Everything you need to know about ranked-choice voting in one spot. Click to learn more!

Wood County Schools elections (2016)

From Ballotpedia
Jump to: navigation, search
2018
2014
School Board badge.png
Wood County Schools Elections

General election date:
May 10, 2016
Enrollment (13–14):
13,260 students

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

Wood County Schools logo.png

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
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.png Eric "Rick" Tennant 20.45% 7,454
Green check mark transparent.png 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
  • Incumbent
  • District B candidate
  • Superintendent and estimator, Pioneer Pipe, Inc.
  • District B candidate
  • District A candidate
  • District B candidate
  • District A candidate
Lisa Moser Kale Santee Eric "Rick" Tennant Green check mark transparent.png Ron Tice Green check mark transparent.png Beth Wade
  • District B candidate
  • District B candidate
  • District A candidate
  • District A candidate

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

Campaign Finance Ballotpedia.png
See also: List of school board campaign finance deadlines in 2016

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

What was at stake?

2016

Election trends

School Board Election Trends Banner.jpg
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

Candidate Connection Logo - stacked.png

Ballotpedia invites school board candidates to participate in its annual survey.
Click here to view or fill out the survey.

About the district

See also: Wood County Schools, West Virginia
Wood County Schools is located in Wood County, W.Va.

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]

Racial Demographics, 2014[17]
Race Wood County (%) West Virginia (%)
White 96.4 93.7
Black or African American 1.2 3.6
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.2 0.2
Asian 0.6 0.8
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 0.0 0.0
Two or More Races 1.5 1.6
Hispanic or Latino 1.0 1.5

Wood County Party Affiliation,
January 2016[19]
Party Registered Voters % of Total
Democratic 18,479 35.30%
Libertarian 139 0.27%
Mountain 42 0.08%
Republican 20,813 39.75%
Other 463 0.88%
No Party 12,419 23.72%

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
School Board badge.png
Seal of West Virginia.png
School Board badge.png

External links

Footnotes

  1. 1.0 1.1 Wood County Clerk, "May 10, 2016 Primary Election: Candidate Filings," accessed February 1, 2016
  2. Wood County Schools, "Board of Education," accessed February 1, 2016
  3. The News Center, "2016 West Virginia Primary - Wood County," accessed May 11, 2016
  4. 4.0 4.1 Wood County Clerk, "May 10, 2016 Primary Election: Candidate Filings," accessed July 29, 2016
  5. West Virginia Legislature, "Chapter 18. Education: Article 5. County Board Of Education," accessed February 1, 2016
  6. Wood County Schools, "Board of Education," accessed April 16, 2014
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 West Virginia Secretary of State, "2016 West Virginia Election Dates and Deadlines," accessed February 1, 2016
  8. West Virginia Secretary of State, "Offices on the 2016 Ballot," accessed February 1, 2016
  9. West Virginia Secretary of State, "Offices on the 2016 Ballot," accessed February 18, 2016
  10. West Virginia Legislature, "Senate District Maps - 2010 Plan," accessed February 18, 2016
  11. West Virginia Legislature, "House of Delegates District Map," accessed February 18, 2016
  12. 12.0 12.1 West Virginia Secretary of State, "2016 Campaign Finance Report Deadlines," accessed February 24, 2016
  13. West Virginia Secretary of State, "2016 Best Practices Guide for Campaign Finance," accessed April 4, 2016
  14. The News Center, "Update: Wood County "RIF's" Continue," February 24, 2015
  15. The Herald-Dispatch, "Cabell school board approves layoffs, transfers," February 24, 2016
  16. Metro News, "Kanawha County Schools to layoff 25 employees at school year’s end," February 18, 2016
  17. 17.0 17.1 17.2 United States Census Bureau, "Wood County, West Virginia," accessed February 9, 2016
  18. National Center for Education Statistics, "ELSI Table Generator," accessed November 16, 2015
  19. West Virginia Secretary of State, "Voter Registration Totals," accessed February 9, 2016