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Midland Independent School District elections (2016)
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Four seats on the Midland Independent School District board of trustees were up for by-district general election on November 8, 2016. The seats held by District 1 incumbent James Fuller, District 2 incumbent Angel Hernandez, District 4 incumbent Jeff Robnett, and District 7 incumbent Jay Isaacs were up for election. The only incumbent to file for re-election was Fuller. In District 1, Fuller defeated challenger Ernie Garcia. District 2 saw sole candidate Robert Marquez file for the open seat. Due to lack of opposition, the election was canceled and Marquez was appointed to the seat in September 2016.[1] Rachel Stone led John Kennedy for the District 4 seat after the initial count, but a recount determined that Kennedy won the seat by a single vote.[2] In District 7, Bryan Murry defeated Margy House for the seat.[3][4]
On October 8, 2016, 63 percent of Midland voters defeated a proposed tax increase in a special tax ratification election. Read more about the tax ratification election and its history here.
Elections
Voter and candidate information
The Midland ISD board of trustees consists of seven members elected by district to four-year terms. The members are elected to, and serve by, specific geographic areas within the district. There was no primary election, and four seats were up for general election on November 8, 2016.[5]
Candidates running for the school board must be United States citizens, residents of Texas for at least 12 months, and residents of the district for at least six months. Candidates must also be 18 years of age or older and registered to vote. Individuals convicted of a felony are not eligible to run for the Midland ISD board of trustees.[5] In order to vote in the election, Texas residents must present identification at the polls.
Candidates and results
District 1
Results
This election was held on November 8, 2016.
| Midland Independent School District, District 1 General Election, 4-year terms, 2016 |
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| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 James Fuller Incumbent |
57.77% | 1,910 |
| Ernie Garcia | 42.23% | 1,396 |
| Total Votes | 3,306 | |
| Source: Midland County, Texas, "Summary Report," November 23, 2016 | ||
Candidates
James Fuller 
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Ernie Garcia | ||
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District 2
Results
This election was canceled due to lack of opposition, and Marquez was appointed to the board in September 2016.[1]
Candidates
| Robert Marquez
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District 4
Results
This election was held on November 8, 2016.
| Midland Independent School District, District 4 General Election, 4-year terms, 2016 |
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| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| John Kennedy |
50.02% | 1,534 |
| Rachel Stone | 49.98% | 1,533 |
| Total Votes | 3,067 | |
| Source: Midland County, Texas, "Summary Report," November 23, 2016 | ||
Candidates
| Rachel Stone | John Kennedy
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District 7
Results
This election was held on November 8, 2016.
| Midland Independent School District, District 7 General Election, 4-year terms, 2016 |
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| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Bryan Murry |
55.26% | 3,216 |
| Margy House | 44.74% | 2,604 |
| Total Votes | 5,820 | |
| Source: Midland County, Texas, "Summary Report," November 23, 2016 | ||
Candidates
| Bryan Murry
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Margy House | ||
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Key deadlines
The following were key deadlines in the Midland ISD board of trustees election:[6]
| Deadline | Event |
|---|---|
| July 23, 2016 - August 22, 2016 | Candidate filing period |
| October 8, 2016 | Special tax rate election |
| October 11, 2016 | Last day to register to vote in the general election |
| October 11, 2016 | 30-day pre-election campaign finance report due |
| October 24, 2016 | Early voting begins |
| October 31, 2016 | 8-day pre-election campaign finance report due |
| November 8, 2016 | Election Day |
| December 12, 2016 | Election results canvassed |
Additional elections on the ballot
- See also: Texas elections, 2016
The Midland ISD board of trustees election shared the ballot with the presidential election, Texas House of Representatives election, state judicial elections, and several county elections.
District map
The map below shows the district boundaries for the Midland ISD board of trustees. The legend at the bottom left of the map may be used to locate an individual district.
Endorsements
Do you know of an official or organization that endorsed a candidate in this race? Let Ballotpedia know by email at elections@ballotpedia.org.
Campaign finance
Texas school board officeholders must file semiannual reports, which were due on January 15, 2016, and July 15, 2016. Candidates in contested elections must file 30-day and 8-day pre-election reports, unless the candidate chose modified reporting.[7]
Candidates in contested elections who do not intend to exceed $500 in contributions or expenditures, excepting filing fees, are eligible for modified reporting. If they exceed the threshold before the 30th day prior to the election, candidates must submit the 30- and 8-day reports. If they exceed the threshold after the 30th day prior to the election, they must file a report within 48 hours of exceeding the threshold and participate in regular reporting for the rest of the election cycle.[8]
Past elections
Information about earlier elections can be found by clicking [show] at the right. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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2014District 3District 3 incumbent Tommy Bishop won re-election automatically after his election was canceled due to a lack of opposition. District 4 (unexpired term)
District 5District 5 incumbent Karen Nicholson won re-election automatically after her election was canceled due to a lack of opposition. District 6District 6 incumbent Richard "Rick" Davis won re-election automatically after his election was canceled due to a lack of opposition. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
What was at stake?
