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Alameda Unified School District elections (2016)
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Three of the five seats on the Alameda Unified School District Board of Education were up for at-large general election on November 8, 2016. Incumbent Gray Harris faced five challengers in the race—Ardella Dailey, Matt Hettich, Anne McKereghan, Dennis Popalardo, and Jennifer Williams.[1] Harris won re-election and Williams and Dailey won the other two seats.[2]
Harris and Popalardo participated in Ballotpedia's 2016 survey of school board candidates. Click here to read their responses.
Elections
Voter and candidate information
The Alameda Unified Board of Education consists of five members elected to four-year terms. Elections are held at large on a staggered basis every November of even-numbered years. Two seats were up for election on November 4, 2014, and three seats were up for election on November 8, 2016. There was no primary election.[3]
To get on the ballot, school board candidates had to register with the county elections office by August 12, 2016. If incumbents did not file by that deadline, the filing deadline was extended for non-incumbent candidates until August 17, 2016. In order to qualify as candidates, they had to be at least 18 years old, citizens of California, residents of the school district, registered voters, and "not legally disqualified from holding civil office," according to the bylaws of the Alameda Unified Board of Education. Once they took office, school board members could not be employed by the school district.[4][5]
To vote in this election, residents of the school district had to register by October 24, 2016.[6] Photo identification was not required to vote in this election.[7]
Candidates and results
At-large
Results
| Alameda Unified School District, At-large General Election, 4-year terms, 2016 |
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| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Jennifer Williams |
23.10% | 17,006 |
| Gray Harris Incumbent |
21.38% | 15,741 |
| Ardella Dailey |
17.92% | 13,189 |
| Anne McKereghan | 14.39% | 10,597 |
| Matt Hettich | 11.91% | 8,765 |
| Dennis Popalardo | 11.06% | 8,144 |
| Write-in votes | 0.24% | 175 |
| Total Votes | 73,617 | |
| Source: Alameda County Registrar of Voters, "General Election (Certified Results) - November 08, 2016," accessed November 30, 2016 | ||
Candidates
Gray Harris 
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Ardella Dailey
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Matt Hettich | |||
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| Anne McKereghan | Dennis Popalardo | Jennifer Williams
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Additional elections on the ballot
- See also: California elections, 2016
The district's school board election shared the ballot with a number of statewide ballot measures as well as elections for the following offices:[8]
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Key deadlines
The following dates were key deadlines for California school board elections in 2016:[9][10]
| Deadline | Event |
|---|---|
| August 1, 2016 | Semi-annual campaign finance report due |
| August 10, 2016 - November 8, 2016 | 24-hour campaign contribution reporting period |
| August 12, 2016 | Candidate filing deadline |
| August 17, 2016 | Extended filing deadline for non-incumbent candidates for open seats |
| September 29, 2016 | First pre-election campaign finance report due |
| October 24, 2016 | Voter registration deadline |
| October 27, 2016 | Second pre-election campaign finance report due |
| November 8, 2016 | Election Day |
| January 31, 2017 | Semi-annual campaign finance report due |
Endorsements
The Alameda County Democratic Party endorsed incumbent Gray Harris and challengers Matt Hettich and Jennifer Williams.[11] Harris and Hettich, along with challengers Anne McKereghan and Dennis Popalardo, were also endorsed by the community organization Evolve.[12]
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
Candidates in this race were required to file two pre-election reports. The first was due on September 29, 2016, and the second was due on October 27, 2016. If candidates received more than $1,000 from a single source between August 10, 2016, and November 8, 2016, they had to file a campaign finance report within 24 hours of receiving the contribution.[10]
Candidates who did not raise or spend more than $2,000 on their campaigns had to file an exemption form by September 29, 2016. They did not have to file additional campaign finance reports.[10]
Candidates who had a remaining balance from previous campaigns or who had raised or spent money on their campaigns prior to the candidate filing deadline had to file a semi-annual campaign finance report by August 1, 2016. The next semi-annual campaign finance report was due January 31, 2017.[10]
Reports
Candidates received a total of $87,224.20 and spent a total of $72,940.65 in the election, according to the Alameda County Registrar of Voters.[13]
| Candidate | Contributions | Expenditures | Cash on hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gray Harris | $28,422.20 | $25,347.00 | $3,075.20 |
| Ardella Dailey | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Matt Hettich | $6,349.00 | $276.13 | $6,072.87 |
| Anne McKereghan | $7,644.00 | $4,258.20 | $3,385.80 |
| Dennis Popalardo | $20,520.00 | $20,520.00 | $0.00 |
| Jennifer Williams | $24,289.00 | $22,539.32 | $1,749.68 |
Past elections
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What was at stake?
Report a story for this election
Ballotpedia researches issues in school board elections across the United States, but information availability is a challenge for us in many school districts. Please contact us about the issues that impact your local school district. Note that not all submissions may meet Ballotpedia's coverage requirements for inclusion.
Candidate survey
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Ballotpedia invites school board candidates to participate in its annual survey. |
Survey responses
Two candidates in this race participated in Ballotpedia's 2016 survey of school board candidates. The following sections display the responses to the survey questions from incumbent Gray Harris and challenger Dennis Popalardo.
