Seattle Public Schools elections (2013)
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Three seats were up for election on the Seattle Public Schools Board of Directors on November 5, 2013. Seats in Districts 4, 5 and 7 were on the ballot. Sue Peters defeated Suzanne Dale Estey for the District 4 seat, while Stephan Blanford defeated LaCrese Green for the District 5 seat. Betty Patu was unopposed for the District 7 seat.
Major issues facing the district include legal proceedings against the district regarding sexual abuse of students, budget strains and growing enrollment.
About the district
- See also: Seattle Public Schools, Washington
Seattle Public Schools is located in the City of Seattle in King County, Washington. The population of Seattle was 608,660 according to the 2010 U.S. Census.[1]
Demographics
Seattle outperforms state averages for higher education achievement and median income while lagging behind in poverty levels. The percentage of city residents over 25 years old with undergraduate degrees (55.8%) exceeds the state average (31.4%). The 2010 U.S. Census calculated Seattle's median income at $61,856 while the state median income was $58,890. Seattle had a poverty rate of 13.2% in the 2010 U.S. Census while the state rate was 12.5%.[1]
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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.
Method of board member selection
The Seattle Public Schools Board of Directors consists of seven members elected to four-year terms. Each member runs within specific districts in the primaries followed by a citywide vote in the general election. There was a primary election on August 6, 2013, in Districts 4 and 5. Incumbent Betty Patu ran unopposed in District 7.
Elections in Washington require candidates to pay filing fees equal to 1% of a position's annual salary. Board members in Seattle can be reimbursed up to $4,800 for district activities but do not receive salaries, which eliminates the filing fee. Candidates were required to file nominating petitions by May 17, 2013 to qualify for the November ballot. Each candidate could also submit a photo and statement of 100 words or less by August 23, 2013 for the county's local voter pamphlet.[3]
Elections
2013
Candidates
District 4
- Suzanne Dale Estey
- Graduate, Whitman College and University of Washington
- Economic consultant, Dale Estey Partnerships
- Sue Peters
- Graduate, University of California-San Diego and Stanford University
- Journalist and editor
District 5
- Stephan Blanford
- Graduate, Antioch University, Seattle and University of Washington
- Owner, Lighthouse Consulting
- LaCrese Green
- Tutor
District 7
- Betty Patu
- Incumbent
- Graduate, Antioch University, Seattle
- Retired teacher
Election results
| Seattle Public Schools Board of Directors, General election, District 4, Four-year term, 2013 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan |  Sue Peters |
54.8% | 92,552 | |
| Nonpartisan | Suzanne Dale Estey | 44.8% | 75,758 | |
| Nonpartisan | Write-in votes | 0.4% | 642 | |
| Total Votes | 168,952 | |||
| Source: King County Elections, "Certified Results," November 25, 2013 | ||||
| Seattle Public Schools Board of Directors, General election, District 5, Four-year term, 2013 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan | Stephan Blanford |
88.8% | 144,320 | |
| Nonpartisan | LaCrese Green | 10.6% | 17,286 | |
| Nonpartisan | Write-in votes | 0.5% | 852 | |
| Total Votes | 162,458 | |||
| Source: King County Elections, "Certified Results," November 25, 2013 | ||||
| Seattle Public Schools Board of Directors, General election, District 7, Four-year term, 2013 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan | Betty Patu Incumbent |
98.2% | 121,914 | |
| Nonpartisan | Write-in | 1.8% | 2,283 | |
| Total Votes | 124,197 | |||
| Source: King County Elections, "Certified Results," November 25, 2013 | ||||
Endorsements
On October 2, 2013, The Seattle Times endorsed Estey in District 4 and Blanford in District 5 ahead of the November 5, 2013 general election.[4]
Campaign finance
Candidates received a total of $231,004.87 and spent a total of $202,220.67 during the election, according to the Washington Public Disclosure Commission.[5]
In the District 4 race, candidates received a total of $191,958.74 and spent a total of $174,809.12.
| Candidate | Contributions | Expenditures | Cash on hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suzanne Dale Estey | $148,225.14 | $146,706.56 | $1,518.58 |
| Dean McColgan | $2,132.73 | $986.80 | $1,145.93 |
| Sue Peters | $41,600.87 | $27,115.76 | $14,485.11 |
In the District 5 race, candidates received a total of $39,046.13 and spent a total of $27,411.55.
| Candidate | Contributions | Expenditures | Cash on hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stephan Blanford | $37,375.32 | $25,877.97 | $11,497.35 |
| LaCrese Green | $1,670.81 | $1,533.58 | $137.23 |
In the District 7 race, no contributions or expenditures were reported during the election.
