Become part of the movement for unbiased, accessible election information. Donate today.
Washington school board elections, 2015
 |
Washington's 2015 elections School boards • Municipal • Judicial • Candidate ballot access |
 |
2016 →
← 2014
|
 |
Candidate filing dates • Finance reporting • Poll opening and closing times |
A total of 34 Washington school districts among America's largest school districts by enrollment held elections for 102 seats on November 3, 2015. Eight of the districts held primaries on August 4, 2015. Primaries were required if more than two candidates filed for one seat up for election. The top two vote recipients advanced from the primaries to the general election.
Here are several quick facts about Washington's school board elections in 2015:
- The largest school district by enrollment with an election in 2015 was Seattle Public Schools with 50,655 K-12 students.
- The smallest school district by enrollment with an election in 2015 was Olympia School District with 9,439 K-12 students.
- Seven districts were tied for the most seats on the ballot in 2015 with four seats up for election each.
- Seven districts were tied for the fewest seats on the ballot in 2015 with two seats up for election each.
The districts listed below served 618,358 K-12 students during the 2012-2013 school year, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.[1] Click on the district names for more information on the district and its school board elections.
| 2015 Washington School Board Elections | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District | Date | Seats up for election | Total board seats | Student enrollment |
| Auburn School District | 11/3/2015 | 4 | 5 | 14,774 |
| Battle Ground School District | 11/3/2015 | 2 | 5 | 13,212 |
| Bellevue School District | 11/3/2015 | 3 | 5 | 19,009 |
| Bellingham School District | 11/3/2015 | 4 | 5 | 11,148 |
| Bethel School District | 11/3/2015 | 3 | 5 | 18,031 |
| Central Kitsap School District | 11/3/2015 | 3 | 5 | 11,428 |
| Central Valley School District | 11/3/2015 | 3 | 5 | 12,956 |
| Clover Park School District | 11/3/2015 | 3 | 5 | 12,643 |
| Edmonds School District | 11/3/2015 | 4 | 5 | 20,741 |
| Everett Public Schools | 11/3/2015 | 2 | 5 | 18,909 |
| Evergreen Public Schools (Clark) | 11/3/2015 | 3 | 5 | 26,495 |
| Federal Way Public Schools | 11/3/2015 | 3 | 5 | 22,231 |
| Highline Public Schools | 11/3/2015 | 4 | 5 | 18,372 |
| Issaquah School District | 11/3/2015 | 3 | 5 | 18,455 |
| Kennewick School District | 11/3/2015 | 3 | 5 | 16,580 |
| Kent School District | 11/3/2015 | 3 | 5 | 27,518 |
| Lake Washington School District | 11/3/2015 | 3 | 5 | 25,522 |
| Marysville School District | 11/3/2015 | 3 | 5 | 11,565 |
| Mead School District | 11/3/2015 | 4 | 5 | 9,473 |
| Mukilteo School District | 11/3/2015 | 3 | 5 | 14,906 |
| North Thurston Public Schools | 11/3/2015 | 3 | 5 | 14,434 |
| Northshore School District | 11/3/2015 | 2 | 5 | 20,328 |
| Olympia School District | 11/3/2015 | 3 | 5 | 9,439 |
| Pasco School District | 11/3/2015 | 2 | 5 | 16,067 |
| Puyallup School District | 11/3/2015 | 3 | 5 | 20,625 |
| Renton School District | 11/3/2015 | 3 | 5 | 14,981 |
| Richland School District | 11/3/2015 | 3 | 5 | 11,898 |
| Seattle Public Schools | 11/3/2015 | 4 | 7 | 50,655 |
| Snohomish School District | 11/3/2015 | 2 | 5 | 10,027 |
| South Kitsap School District | 11/3/2015 | 3 | 5 | 9,635 |
| Spokane Public Schools | 11/3/2015 | 2 | 5 | 29,032 |
| Tacoma Public Schools | 11/3/2015 | 2 | 5 | 28,957 |
| Vancouver School District | 11/3/2015 | 3 | 5 | 22,925 |
| Yakima School District | 11/3/2015 | 4 | 5 | 15,387 |
Trends in Washington school board elections
- See also: School boards in session: 2015 in brief
The 2015 school board elections in Washington's largest school districts attracted a smaller average number of candidates than the average number of candidates who ran in school board elections in the largest school districts across the United States in 2015. Additionally, a larger percentage of seats in Washington were unopposed compared to the percentage of seats that were unopposed nationally. Newcomers fared better in school board elections across the country than they did in Washington's school board elections. They won 32.35 percent of the seats on the ballot in Washington, compared to 40.77 percent of school board seats on the ballot in the United States.
