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Wood County Schools elections (2016)
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Two of the five seats on the Wood County Schools Board of Education were up for general election on May 10, 2016. In his bid for re-election, incumbent Tim Yeater faced nine challengers—Ed Alfred, John Badgley, Joseph Michael Britton, Belinda Fetty, Lisa Moser, Kale Santee, Eric "Rick" Tennant, Ron Tice, and Beth Wade.[1][2] Tice and Tennant won the two seats.[3]
Though the election was held at large, only two members from the same geographical district could be on the board during a given term. Badgley, Fetty, Tice, and Wade were from District A; Yeater, Alfred, Britton, Moser, Santee, and Tennant were from District B.[1] Because of the makeup of the board at the time of the election, only one member could be elected from District B. That meant a District B challenger had to defeat Yeater in order to represent that seat, which Tennant was able to do. Up to two members could have been elected from District A.[4]
Voters elected to add two new members to the board in this race, just as they did in 2014. See how else the 2016 race compared to past elections in both the district and the state in the "Election trends" section below.
Elections
Voter and candidate information
The Wood County Board of Education consists of five members elected to four-year terms. Board members are elected at large, but they represent different geographical districts. No more than two members elected from any district may serve on the board during a given term. Primary elections are not used in West Virginia school board elections.[5] Three seats were up for general election on May 13, 2014, and two seats were up for general election on May 10, 2016.[6]
To run in this election, candidates had to file with the Wood County Clerk's Office by January 30, 2016.[7] Candidates also had to be at least 18 years old, hold a high school diploma or GED and be residents of the county. The cost to file for this election was $25.00.[8]
To vote in the election, district residents had to register by April 19, 2016.[7] Photo identification was not required to vote in West Virginia.
Candidates and results
At-large
Results
| Wood County Schools, At-Large General Election, 4-Year Term, 2016 |
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| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Eric "Rick" Tennant |
20.45% | 7,454 |
| Ron Tice |
12.47% | 4,545 |
| Ed Alfred | 12.13% | 4,421 |
| Lisa Moser | 10.80% | 3,937 |
| John Badgley | 9.32% | 3,399 |
| Beth Wade | 9.23% | 3,364 |
| Tim Yeater Incumbent | 8.63% | 3,147 |
| Joseph Michael Britton | 8.05% | 2,936 |
| Belinda Fetty | 6.94% | 2,530 |
| Kale Santee | 1.98% | 723 |
| Total Votes | 36,456 | |
| Source: West Virginia Secretary of State, "Wood County Official Results: Primary Election - May 10, 2016," accessed May 27, 2016 | ||
Candidates
| Tim Yeater | Ed Alfred | John Badgley | Joseph Michael Britton | Belinda Fetty |
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| Lisa Moser | Kale Santee | Eric "Rick" Tennant 
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Ron Tice
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Beth Wade |
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Additional elections on the ballot
- See also: West Virginia elections, 2016
The Wood County Schools election shared the ballot with the state's presidential primary election as well as primary elections for a seat on the U.S. House of Representatives and five state executive offices: governor, attorney general, treasurer, auditor and agriculture commissioner. Primary elections for one State Senate seat and three House of Delegates seats were also on the ballot.[7][9][10][11]
Key deadlines
The following dates were key deadlines for West Virginia school board elections in 2016:[7][12]
| Deadline | Event |
|---|---|
| January 11, 2016 - January 30, 2016 | Candidate filing period |
| April 1, 2016 | First campaign finance reporting deadline |
| April 19, 2016 | Voter registration deadline |
| April 27, 2016 - May 7, 2016 | Early voting period |
| April 29, 2016 | Pre-primary campaign finance reporting deadline |
| May 10, 2016 | Election Day |
| June 21, 2016 | Post-primary campaign finance reporting deadline |
| July 1, 2016 | Board members take office |
Endorsements
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
The first campaign finance reporting deadline for this election was April 1, 2016. If the total of all of a candidate's financial transactions did not exceed $500 at that time, a waiver could be submitted in lieu of the report. All candidates had to file a pre-primary report with the county clerk's office by April 29, 2016, and a post-primary report by June 21, 2016.[12][13]
Reports
Candidates received a total of $5,037.00 and spent a total of $4,967.00 in the election, according to the Wood County Clerk.[4]
| Candidate | Contributions | Expenditures | Cash on hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tim Yeater | $25.00 | $25.00 | $0.00 |
| Ed Alfred | $180.00 | $180.00 | $0.00 |
| John Badgley | $1,260.00 | $1,260.00 | $0.00 |
| Joseph Michael Britton | $1,249.61 | $1,249.61 | $0.00 |
| Belinda Fetty | $386.13 | $386.13 | $0.00 |
| Lisa Moser | $457.00 | $457.00 | $0.00 |
| Kale Santee | $154.00 | $154.00 | $0.00 |
| Eric "Rick" Tennant | $1,275.26 | $1,205.26 | $70.00 |
| Ron Tice | $25.00 | $25.00 | $0.00 |
| Beth Wade | $25.00 | $25.00 | $0.00 |
Past elections
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What was at stake?
