below the poverty level. The United States Census Bureau found that 21.4% of Visalia residents aged 25 years and older had attained a bachelor's degree compared to 30.5% for California as a whole. The median household income in Visalia was $54,019 compared to $61,400 for the state of California. The poverty rate in Visalia was 17.2% compared to 15.3% for the entire state.[1]
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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.
Method of board member selection
Visalia Unified School District School Board consists of seven members, all of whom are elected to four year terms. All board members represent geographic areas of district referred to as "Trustee Areas." Board member terms are staggered so that at least three members, but no more than four are to be elected each odd numbered year on the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November. There are no primary elections. Four seats were up for election on November 5, 2013. The three remaining seats were up for election on November 3, 2015.[3]
Elections
2013
Candidates
Trustee Area 1
- Elda Balderas
- Certified optician
- Charles Ulmschneider
- Incumbent board member
Trustee Area 2
- Juan R. Guerrero
- Youth program coordinator
Trustee Area 3
- Jim L. Qualls
- Incumbent board member
Trustee Area 4
- David Alviso
- Teacher
- John L. Crabtree
- Retired businessman
Election results
| Visalia Unified School District Board of Education, District Area 1 General Election, 2013 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan |  Charles Ulmschneider |
54.8% | 1,021 | |
| Nonpartisan | Elda Balderas | 45.2% | 841 | |
| Total Votes | 1,862 | |||
| Source: Tulare County, "Final Official Results," accessed December 13, 2013 | ||||
| Visalia Unified School District Board of Education, District Area 2 General Election, 2013 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan | Juan R. Guerrero |
94.1% | 744 | |
| Nonpartisan | Write In | 5.9% | 47 | |
| Total Votes | 791 | |||
| Source: Tulare County, "Final Official Results," accessed December 13, 2013 | ||||
| Visalia Unified School District Board of Education, District Area 3 General Election, 2013 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan | Jim L. Qualls |
96.7% | 1,360 | |
| Nonpartisan | Write In | 3.3% | 46 | |
| Total Votes | 1,406 | |||
| Source: Tulare County, "Final Official Results," accessed December 13, 2013 | ||||
| Visalia Unified School District Board of Education, District Area 4 General Election, 2013 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan | John L. Crabtree |
52.4% | 809 | |
| Nonpartisan | David Alviso | 47.6% | 735 | |
| Total Votes | 1,544 | |||
| Source: Tulare County, "Final Official Results," accessed December 13, 2013 | ||||
Funding
No contributions or expenditures were reported during the election, according to the Tulare County Registrar of Voters.
Endorsements
Elda Balderas has received official endorsements from Visalia Unified Teachers Association and Grow Elect. David Alviso has received official endorsements from Visalia Unified Teachers Association and Central Labor Council. No other candidates have disclosed official endorsements.[4]
Past elections
2011
On November 8, 2011, three seats were up for election in three trustee areas on the Visalia Unified School District Board of Education. Donna Baker Martin, Lucia D. Vazquez and William A. Fulmer won three trustee area races.
| Visalia Unified School District Board of Education, Trustee Area 5 General Election, 2011, 2011 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan | Donna Baker Martin |
59.6% | 1,428 | |
| Nonpartisan | Desmond Farrelly | 22.5% | 539 | |
| Nonpartisan | Michael G. Cortes | 17.9% | 428 | |
| Total Votes | 2,395 | |||
| Source: PG Archiver, "Final Tulare County election results" accessed October 28, 2013 | ||||
| Visalia Unified School District Board of Education, Trustee Area 6 General Election, 2011, 2011 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan | Lucia D. Vazquez |
100% | 415 | |
| Total Votes | 415 | |||
| Source: PG Archiver, "Final Tulare County election results" accessed October 28, 2013 | ||||
| Visalia Unified School District Board of Education, Trustee Area 7 General Election, 2011, 2011 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan | William A. Fulmer |
76.1% | 1,459 | |
| Nonpartisan | Miguel Fierro | 10.8% | 207 | |
| Nonpartisan | Lita Reid | 13% | 250 | |
| Total Votes | 1,916 | |||
| Source: PG Archiver, "Final Tulare County election results" accessed October 28, 2013 | ||||
What was at stake?
Four trustee area seats were up for election on November 5, 2013. Two incumbents, Jim L. Qualls and Charles Ulmschneider have filed seeking re-election. Qualls is unopposed and Ulmschneider is opposed by Elda Balderas.
Issues
Solar project
The Visalia Unified School District broke ground on a $4 million project that would provide twelve district schools with power. Using funds from Measure E, the project began in June 2013. The project is expected to save the district $700,000 in energy costs over the first year and an expected $15 million over the next 25 years. Southern California Edison will pay the district $2.3 million in rebates over the next five years, helping to offset the initial cost to the district. This projects follows a trend of schools in the San Joaquin Valley that are adopting solar power in an effort to lower operating costs.[5]
Key deadlines
The following dates were key deadlines for the Visalia Unified School District election in 2013:[6]
| Deadline | Event |
|---|---|
| July 15, 2013 | First day to file a petition of candidacy |
| August 9, 2013 | Close of filing period for petition of candidacy |
| October 7, 2013 | First day to vote by mail |
| October 21, 2013 | Last day to register to vote in school election |
| October 29, 2013 | Final day to apply to vote by mail |
| November 5, 2013 | Election Day |
Additional elections on the ballot
The ballot for the November 5, 2013 election in Tulare County also featured elections for local and municipal positions, such as elections for three seats on the Visalia City Council, irrigation districts and utlity director positions.[7]
See also
- California school board elections draw over 200 candidates
- School board elections review: Voters opt for experience over new blood in nation's largest school districts
- School board election wrap-up: Incumbents re-elected overwhelmingly in November 5 elections
- California
- Visalia Unified School District, California
- List of school board elections in 2013
- Tulare County, California ballot measures
- Local ballot measures, California
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 United States Census Bureau, "Visalia (city), California," accessed October 2, 2013
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "Report of Registration as of February 10, 2013 - Registration by County," accessed January 7, 2014
- ↑ Visalia Unified, "How to run for school board" accessed October 28, 2013
- ↑ Lewis Griswold Fresno Bee, "Visalia school board slots contested," accessed October 28, 2013
- ↑ Business Journal staff Business Journal, "Visalia school district embarks on solar project," May 22, 2013
- ↑ Tulare County, "TENTATIVE CALENDAR OF EVENTS " accessed October 28, 2013
- ↑ Tulare County, "Contest/Candidate Proof List, Consolidated Districts Election" accessed October 28, 2013
| ||||||||||
