Worcester Public Schools elections (2013)
2015 →
|
 |
Method of election Elections What was at stake? Key deadlines Additional elections External links |
Worcester Public Schools Worcester County, Massachusetts ballot measures Local ballot measures, Massachusetts |
 |
Six seats on the School Committee for Worcester Public Schools were up for general election on November 5, 2013. Incumbents Dianna Biancheria, John L. Foley, John F. Monfredo, Tracy A. O'Connell Novick, Brian A. O'Connell and newcomer Hilda Ramirez defeated incumbent Donna M. Colorio and challengers Robert J. Cohane and Douglas F. Arbetter to win the six at-large seats.
About the district
- See also: Worcester Public Schools, Massachusetts
Worcester Public Schools is located in central Massachusetts in Worcester County. The county seat of Worcester County is Worcester. As of the 2010 Census, the county was home to 809,106 residents.[1] In the 2011-2012 school year, Worcester Public Schools was the third-largest school district in Massachusetts and served 24,411 students.[2]
Demographics
Worcester County underperformed compared to the rest of Massachusetts in terms of higher education achievement in 2013. The United States Census Bureau found that 33.8 percent of Worcester County residents aged 25 years and older had attained a bachelor's degree compared to 39.4 percent for Massachusetts as a whole. The median household income in Worcester County was $65,223 compared to $66,866 for the state of Massachusetts. The poverty rate in Worcester County was 11.2 percent compared to 11.4 percent for the entire state.[1]
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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
The Worcester School Committee consists of seven members, six of whom are elected to two-year terms. The seventh member and Chair of the board is Worcester's mayor. All of the other six members of the board are elected at-large by the district as a whole. There was no primary election and the general election was held on November 5, 2013. All six seats were on the ballot in 2013.[4]
Individuals interested in running for the board began circulating nominating petitions on March 5, 2013. The filing deadline for school board candidates to get on the ballot in the 2013 general election was May 21, and the deadline to withdraw from the race was May 30. Each candidate had to file a nomination petition to the Board of Election Commissioners.[5]
Elections
2013
Candidates
At-large
|
|
Election results
| Worcester Public Schools, At-Large General Election, 2-year term, 2013 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan |  Brian A. O'Connell Incumbent |
15.3% | 8,146 | |
| Nonpartisan | John L. Foley Incumbent |
13.9% | 7,385 | |
| Nonpartisan | John F. Monfredo Incumbent |
12.2% | 6,465 | |
| Nonpartisan | Dianna Biancheria Incumbent |
11.9% | 6,305 | |
| Nonpartisan | Tracy A. O'Connell Novick Incumbent |
11.8% | 6,247 | |
| Nonpartisan | Hilda Ramirez |
11.4% | 6,053 | |
| Nonpartisan | Donna M. Colorio Incumbent | 10.6% | 5,654 | |
| Nonpartisan | Robert J. Cohane | 7.5% | 3,981 | |
| Nonpartisan | Douglas F. Arbetter | 5.5% | 2,908 | |
| Total Votes | 53,144 | |||
| Source: Worcester, Massachusetts, "Election Summary, Municipal Election," accessed December 18, 2013 | ||||
Endorsements
Incumbents Dianna Biancheria, John L. Foley, John F. Monfredo, Tracy A. O'Connell Novick, Brian A. O'Connell and challenger Hilda Ramirez all received official endorsements for their campaigns from the Educational Association of Worcester.[6] The Worcester Telegram & Gazette endorsed Donna M. Colorio, Biancheria, Foley, O'Connell Novick, O'Connell and Ramirez.[7] Worcester Magazine endorsed Colorio, Biancheria, Foley, O'Connell Novick, O'Connell and Ramirez.[8] O'Connell Novick also received an endorsement from Neighbor to Neighbor.[9] Challenger Douglas F. Arbetter received an endorsement from the Planned Parenthood Advocacy Fund.[10]
Campaign finance
Candidates received a total of $33,388.64 and spent a total of $19,176.81 during the election, according to the Worcester Election Commission.[11]
| Candidate | Contributions | Expenditures | Cash on hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dianna Biancheria | $2,800.00 | $1,236.17 | $2,440.76 |
| Donna M. Colorio | $8,844.00 | $4,510.20 | $8,125.39 |
| John L. Foley | $2,445.00 | $686.00 | $2,546.71 |
| John F. Monfredo | $3,535.00 | $2,138.67 | $4,579.43 |
| Tracy A. O'Connell Novick | $1,040.00 | $905.00 | $242.41 |
| Brian A. O'Connell | $0.00 | $0.00 | -$8,186.64 |
| Douglas F. Arbetter | $2,250.00 | $2,128.09 | $121.91 |
| Hilda Ramirez | $8,577.65 | $4,578.14 | $132.61 |
| Robert J. Cohane | $3,896.99 | $2,994.54 | -$1,784.54 |
Past elections
Information about earlier elections can be found by clicking [show] at the right. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2011
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
What was at stake?
There were six seats on the school board up for election on November 5, 2013. All six incumbents sought re-election to the board and faced three challengers. Hilda Ramirez made an unsuccessful bid for a board seat in 2011, while Douglas F. Arbetter and Robert J. Cohane were newcomers.
Key deadlines
The following dates were key deadlines for the Worcester Public Schools election in 2013:[5]
| Deadline | Event |
|---|---|
| March 5, 2013 | First day to pick up nominating petitions |
| May 21, 2013 | Last day to pick up nominating petitions |
| May 30, 2013 | Last day to withdrawal or file objections |
| October 16, 2013 | Last day to register to vote in the city general election |
| November 5, 2013 | Election day |
Additional elections on the ballot
This election only shared the ballot with other municipal elections. Worcester's Mayor and School Committee Chair, Joseph M. Petty, was up for election in 2013. No additional measures appeared on the ballot.
See also
- 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
- Massachusetts
- Worcester Public Schools, Massachusetts
- List of school board elections in 2013
- Worcester County, Massachusetts ballot measures
- Local ballot measures, Massachusetts
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 United States Census Bureau, "Worcester County, Massachusetts," accessed January 26, 2015
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "ELSI Table Generator," accessed April 22, 2014
- ↑ Massachusetts Secretary of State, "Enrollment Breakdown as of 2/15/2012," accessed September 25, 2013
- ↑ Worcester Public Schools, "Rules of the School Committee of the City of Worcester," accessed September 25, 2013 (dead link)
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Worcester, Massachusetts, "Election Calendar," accessed September 25, 2013
- ↑ Jacqueline Reis, Worcester Telegram & Gazette, "Teachers union announces endorsements," September 23, 2013
- ↑ Worcester Telegram & Gazette, "Endorsements for Worcester School Committee," November 3, 2013
- ↑ Worcester Magazine, "Endorsements in the City Council and School Committee 2013 elections," October 31, 2013
- ↑ Tracy O'Connell Novick for Worcester School Committee, "Endorsed by Neighbor to Neighbor!" August 16, 2013
- ↑ Planned Parenthood Advocacy Fund, "Planned Parenthood Advocacy Fund Endorses Morris Bergman for Worcester City Council At-Large, Doug Arbetter for Worcester School Committee," October 9, 2013
- ↑ Worcester, Massachusetts, "Campaign Finance Filings," accessed December 23, 2013
| ||||||||||