2016
Election trends
- See also: 2014 school board elections
With four seats up for election in November 2016, and only one incumbent seeking re-election, one-half of the Midland ISD board of trustees could have changed hands. In 2016, three of the four seats up for election were contested. The unopposed race was canceled and the candidate was appointed to the seat. In 2014, only one of the four seats up for election was contested. Three challengers filed to run for an open seat.
The race in 2016 attracted about the same number of candidates as seen in recent years, with an average of 1.75 candidates running per seat. In 2014, the average number of candidates running per seat was 2.00.
Five newcomers and one incumbent filed in the 2016 election. One newcomer was elected to the board in 2014 alongside three incumbents.
Issues in the district
Proposed tax increase rejected on October 8, 2016
| Bond elections |
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| 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 2014 • 2013 • 2012 • 2011 2010 • 2009 • 2008 All years and states |
| Property tax elections |
| 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 2014 • 2013 • 2012 • 2011 2010 • 2009 • 2008 All years and states |
| See also |
| State comparisons How voting works Approval rates |
Voters in the MISD rejected a proposed tax increase during a special election held on October 8, 2016. The proposed $1.09 tax per $100 of property valuation would have increased the property taxes on a home valued at $200,000 by $60 per year. Of the 6,648 votes cast in the election, 4,408 (63.31 percent) opposed the increase. While this was more than a 26 percentage point victory for opponents of the higher tax rate, only 8.93 percent of the total registered voters in Midland County turned out to cast a vote.[9] With the failure of the property tax increase, district officials announced that $12.33 million in cuts (6.68 percent of the district's capital-outlay budget) would be made in the areas of employee benefit payments, supply purchases, and administrative, teacher, and support personnel.[9]
MISD tax increase background
During a meeting held on August 8, 2016, the Midland Independent School District (MISD) board of trustees unanimously adopted an increased tax rate for the 2016-2017 school year. Under Texas state law, the board must get voter approval to pass a property tax rate above $1.04 per $100 of property valuation.[10] As a result, the board ordered a special tax ratification election (TRE) be held on October 8, 2016.[10] [11]
In the spring of 2016, MISD learned it was required to pay $51 million to the state under the Texas Robin Hood law, which was a $4 million increase over the previous year's payment. The Robin Hood law obligates property rich districts, which includes Midland, to send money to the state for redistribution to poorer districts. The payment increase came after a fall in commodity prices led to expected revenue decline in the Midland area, which is dominated by the oil and natural gas industries.[10] Consequently, MISD estimated a $25 million deficit for the 2016-2017 school year.
Upon learning of the district's deficit, the Scharbauer Foundation — a local philanthropic organization — donated $10 million to MISD. The resultant budget passed by the Midland board was $260 million, including $232.3 million for district maintenance and operations and $53.7 million to recapture the Robin Hood payment. District officials announced $6 million in additional cuts and a $2.5 million withdrawal from the district's reserves in order to balance the budget.[10][11]
Opponents of the TRE voiced concern about transitions in MISD leadership. The district appointed an interim superintendent on September 1, 2016, and four seats on the board of trustees were up for election with only one incumbent running in the race. If four newcomers are elected to the board, the new members have the potential to significantly alter board policy, including the budget.[10] Supporters, including the sitting board of trustees and other MISD officials, argue that the 2016-2017 per-pupil funding level has dropped below 2006-2007 school year funding levels. Supporters said that the district had not raised taxes since 2009 and the new tax rate would not be imposed on residents aged 65 years and older.[12]
Schroder named interim superintendent
On August 1, 2016, the Midland board of trustees voted to appoint Rod Schroder as interim district superintendent. Schroder replaced Dr. Ryder Warren, who left the district to take a position with the Northwest Independent School District. Schroder previously served as superintendent of the Amarillo Independent School District and assumed his position with Midland on September 1, 2016. He will serve as interim superintendent until the board elected on November 8, 2016, appoints a new district leader.[13]
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About the district
The Midland Independent School District is located in Midland, the county seat of Midland County, Texas. The county was home to an estimated 161,077 residents between 2010 and 2014, according to the United States Census Bureau.[14] The district was the 53rd-largest school district in the state in the 2013–2014 school year and served 23,560 students.[15]
Demographics
Midland County outperformed Texas as a whole in terms of median household income and poverty rate between 2010 and 2014, according the United States Census Bureau. The median household income in the county was $66,966, compared to $52,576 statewide. The poverty rate was 9.9 percent for county residents, compared to 15.9 percent for all state residents.[14]
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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.