Forums
Seattle CityClub hosted a candidate forum on September 26 at the Vera Center that was moderated by local high school students. The forum featured Estey, Peters and Blanford with Green unable to attend. All three candidates generally agreed on their beliefs about Common Core standards, discipline in district schools and the impacts of income inequality on student performance.[6]
Primary
Primary elections were held on August 6, 2013 for Districts 4 and 5 of the Seattle Public Schools Board of Directors. Estey and Peters advanced in District 4 while Blanford and Green advanced in District 5 to the November general election.[7]
| Seattle Board of Directors, Primary, District 4, 2013 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan | Suzanne Dale Estey |
47.8% | 6,422 | |
| Nonpartisan | Sue Peters |
41.4% | 5,560 | |
| Nonpartisan | Dean McColgan | 10.9% | 1,461 | |
| Total Votes | 13,443 | |||
| Source: King County Elections, "August 6, 2013 primary election results," August 20, 2013 | ||||
| Seattle Board of Directors, Primary, District 5, 2013 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan | Stephan Blanford |
79.3% | 8,574 | |
| Nonpartisan | LaCrese Green |
13.1% | 1,415 | |
| Nonpartisan | Olu Thomas | 7.6% | 827 | |
| Total Votes | 10,816 | |||
| Source: King County Elections, "August 6, 2013 primary election results," August 20, 2013 | ||||
Past elections
2011
| Seattle Board of Directors, District 1, Four-year term, November 8, 2011 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan | Sharon Peaslee |
50.6% | 76,806 | |
| Nonpartisan | Peter Maier Incumbent | 49.4% | 74,903 | |
| Total Votes | 151,709 | |||
| Source: King County Elections, "Election results," November 28, 2011 | ||||
| Seattle Board of Directors, District 2, Four-year term, November 8, 2011 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan | Sherry Carr Incumbent |
52.5% | 78,265 | |
| Nonpartisan | Kate Martin | 47.5% | 70,826 | |
| Total Votes | 149,091 | |||
| Source: King County Elections, "Election results," November 28, 2011 | ||||
| Seattle Board of Directors, District 3, Four-year term, November 8, 2011 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan | Harium Martin-Morris Incumbent |
58.7% | 87,493 | |
| Nonpartisan | Michelle Buetow | 41.3% | 61,536 | |
| Total Votes | 149,029 | |||
| Source: King County Elections, "Election results," November 28, 2011 | ||||
| Seattle Board of Directors, District 6, Four-year term, November 8, 2011 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan | Marty McLaren |
54.4% | 80,949 | |
| Nonpartisan | Steve Sundquist Incumbent | 45.6% | 67,857 | |
| Total Votes | 148,806 | |||
| Source: King County Elections, "Election results," November 28, 2011 | ||||
What was at stake?
Incumbent Betty Patu sought re-election without opposition in District 7. Districts 4 and 5 have new members as incumbents Michael DeBell and Kay Smith-Blum did not file for re-election. Both districts held primaries on August 6, 2013 with the top two candidates in each district moving to the general election on November 5, 2013.