2016
Election trends
- See also: School board elections, 2014
The 2016 election for two Wood County Board of Education seats attracted 10 candidates, averaging to five candidates per seat. High volumes of candidates were not unusual for the district, though the 2016 election garnered the highest interest in recent years. In 2014, an average of 3.33 candidates ran per seat on the ballot, and in 2012, an average of 2.33 ran per seat. An average of 1.86 candidates ran per school board seat on the ballot in West Virginia's largest school districts in 2014.
With one of the two incumbents whose seats were up for election running in Wood County's 2016 race, at least one new member was guaranteed to join the board. Voters chose to add a second newcomer as well, electing to not return incumbent Tim Yeater to the board. Voters also added two new members to the board in 2014. Though all three incumbents who were up for re-election ran to retain their seats that year, two were defeated. Statewide, newcomers won 42.86 percent of the school board seats on the ballot in the largest districts in 2014.
No school board seats in Wood County were unopposed in the 2012, 2014, or 2016 elections. A total of 10.71 percent of school board seats up for election in West Virginia's largest school districts were unopposed in 2014.
Issues in the district
School board announces layoffs
In February 2016, the Wood County Board of Education announced it would have to lay off 54 employees for the 2016-2017 school year. A total of 30 service personnel were targeted for the layoffs as well as 20 professional personnel, which included some teachers. Superintendent Mike Fling said that some of the employees, specifically elementary school teachers, would be able to be transferred rather than let go.[14]
Other school districts in the state were affected by declining enrollment and decreased state funding. The Cabell County Board of Education in February 2016 announced there would be layoffs. In that district, 61 employees were let go at the end of the 2015-2016 school year. The board also announced there would be 97 transfers within the district.[15]
Kanawha County Schools also announced layoffs due to declining enrollment. In that district, 25 employees were let go at the end of the 2015-2016 school year.[16]
Candidate survey
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About the district
- See also: Wood County Schools, West Virginia
The Wood County school system is located in Wood County in western West Virginia. The county seat is Parkersburg. Wood County was home to 86,237 residents in 2014, according to the United States Census Bureau.[17] The district was the third-largest school district in the state in the 2013–2014 school year and served 13,260 students.[18]
Demographics
Wood County outperformed West Virginia as a whole in terms of higher education achievement in 2013. The United States Census Bureau found that 18.4 percent of county residents aged 25 years and older had attained a bachelor's degree, compared to 18.3 percent of state residents. The median household income in Wood County was $42,287, compared to $41,043 for the entire state. The poverty rate was 16.2 percent, compared to 17.9 percent statewide.[17]
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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.
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms 'Wood County Schools' 'West Virginia'. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
| Wood County Schools | West Virginia | School Boards |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Wood County Clerk, "May 10, 2016 Primary Election: Candidate Filings," accessed February 1, 2016
- ↑ Wood County Schools, "Board of Education," accessed February 1, 2016
- ↑ The News Center, "2016 West Virginia Primary - Wood County," accessed May 11, 2016
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Wood County Clerk, "May 10, 2016 Primary Election: Candidate Filings," accessed July 29, 2016
- ↑ West Virginia Legislature, "Chapter 18. Education: Article 5. County Board Of Education," accessed February 1, 2016
- ↑ Wood County Schools, "Board of Education," accessed April 16, 2014
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 West Virginia Secretary of State, "2016 West Virginia Election Dates and Deadlines," accessed February 1, 2016
- ↑ West Virginia Secretary of State, "Offices on the 2016 Ballot," accessed February 1, 2016
- ↑ West Virginia Secretary of State, "Offices on the 2016 Ballot," accessed February 18, 2016
- ↑ West Virginia Legislature, "Senate District Maps - 2010 Plan," accessed February 18, 2016
- ↑ West Virginia Legislature, "House of Delegates District Map," accessed February 18, 2016
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 West Virginia Secretary of State, "2016 Campaign Finance Report Deadlines," accessed February 24, 2016
- ↑ West Virginia Secretary of State, "2016 Best Practices Guide for Campaign Finance," accessed April 4, 2016
- ↑ The News Center, "Update: Wood County "RIF's" Continue," February 24, 2015
- ↑ The Herald-Dispatch, "Cabell school board approves layoffs, transfers," February 24, 2016
- ↑ Metro News, "Kanawha County Schools to layoff 25 employees at school year’s end," February 18, 2016
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 United States Census Bureau, "Wood County, West Virginia," accessed February 9, 2016
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "ELSI Table Generator," accessed November 16, 2015
- ↑ West Virginia Secretary of State, "Voter Registration Totals," accessed February 9, 2016
| 2016 Wood County Schools Elections | |
| Wood County, West Virginia | |
| Election date: | May 10, 2016 |
| Candidates: | At-large: • Incumbent, Tim Yeater • Ed Alfred • John Badgley • Joseph Michael Britton • Belinda Fetty • Lisa Moser • Kale Santee • Eric "Rick" Tennant • Ron Tice • Beth Wade |
| Important information: | What was at stake? • Additional elections on the ballot • Key deadlines |