The following sections analyze competitiveness and incumbency advantage in Washington's school board elections. Eight of the districts held primary elections. In the other districts, winners only had to receive a plurality, or relative majority, of votes to secure a seat. All of the school board elections held in the state in 2015 were nonpartisan.
Details of the data discussed here can be found in the table below.
Competitiveness
In 2015, Washington's largest school districts attracted an average of 1.48 candidates per seat on the ballot. This was smaller than the average 1.72 candidates who ran per seat up for election across the United States in 2015. A total of 63.73 percent of school board seats were unopposed in Washington, compared to the 35.97 percent that were unopposed nationally.
Incumbency advantage
A total of 90.79 percent of incumbents who ran for re-election in Washington's 2015 school board elections retained their seats. A total of 76 out of the 102 incumbents whose seats were on the ballot ran to keep their seats, and 69 of them won. Fifty-one of those winning incumbents ran unopposed; the others defeated challengers to win additional terms.
A total of 82.66 percent of incumbents kept their seats in school board elections across the country, and 40.45 percent of them ran unopposed. The map below details the success rates for incumbents who ran in the 2015 school board elections that were held in the largest school districts by enrollment in the U.S.
The map above details the success rates of incumbent who ran to retain their school board seats in the largest school districts in each state. States depicted in gray did not hold school board elections. |
Data table
The table below displays the statistics for school board elections in Washington's largest school districts in 2015.
| Washington school board elections, 2015 | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Total | Incumbents | ||||||||
| Seats up | Candidates | Candidates/ seat |
Unopposed seats | % unopposed | % seats won by newcomers | Sought re-election | Unopposed | Retained | % retained | |
| 2015 | 102 | 151 | 1.48 | 65 | 63.73% | 32.35% | 76 | 51 | 69 | 90.79% |
Survey responses
Eighteen of the 152 candidates running for a school board seat in Washington's largest school districts in the 2015 elections responded to Ballotpedia's school board candidate survey. The following sections display their answers to questions about education issues.
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 the candidates' average rankings as well as the highest and lowest rankings for each issue.
| Issue importance ranking | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Issues | Average ranking | Highest ranking | Lowest ranking |
| Expanding arts education | 5.50 | 3 | 7 |
| Expanding career-technical education | 4.22 | 2 | 7 |
| Balancing or maintaining the district's budget | 2.83 | 1 | 6 |
| Improving college readiness | 4.17 | 2 | 7 |
| Closing the achievement gap | 2.28 | 1 | 7 |
| Improving education for special needs students | 3.72 | 1 | 6 |
| Expanding school choice options | 5.28 | 1 | 7 |
Positions on the issues
The candidates were also asked short answer and multiple choice questions regarding significant issues in education. Links to those responses can be found below.
State profile
| Demographic data for Washington | ||
|---|---|---|
| Washington | U.S. | |
| Total population: | 7,160,290 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 66,456 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White: | 77.8% | 73.6% |
| Black/African American: | 3.6% | 12.6% |
| Asian: | 7.7% | 5.1% |
| Native American: | 1.3% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander: | 0.6% | 0.2% |
| Two or more: | 5.2% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 12% | 17.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 90.4% | 86.7% |
| College graduation rate: | 32.9% | 29.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $61,062 | $53,889 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 14.4% | 11.3% |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Washington. **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. | ||
Presidential voting pattern
- See also: Presidential voting trends in Washington
Washington voted for the Democratic candidate in all seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.
Pivot Counties (2016)
Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won these Pivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, five are located in Washington, accounting for 2.43 percent of the total pivot counties.[2]
Pivot Counties (2020)
In 2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won as Retained Pivot Counties and those won by Joe Biden (D) as Boomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. Washington had four Retained Pivot Counties and one Boomerang Pivot County, accounting for 2.21 and 4.00 percent of all Retained and Boomerang Pivot Counties, respectively.
More Washington coverage on Ballotpedia
- Elections in Washington
- United States congressional delegations from Washington
- Public policy in Washington
- Endorsers in Washington
- Washington fact checks
- More...