Issues
Influence of Great Seattle Schools PAC
Great Seattle Schools PAC attracted $100,405 in donations through mid-October 2013. The PAC ran a TV ad before the August 6 primary that portrayed Estey as a reformer and Peters as a supporter of board policies.[8] The group also produced a mailer titled "Inside the Mind of Sue Peters: A Vast Conspiracy" with an ad against Peters on one side and an ad supporting Estey on the other side.[9] A report by KUOW found that land developer Matt Griffin donated $30,500 to the group with smaller amounts from former Microsoft executive Christopher Larson and businessman Nick Hanauer. The PAC's fundraising totals were not limited by the $1,800 per cycle ceiling on direct contributions to candidates approved by the Washington State Legislature in 2012.[10]
Increased enrollment
The Seattle Public Schools Board of Directors confronted strained resources and legal cases stemming from past abuses of students. The district experienced a 9.5% increase in enrollment between 2008 and 2012.[11] This enrollment increase coincided with declining money from the federal stimulus program as well as cuts to support services in budgets.[12] These issues played into disagreements between the district and the Seattle Education Association (SEA) over a contract for teachers. On September 3, teachers voted to approve a two-year contract that increased pay by two percent and included test scores in teacher evaluations.[13]
Sexual abuse lawsuits
Another area of concern for the district was a series of lawsuits brought by six former students seeking damages that totaled $29 million. These damages were related to instances of sexual abuse by former teacher Phil McGee as well as an incident where a student was convicted of sexual assault against another student.[14]
Key deadlines
The following dates were key deadlines for the Seattle Public Schools election in 2013:[3]
| Deadline | Event |
|---|---|
| April 29, 2013 | First day to file nominating petitions by mail |
| May 13, 2013 | First day to file nominating petitions online or in-person |
| May 17, 2013 | Last day to file nominating petitions |
| August 6, 2013 | Primary day |
| August 23, 2013 | Last day to submit candidate materials for voter pamphlet |
| November 5, 2013 | Election day |
| November 26, 2013 | Certification of vote results by county |
| December 5, 2013 | Certification of vote results by state |
Additional elections on the ballot
The Seattle Public Schools race shared the ballot with additional city and county measures. Seattle ballots included the race for mayor, four seats on the Seattle City Council, the city attorney and four commissioners for the Port of Seattle. Voters also saw the following King County offices on the ballot:
- King County Executive
- Metropolitan King County Council (Five seats)
- King County Sheriff
- King County Court of Appeals
- King County Superior Court
- Special districts
- King County Airport
- King County Fire Protection
- King County Public Hospital
- King County Water
The ballot also featured a proposed charter amendment for the City of Seattle to create districts for City Council seats as well as a proposition to create public financing for council races. King County voters also voted on renewing an existing levy to fund emergency medical services and a proposition to create a Department of Public Defense. There were also two statewide initiatives and five advisory votes on the November 5, 2013 ballot.[15]
See also
- Washington
- Seattle Public Schools, Washington
- King County, Washington ballot measures
- Financial policies, education standards at stake in November school board elections
- School board election wrap-up: Incumbents re-elected overwhelmingly in November 5 elections
- School board elections review: Voters opt for experience over new blood in nation's largest school districts
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 U.S. Census, "Quick Facts: Seattle," accessed August 1, 2013
- ↑ King County Elections, "Election Archive," accessed August 1, 2013
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 King County Elections, "Candidate Manual," accessed August 2, 2013
- ↑ Seattle Times, "Editorial: Dale Estey, Blanford for Seattle School Board," October 2, 2013
- ↑ Washington Public Disclosure Commission, "Local Candidates," accessed December 17, 2013
- ↑ Seattle Times, "Students quiz Seattle School Board candidates," September 27, 2013
- ↑ King County Elections, "August 2013 Primary Election Results," accessed August 7, 2013
- ↑ Seattle Times, " Independent group enters school board campaign with negative ad," August 1, 2013
- ↑ Seattle Times, "Independent group mails another negative ad in Seattle school board race," November 1, 2013
- ↑ KUOW, "Could A Wealthy Few Decide Seattle's School Board Races?" October 18, 2013
- ↑ Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. "Student Enrollment Cohort Projections, 2012," accessed August 2, 2013
- ↑ Seattle Public Schools, "Budget Office, Current and Past Budgets," accessed August 2, 2013
- ↑ Capitol Hill Seattle Blog, "Teachers ratify contract, Seattle Public Schools start new year Wednesday," September 3, 2013
- ↑ KUOW, "Seattle School District Faces $29 Million In Sex Abuse Liability," July 22, 2013
- ↑ King County Elections, "2013 Offices Subject to Election," accessed August 2, 2013
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