West Des Moines Community Schools elections (2017)
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Three of seven seats on the West Des Moines Community Schools school board in Iowa were up for at large general election on September 12, 2017.
Two incumbents filed for re-election, Vicky Poole and Elizabeth Brennan. They and newcomer Jennifer Wells defeated newcomer Kelly Davydov in the at-large election.[1][2]
Elections
Voter and candidate information
The West Des Moines Community Schools school board consists of seven unpaid members elected to four-year terms. Elections are held on a staggered basis every second Tuesday in September of odd-numbered years. All members are elected at large. There was no primary election, and the general election for three seats was September 12, 2017.
Candidates had to be eligible electors in the school district, meaning they had to meet the requirements for voter registration. These included being citizens of the United States, residents of Iowa, and 18 years or older. Candidates could not be convicted felons, ruled by the court to be incompetent to vote, or registered to vote elsewhere. Candidates were required to file an affidavit of candidacy and a nomination petition for the race by August 3, 2017.[3]
To vote in this election, citizens of the school district had to register by September 1, 2017.[4] Photo identification was not required to vote in this election.[5]
Candidates and results
At-large
Results
| West Des Moines Community Schools, At-large General Election, 4-year terms, 2017 |
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| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Elizabeth Brennan Incumbent |
29.52% | 1,385 |
| Jennifer Wells |
26.07% | 1,223 |
| Vicky Poole Incumbent |
24.22% | 1,136 |
| Kelly Davydov | 19.08% | 895 |
| Write-in votes | 1.11% | 52 |
| Total Votes | 4,691 | |
| Source: Polk County, Iowa, "School Election Tuesday, September 12, 2017, Voting Details - Official Results," accessed September 18, 2017 | ||
Candidates
Jennifer Wells 
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Vicky Poole
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| Elizabeth Brennan
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Kelly Davydov | ||
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Additional elections on the ballot
- See also: Iowa elections, 2017
The West Des Moines Community Schools school board was scheduled to share the ballot with Public Measure Letter A and the District 9 seat on the Des Moines Area Community College board of directors.[6]
Key deadlines
The following dates were key deadlines for the West Des Moines Community Schools election:[4][7]
| Deadline | Event |
|---|---|
| July 10, 2017 - August 3, 2017 | Candidate filing period |
| September 1, 2017 | Voter registration deadline |
| September 7, 2017 | Campaign finance deadline |
| September 12, 2017 | General election |
| January 19, 2018 | Campaign finance deadline |
Endorsements
The Iowa Women for Progressive Change Political Action Committee endorsed Kelly Davydov for one of three at-large seats.[8]
Do you know of an official or organization that endorsed a candidate in this race? Let Ballotpedia know by email at editor@ballotpedia.org.
Campaign finance
School board candidates in Iowa were required to file two campaign finance reports. For 2017, campaign finance reports were due on September 7, 2017, and January 19, 2018.[7]
School board candidates had to file reports if they raised or spent more than $1,000. They also had to file reports if they incurred more than $1,000 of debt. Candidates had to file a statement of organization with the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board within 10 days of meeting the $1,000 threshold.[9]
Past elections
To see results from past elections in West Des Moines Community Schools, click here.
What was at stake?
Report a story for this election
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Candidate survey
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About the district
- See also: West Des Moines Community Schools, Iowa
The West Des Moines school district is located in central Iowa in Polk County. The county seat is Des Moines. According to the United States Census Bureau, Polk County was home to 459,862 residents in 2014.[10] The district was the 10th-largest school district in the state in the 2014-2015 school year and served 9,519 students.[11]
Demographics
Polk County outperformed the rest of Iowa in terms of higher education achievement in 2013. The United States Census Bureau found 34.9 percent of Polk County residents aged 25 years and older attained a bachelor's degree compared to 25.7 percent of state residents. The median household income in the county was $59,018 compared to $51,843 for the state of Iowa. The poverty rate in the county was 11.8 percent compared to 12.4 percent for the entire state.[10]
| Racial Demographics, 2013[10] | ||
|---|---|---|
| Race | Polk County (%) | Iowa (%) |
| White | 87.0 | 92.5 |
| Black or African American | 6.5 | 3.3 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.4 | 0.5 |
| Asian | 3.9 | 2.0 |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander | 0.1 | 0.1 |
| Two or More Races | 2.2 | 1.6 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 8.0 | 5.5 |
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.
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms West Des Moines Community Schools Iowa election. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
| West Des Moines Community Schools | Iowa | School Boards |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Marielle Bricker, "Email communication with Peggy Epstein, West Des Moines Community Schools School Board Secretary," August 4, 2017
- ↑ Polk County, Iowa, "School Election Tuesday, September 12, 2017, Voting Details - Unofficial Results," accessed September 12, 2017
- ↑ Iowa Secretary of State, "Candidate’s Guide to the School Election," accessed August 3, 2017
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Iowa Secretary of State, "Three Year Election Calendar," accessed June 1, 2017
- ↑ Iowa Secretary of State, "Election Day FAQ," accessed June 1, 2017
- ↑ Polk County Auditor, "Sample Ballot," accessed September 1, 2017
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Iowa Ethics & Campaign Disclosure Board, "Reporting Dates: School Board/Other Subdivision Candidates," accessed July 6, 2017
- ↑ Iowa Women for Progressive Change, "First PAC Endorsements Announced," August 23, 2017
- ↑ Iowa Ethics & Campaign Disclosure Board, "Registering a Committee," accessed July 6, 2017
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 United States Census Bureau, "Polk County, Iowa," accessed March 27, 2015
- ↑ U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, "Common Core of Data, file ccd_lea_052_1414_w_0216161a, 2014-2015," accessed November 16, 2016
| West Des Moines Community Schools elections in 2017 | |
| Polk County, Iowa | |
| Election date: | September 12, 2017 |
| Candidates: | At-large: Incumbent, Elizabeth Brennan • Incumbent, Vicky Poole • Kelly Davydov • Jennifer Wells |
| Important information: | What was at stake? |