Academic performance
| Education terms |
|---|
 |
| For more information on education policy terms, see this article. |
|
- See also: Public education in Washington
NAEP scores
- See also: NAEP scores by state
The National Center for Education Statistics provides state-by-state data on student achievement levels in mathematics and reading in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The chart below presents the percentage of fourth and eighth grade students that scored at or above proficient in reading and math during the 2012-2013 school year. Compared to three neighboring states (Idaho, Montana and Oregon), Washington had the highest percentage of students score at or above proficient in all categories.[3]
| Percent of students scoring at or above proficient, 2012-2013 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Math - Grade 4 | Math - Grade 8 | Reading - Grade 4 | Reading - Grade 8 | |
| Washington | 48% | 42% | 40% | 42% |
| Idaho | 40% | 36% | 33% | 38% |
| Montana | 45% | 40% | 35% | 40% |
| Oregon | 40% | 34% | 33% | 37% |
| United States | 41% | 34% | 34% | 34% |
| Source: United States Department of Education, ED Data Express, "State Tables" | ||||
Graduation, ACT and SAT scores
The following table shows the graduation rates and average composite ACT and SAT scores for Washington and surrounding states during the 2012-2013 school year. All statements made in this section refer to that school year.[3][4][5]
In the United States, public schools reported graduation rates that averaged to about 81.4 percent. About 54 percent of all students in the country took the ACT, while 50 percent reported taking the SAT. The average national composite scores for those tests were 20.9 out of a possible 36 for the ACT and 1,498 out of a possible 2,400 for the SAT.[6]
Washington schools reported a graduation rate of 76.4 percent during the 2012-2013 school year, which was the second-highest rate among its neighboring states.
In Washington, more students took the SAT than the ACT in 2013, earning an average SAT score of 1,537.
| Comparison table for graduation rates and test scores, 2012-2013 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Graduation rate, 2013 | Average ACT composite, 2013 | Average SAT composite, 2013 | ||||
| Percent | Quintile ranking** | Score | Participation rate | Score | Participation rate | ||
| Washington | 76.4% | Fourth | 22.8 | 21% | 1,537 | 60% | |
| Idaho | N/A | N/A | 22.1 | 49% | 1,364 | 99% | |
| Montana | 84.4% | Third | 21.3 | 72% | 1,595 | 25% | |
| Oregon | 68.7% | Fifth | 21.5 | 34% | 1,539 | 49% | |
| United States | 81.4% | 20.9 | 54% | 1498 | 50% | ||
| **Graduation rates for states in the first quintile ranked in the top 20 percent nationally. Similarly, graduation rates for states in the fifth quintile ranked in the bottom 20 percent nationally. Sources: United States Department of Education, "ED Data Express" ACT.org, "2013 ACT National and State Scores" The Commonwealth Foundation, "SAT scores by state, 2013" | |||||||
Dropout rate
- See also: Public high school dropout rates by state for a full comparison of dropout rates by group in all states
The high school event dropout rate indicates the proportion of students who were enrolled at some time during the school year and were expected to be enrolled in grades nine through 12 in the following school year but were not enrolled by October 1 of the following school year. Students who have graduated, transferred to another school, died, moved to another country, or who are out of school due to illness are not considered dropouts. The average public high school event dropout rate for the United States remained constant at 3.3 percent for both school year 2010–2011 and school year 2011–2012. The event dropout rate for Washington was higher than the national average at 4 percent in the 2010-2011 school year, and 3.8 percent in the 2011-2012 school year.[7]
See also
| Washington | School Boards | News and Analysis |
|---|---|---|
 |
 |
 |
|
Footnotes
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed April 20, 2015
- ↑ The raw data for this study was provided by Dave Leip of Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 United States Department of Education, ED Data Express, "State Tables," accessed May 13, 2014
- ↑ ACT, "2012 ACT National and State Scores," accessed May 13, 2014
- ↑ Commonwealth Foundation, "SAT Scores by State 2013," October 10, 2013
- ↑ StudyPoints, "What's a good SAT score or ACT score?" accessed June 7, 2015
- ↑ United States Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, "Common Core of Data (CCD), State Dropout and Graduation Rate Data File, School Year 2010-11, Provision Version 1a and School Year 2011-12, Preliminary Version 1a," accessed May 13, 2014
| |||||
