West Covina Unified School District elections (2013)
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Two seats on the school board for West Covina Unified School District were up for district wide elections held on November 5, 2013. Eileen Miranda Jimenez and Jessica Shewmaker defeated Debbie J. Touhey for the two at-large seats.
About the district
West Covina Unified School District is located in western Los Angeles County in West Covina, California. As of the 2010 United States Census, West Covina was home to 106,098 residents.[1]
Demographics
West Covina underperformed in comparison to the rest of California in terms of higher education achievement in 2011, but overperformed in comparison to the rest of the state in median household income and percentage of residents living below the poverty level. The United States Census Bureau found that 26.8% of West Covina 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 West Covina was $68,308 compared to $61,400 for the state of California. The poverty rate in West Covina was 8.3% compared to 15.3% for the entire state.[1]
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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.
Method of board member selection
West Covina Unified School District School Board consists of five members, all of whom are elected to four year terms. All board members represent the district at large. Board member terms are staggered so that at least two members, but no more than three are to be elected each odd numbered year on the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November. There are no primary elections. Tw0 seats were up for election on November 5, 2013. The three remaining seats were up for election on November 3, 2015.[4]
Elections
2013
Candidates
- Eileen Miranda Jimenez
- Incumbent board member
- Jessica Shewmaker
- Incumbent board member
- Debbie J. Touhey
- Small business owner
Election results
On November 5, 2013 Eileen Miranda Jiminez and Jessica Shewmaker defeated Debbie J. Tuohey for two seats on the WCUSD Board of Education.
| West Covina Unified School District Board of Education, At-large General Election, 2013 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan |  Eileen Miranda Jiminez |
37.6% | 2,448 | |
| Nonpartisan | Jessica Shewmaker |
35.4% | 2,307 | |
| Nonpartisan | Debbie J. Touhey | 27% | 1,761 | |
| Total Votes | 6,516 | |||
| Source: Los Angeles County Clerk, "NOVEMBER 5, 2013 - LOCAL & MUNI CONSOLIDATED ELECTION Final Official Election Returns" accessed December 12, 2013 | ||||
Funding
No contributions or expenditures were reported during the election, according to the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk.
Endorsements
No candidates received official endorsements for this election.
Past elections
2011
On November 8, 2011, three candidates Steve Cox, Mike Spence and Camie Poulos defeated three challengers for three seats on the West Covina Unified School Board.
| West Covina Unified School District Board of Education, At-large General Election, 2011, 2011 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan | Steve Cox |
22.1% | 2,229 | |
| Nonpartisan | Mike Spence |
21.5% | 2,170 | |
| Nonpartisan | Camie Poulos |
20.3% | 2,047 | |
| Nonpartisan | Ian Jones | 14.8% | 1,492 | |
| Nonpartisan | David Barrile | 11.7% | 1,182 | |
| Nonpartisan | Stephani J. Broviak | 9.7% | 976 | |
| Total Votes | 10,096 | |||
| Source: Smart Voter.org, "Governing Board Member; Walnut Valley Unified School District Voter Information" accessed October 29, 2013 | ||||
What was at stake?
Two at-large seats were up for election on November 5, 2013. Incumbent President Eileen Miranda Jimenez and incumbent Jessica Shewmaker filed seeking re-election and were opposed by one candidate.
Issues
Early retirement incentives
West Covina Unified School District successfully avoided teacher layoffs by offering district employees early retirement incentives. The plan offered a way for the district to close a $2.6 million deficit for the 2013-14 fiscal year. This was the second consecutive year West Covina Unified School District was able to avoid teacher layoffs. As a result of the early retirement program, class sizes increased in the following school year from 20 to 23 students. The incentive was offered to 15 certificated teachers. These teachers received a retirement incentive benefit equal to 85 percent of their final base pay. The plan was expected to save the district an estimate $223,000 over the next three years.[5]
Key deadlines
The following dates were key deadlines for the West Covina 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 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 Los Angeles County also featured elections for local and municipal positions, such as elections for City Clerk, City Treasurer, Mayor and City Council.[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
- West Covina Unified School District, California
- List of school board elections in 2013
- Los Angeles County, California ballot measures
- Local ballot measures, California
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 United States Census Bureau, "West Covina (city), California," accessed October 2, 2013
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedCensus1 - ↑ California Secretary of State, "Report of Registration as of February 10, 2013 - Registration by County," accessed January 7, 2014
- ↑ West Covina Unified, "BYLAWS OF THE BOARD" accessed October 29, 2013
- ↑ Juliette Funes Daily Breeze.com, "West Covina Unified avoids layoffs through retirement incentives," March 19, 2013
- ↑ LA Votes, "TENTATIVE CALENDAR OF EVENTS " accessed October 29, 2013
- ↑ LA Vote, "FINAL LIST OF QUALIFIED CANDIDATES TO APPEAR ON THE BALLOT" accessed October 29, 2013
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