West Chester Area School District elections (2013)
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Four seats on the West Chester Area School District school board were up for general election on November 5, 2013. The candidate field was narrowed in a primary election held on May 21, 2013. Joyce Chester, Robin Kaliner, Chris McCune and Ricky L. Swalm defeated four other candidates for the four at-large seats.
About the district
West Chester Area School District is located in Chester County, Pennsylvania. The county seat of Chester County is West Chester. As of the 2010 Census, the county was home to 506,575 residents.[1]
Demographics
Chester County outperformed the rest of Pennsylvania in terms of its average median rates of household income, poverty rate and higher education achievement in 2011. The median household income in Chester County was $86,264 compared to $51,651 for the state of Pennsylvania. The poverty rate in Chester County was 6.1% compared to 12.6% for the entire state. The US Census also found that 48.1% of Chester County residents aged 25 years and older attained a bachelor's degree compared to 26.7% in Pennsylvania.[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 West Chester Area school board consists of nine members elected to four-year terms at-large by the district as a whole. The primary election was held on May 21, 2013 and the general election was held on November 5, 2013. Four seats were on the ballot in 2013.[3]
The filing deadline for school board candidates to get on the ballot for the primary election was March 12, 2013. The deadline to withdraw from the primary race was March 27, 2013. The filing deadline for independent candidates to get on the ballot for the general election was August 1, and the deadline for those candidates to withdraw was August 8, 2013. The deadline for candidates who were nominated in the primary election to withdraw was August 12, 2013.[4]
Elections
2013
Candidates
At-large
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Election results
| West Chester Area School District, At-large General Election, 4-year term, 2013 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  Joyce Chester |
13.7% | 10,409 | |
| Democratic | Chris McCune |
13.7% | 10,398 | |
| Democratic | Robin Kaliner |
13.6% | 10,329 | |
| Democratic | Ricky L. Swalm |
13.4% | 10,145 | |
| Republican | Edward Coyle Incumbent | 11.6% | 8,805 | |
| Republican | Sean Carpenter Incumbent | 11.6% | 8,812 | |
| Republican | Pam LaTorre | 11.4% | 8,624 | |
| Republican | Maria Pimley Incumbent | 11% | 8,372 | |
| Total Votes | 75,894 | |||
| Source: Chester County, Pennsylvania, "Summary Report," accessed November 13, 2013 and Delaware County, Pennsylvania, "2013 Official Municipal Election Results," accessed November 13, 2013 | ||||
| West Chester Area School District, Democratic Primary Election, 4-year term, 2013 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Joyce Chester |
22.9% | 3,004 | |
| Democratic | Robin Kaliner |
22% | 2,884 | |
| Democratic | Chris McCune |
21% | 2,751 | |
| Democratic | Ricky L. Swalm |
20.3% | 2,659 | |
| Democratic | Pam LaTorre | 3.7% | 480 | |
| Democratic | Edward Coyle Incumbent | 3.5% | 459 | |
| Democratic | Maria Pimley Incumbent | 3.4% | 440 | |
| Democratic | Sean Carpenter Incumbent | 3.3% | 435 | |
| Total Votes | 13,112 | |||
| Source: Chester County, Pennsylvania, "Summary Report," accessed October 31, 2013 and Delaware County, "2013 Official Municipal Primary Results," accessed November 13, 2017 | ||||
| West Chester Area School District, Republican Primary Election, 4-year term, 2013 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Sean Carpenter Incumbent |
18.1% | 3,932 | |
| Republican | Edward Coyle Incumbent |
16.7% | 3,638 | |
| Republican | Pam LaTorre |
16.4% | 3,575 | |
| Republican | Maria Pimley Incumbent |
15.3% | 3,325 | |
| Republican | Robin Kaliner | 8.7% | 1,902 | |
| Republican | Chris McCune | 8.5% | 1,854 | |
| Republican | Joyce Chester | 8.1% | 1,758 | |
| Republican | Ricky L. Swalm | 8.3% | 1,797 | |
| Total Votes | 21,781 | |||
| Source: Chester County, Pennsylvania, "Summary Report," accessed October 31, 2013 and Delaware County, "2013 Official Municipal Primary Results," accessed November 13, 2017 | ||||
Endorsements
Incumbents Maria Pimley, Sean Carpenter and Edward Coyle along with newcomer Pam LaTorre all received endorsements from the Republican Committee of Chester County. Representative Jim Gerlach also endorsed Coyle, and all three incumbents endorsed LaTorre. Challengers Joyce Chester, Robin Kaliner, Chris McCune and Ricky L. Swalm all received endorsements from the Chester County Democratic Committee, Republicans for a Better Direction and West Chester VOTE.[5]
Campaign finance
No contributions or expenditures were reported during the election, according to the Pennsylvania Department of State.[6]
Past elections
Information about earlier elections can be found by clicking [show] at the right. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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What was at stake?
Four seats on the West Chester Area school board were at stake in the election. Three incumbents, Maria Pimley, Sean Carpenter, and Edward Coyle, sought re-election. Finances were one of the largest challenges in the district, so the new board would need to address ongoing funding questions, including the benefits of tax increases and program cuts.[7][8]
Key deadlines
The following were key deadlines for the West Chester Area School Board election.[4]
| Deadline | Event |
|---|---|
| February 19, 2013 | First day for filing nominating petitions |
| March 12, 2013 | Last day to file nominating petitions |
| March 27, 2013 | Last day to withdraw from ballot |
| May 21, 2013 | Primary Election Day |
| August 1, 2013 | Last day to circulate and file nomination papers nominating independent candidates |
| August 8, 2013 | Last day for candidates who have filed nomination papers to withdraw |
| August 12, 2013 | Last day for candidates nominated at the primary to withdraw |
| August 22, 2013 | Last day to file substituted nominations |
| September 16, 2013 | First day to receive official absentee ballot applications |
| October 7, 2013 | Last day an elector may register to vote or make change to their voting record to be eligible for the General Election |
| November 1, 2013 | Last day to receive official absentee ballots in County Board of Elections |
| November 5, 2013 | Election day |
Additional elections on the ballot
This election shared the ballot with local and state elections. They voted on a Judge of the Superior Court in a statewide race, along with a Judge of the Court of Common Pleas race. Local elections included a race for mayor, treasurer, controller, inspector of elections, judge of elections, clerk of courts, coroner and eight retention questions for various Pennsylvania judges.[9]
See also
- Pennsylvania
- West Chester Area School District, Pennsylvania
- List of school board elections in 2013
- Chester County, Pennsylvania ballot measures
- Local ballot measures, Pennsylvania
- 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
- Pennsylvania school boards to see large turnover
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 United States Census Bureau, "Chester County, Pennsylvania," accessed October 31, 2013
- ↑ Pennsylvania Department of State, "Voter Registration Statistics," accessed October 23, 2013
- ↑ West Chester Area School District, "2013 School Board," accessed October 31, 2013
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Chester County, Pennsylvania, "2013 Pennsylvania Elections - Important Dates To Remember," accessed October 31, 2013
- ↑ League of Women Voters of Chester County, Pennsylvania, "School Director At Large; West Chester School District Voter Information," accessed October 31, 2013
- ↑ Pennsylvania Department of State, "Campaign Finance Online Reporting," accessed December 18, 2013
- ↑ Daily Local News, "8 West Chester school board hopefuls represent 2 slates, Jeremy Gerrard May 12, 2013 (dead link)
- ↑ Daily Local News, "West Chester Area teachers press for a contract," Jeremy Gerrard October 28, 2013
- ↑ Chester County, Pennsylvania, "Official Municipal Election Ballot," accessed October 31, 2013
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