Academic performance
The Midland Independent School District received a "Met Standard" designation on the Texas Education Agency's (TEA) 2015 accountability report. District schools met 60 percent of indicators set forth by state education officials and all four assessment categories. The following table details the district's accountability report during the 2014-2015 school year:[17]
| Performance Index Summary, 2014-2015 | ||||
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| Category | Points earned | Maximum points | Index score | Target score |
| Student Achievement | 18,249 | 28,360 | 64 | 60 |
| Student Progress | 524 | 1,800 | 29 | 20 |
| Closing Performance Gaps | 873 | 3,000 | 29 | 28 |
| Postsecondary Readiness | N/A | N/A | 65 | 57 |
Education achievement
The Midland ISD class of 2015 had 1,710 students. Of those students, 1,234 graduated in four years, 53 continued for additional years of high school in the district, 221 students left the district, and fewer than ten students received GEDs. Overall, 88.7 percent of the class fit into one of these categories, while the remaining 9.9 percent, 170 students, dropped out.[18]
In the same school year, Midland ISD saw 222 students drop out of grades 7-12 for an overall dropout rate of 2.1 percent, according to the TEA. The rate was highest among 9-12 grade students, at 3.1 percent.[18]
Midland County, on the whole, performed similarly to all of Texas in terms of high school graduation rates between 2010-2014 but lagged in higher education achievement. The United States Census Bureau found that 82.3 percent of county residents had a high school diploma or higher, compared to 81.6 percent statewide. At the same time, 25.0 percent of county residents aged 25 years and older had attained a bachelor's degree, compared to 27.1 percent for Texas as a whole.[14]
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms 'Midland Independent School District' 'Texas'. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
| Midland Independent School District | Texas | School Boards |
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Expression error: Unrecognized punctuation character "{". |
External links
- Midland Independent School District
- Midland County, Texas
- Texas Secretary of State
- MISD tax ratification election overview
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 News West 9, "MISD Board of Trustees preparing for new faces," September 30, 2016
- ↑ NewsWest9, "John Kennedy named winner of Midland I.S.D. School board seat by one vote," November 21, 2016
- ↑ Elisabeth Moore, "Email conversation with Leah Robertson," August 25, 2016
- ↑ Midland Reporter-Telegram, "MISD board sets tax rate election for Oct. 8," August 8, 2016
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Midland ISD, "BOARD MEMBERS ELIGIBILITY/QUALIFICATIONS," accessed August 25, 2016
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "November 8, 2016 Election Law Calendar," accessed August 24, 2016
- ↑ Texas Ethics Commission, "2016 Filing Schedule for Elections Held on Uniform Election Dates," accessed August 25, 2016
- ↑ Texas Ethics Commission, "Campaign Finance Guide for Candidates and Officeholders Who File with Local Filing Authorities," October 5, 2016
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Midland Reporter-Telegram, "Voters say no to MISD’s tax rate increase," October 8, 2016
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 Texas Scorecard, "Midland ISD 2016 Tax Ratification Election," September 16, 2016
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Midland Reporter-Telegram, "MISD board sets tax rate election for Oct. 8," August 8, 2016
- ↑ Midland ISD, "TRE," accessed September 14, 2016
- ↑ Amarillo Globe News, "Rod Schroder named interim superintendent at Midland ISD," August 3, 2016
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 United States Census Bureau, "Midland County, Texas," accessed October 5, 2016
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "ELSI Table Generator," accessed November 16, 2015
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "Midland County," accessed December 31, 2014
- ↑ Midland Independent School District, "2015 Accountability Summary," accessed October 5, 2016
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 Texas Education Agency, "Completion, Graduation, and Dropouts Data Search," accessed October 5, 2016
| 2016 Midland Independent School District Elections | |
| Midland County, Texas | |
| Election date: | November 8, 2016 |
| Candidates: | District 1: Incumbent, James Fuller • Ernie Garcia District 2: Robert Marquez |
| Important information: | Key deadlines • Additional elections on the ballot |