Hope to achieve
When asked what she hoped to achieve if elected to the school board, Harris stated:
| “ | Since joining the Alameda Unified School District Board, I’ve fought hard to address some of the unique issues facing our school community. I have spearheaded implementation of fair enrollment policies that assist our military families. Acknowledging the future needs of our students, I have created new career pathways and apprenticeship opportunities. I’m committed to advancing our local economy and have fought for policies that ensure local hire for work that is done on our schools. To ensure we attract and most importantly can retain talented educators, I have advocated for the use of existing historic buildings at Alameda Point for affordable employee housing. I am a 10-year classroom teacher, parent, and education advocate who believes in collaboration and shared decision-making. I would be honored to earn your vote on November 8th. Please visit www.VoteGrayHarris.com for more information![14] | ” |
| —Gray Harris (September 26, 2016)[15] | ||
When asked what he hoped to achieve if elected to the school board, Popalardo stated:
| “ | In addition to delivering a balanced budget, I want to attract and retain the best teachers and classified employees by improving pay and compensation. My goals also include maintaining our system of neighborhood schools and small class sizes, so that teachers and students have a strong learning environment. I also want to ensure there is equity for all students in the District, regardless of socioeconomic background. Further, I would like to increase and expand innovative programs, such as magnet schools and career and technical education, along with increasing the use of, and access to, technology in classrooms. Lastly, I want to work with our State representatives to increase education spending by the State, which is currently inadequate.[14] | ” |
| —Dennis Popalardo (October 20, 2016)[16] | ||
Ranking the issues
The candidates were asked to rank the following issues by importance in the school district, with 1 being the most important and 7 being the least important. This table displays their rankings:
| Issue importance ranking | ||||
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| Issue | Harris' ranking | Popalardo's ranking | ||
| Expanding arts education | ||||
| Improving relations with teachers | ||||
| Balancing or maintaining the district's budget | ||||
| Improving post-secondary readiness | ||||
| Closing the achievement gap | ||||
| Improving education for special needs students | ||||
| Expanding school choice options | ||||
Positions on the issues
The candidates were asked to answer nine multiple choice and short answer questions from Ballotpedia regarding significant issues in education and the school district. A link to their responses can be found below.
About the district
The Alameda Unified School District is located in Alameda County in central California. The county seat of Alameda County is Oakland.[17] Alameda County was home to 1,638,215 residents in 2015, according to the United States Census Bureau.[18] The district was the 149th-largest school district in the state in the 2013–2014 school year and served 10,947 students.[19]
Demographics
Alameda County outperformed California as a whole in terms of higher education achievement between 2010 and 2014. The United States Census Bureau found that 42.1 percent of county residents aged 25 years and older had attained a bachelor's degree, compared to 31 percent of state residents. The median household income for Alameda County was $73,775, compared to $61,489 for the entire state. The percentage of people in poverty in the county was 12.5 percent, compared to 16.4 percent statewide.[18]
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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 'Alameda Unified School District' 'California'. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
| Alameda Unified School District | California | School Boards |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Alameda County California, "Candidate List," accessed August 13, 2016
- ↑ Alameda County, "General Election (Unofficial Results) - November 08, 2016," accessed November 9, 2016
- ↑ Alameda County Registrar of Voters, "2016 Established Election Dates for Jurisdictions," accessed June 13, 2016
- ↑ BB 9220 Board Bylaws: Governing Board Elections," accessed June 13, 2016
- ↑ California Elections Code, “Part 5, Section 10600-10604: School District And Community College District Governing Board Elections,” accessed June 15, 2016
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "Voter Registration," accessed June 13, 2016
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "California Online Voter Registration," accessed June 13, 2016
- ↑ Alameda County Registrar of Voters, "Candidate List: General Election - 11/08/2016," accessed September 22, 2016
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "November 8, 2016, General Election Calendar," accessed July 27, 2016
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 California Fair Political Practices Commission, "Filing Schedule for Candidates and Controlled Committees for Local Office Being Voted on November 8, 2016," accessed July 27, 2016
- ↑ Alameda County Democratic Party, "Endorsements," accessed October 12, 2016
- ↑ Evolve, "Endorsements: November 8, 2016 General Election," accessed October 12, 2016
- ↑ Alameda County Registrar of Voters, "County of Alameda Public Portal for Campaign Finance Disclosure," accessed February 7, 2017
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Ballotpedia's school board candidate survey, "Gray Harris responses," September 26, 2016
- ↑ Ballotpedia's school board candidate survey, "Dennis Popalardo responses," October 20, 2016
- ↑ Alameda County, "About Us," accessed July 1, 2014
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 United States Census Bureau, "Alameda County, California," accessed June 13, 2016
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "ELSI Table Generator," accessed November 16, 2015
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "Statewide elections," accessed June 30, 2014
| 2016 Alameda Unified School District Elections | |
| Alameda County, California | |
| Election date: | November 8, 2016 |
| Candidates: | At-large: • Incumbent, Gray Harris • Ardella Dailey • Matt Hettich • Anne McKereghan • Dennis Popalardo • Jennifer Williams |
| Important information: | What was at stake? • Additional elections on the ballot • Key deadlines |
