Grand Rapids Public Schools elections (2014)
2016 →
|
 |
Method of election Elections Key deadlines Additional elections External links |
Grand Rapids Public Schools Kent County, Michigan ballot measures Local ballot measures, Michigan |
 |
Five seats on the Grand Rapids Public Schools Board of Education were up for general election on November 4, 2014.
Incumbents Tony Baker, Wendy Verhage Falb, John M. Matias, and Maureen Quinn Slade and newcomer Jose Flores defeated challengers Jamie Scripps and Milinda Ysasi for the seats. Fellow board member Jon O'Connor did not file for re-election. Challenger Wanda Couch filed for the race but withdrew before the deadline on July 25, 2014.[1][2]
About the district
- See also: Grand Rapids Public Schools, Michigan
Grand Rapids Public Schools is located in Kent County, Michigan. The county seat is Grand Rapids. Kent County had a population of 621,700 residents, according to the United States Census Bureau in 2014.[3] In the 2011-2012 school year, Grand Rapids Public Schools was the fifth-largest school district in Michigan and served 17,606 students.[4]
Demographics
In 2012, Kent County had a higher percentage of residents with a bachelor's degree compared to the state overall. The United States Census Bureau reported that 30.9 percent of residents aged 25 and older in Kent County had earned a bachelor's degree, compared with 25.5 percent for Michigan. The county’s median household income was $51,030, above the state median of $48,471. The poverty rate in Kent County was 15.6 percent, slightly below the state rate of 16.3 percent.[3]
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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.
Voter and candidate information
As of the 2014 election, the Grand Rapids Board of Education consisted of nine members elected at large to four-year terms. There was no primary election, and the general election was held on November 4, 2014. Five seats were up for election in 2014.[1]
School board candidates had to file with their county elections department during the candidate filing period, which ended on July 22, 2014. The deadline to withdraw was on July 25, 2014. Write-in candidates had to file by October 24, 2014. To vote in the 2014 general election, voters had to register by October 6, 2014.[6]
Elections
2014
Candidates
At-large
|
Election results
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan |  Maureen Quinn Slade Incumbent |
16.4% | 18,359 | |
| Nonpartisan | Tony Baker Incumbent |
15.9% | 17,807 | |
| Nonpartisan | Wendy Verhage Falb Incumbent |
15% | 16,813 | |
| Nonpartisan | Jose Flores |
14% | 15,638 | |
| Nonpartisan | John M. Matias Incumbent |
13.6% | 15,185 | |
| Nonpartisan | Jamie Scripps | 13.5% | 15,142 | |
| Nonpartisan | Milinda Ysasi | 11.7% | 13,111 | |
| Total Votes | 112,055 | |||
| Source: Kent County Elections Division, "Grand Rapids Public Schools Board Member," accessed December 29, 2014 | ||||
Endorsements
Incumbents Tony Baker, Wendy Verhage Falb, and Maureen Quinn Slade and challengers Jose Flores and Jamie Scripps each received an endorsement from the local chapter of the Michigan Education Association.[7]
Baker, Falb, Slade, Scripps, John M. Matias, and Milinda Ysasi each received an endorsement from the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce Political Action Committee.[8]
Slade also received endorsements from:[9]
- Grand Rapids Board of Education members Tony Baker, Wendy Verhage Falb, John M. Matias, Nathaniel Moody and Monica Randles
- Michigan State Board of Education member Lupe Ramos-Montigny
- The Grand Rapids Educational Support Personnel Association
- The Grand Rapids Association of Educational Office Personnel
- The Grand Rapids Association of Child Care Workers
- The Grand Rapids Educational Officers Association
- The Grand Rapids Community College Education Support Professionals
- Grand Rapids Mayor George Heartwell
Matias also received endorsements from Grand Rapids Board of Education members Tony Baker, Wendy Verhage Falb, David LaGrand, Nathaniel Moody, Jon O'Connor, Monica Randles, Raynard Ross, and Maureen Quinn Slade, and Michigan State Board of Education member Lupe Ramos-Montigny.[10]
Scripps also received endorsements from:[11][12]
- Grand Rapids Board of Education member Jon O'Connor
- Michigan State Board of Education members John Austin and Lupe Ramos-Montigny
- State Representative Brandon Dillon (D-75)
- The UAW
- Progressive Women's Alliance of West Michigan
Ysasi also received an endorsement from state Representative Brandon Dillon (D-75).[13]
Campaign finance
The Kent County Elections Division does not publish and freely disclose school board candidate campaign finance reports.
Past elections
Information about earlier elections can be found by clicking [show] at the right. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2012
2011
2010
2009
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Key deadlines
The following dates were key deadlines for the Grand Rapids Public Schools election in 2014:[6]
| Deadline | Event |
|---|---|
| July 22, 2014 | Last day for candidates to file nomination documents |
| July 25, 2014 | Last day for candidates to withdraw |
| October 6, 2014 | Last day to register to vote in the general election |
| October 24, 2014 | Last day for write-in candidates to file nomination documents |
| November 4, 2014 | General election day |
Additional elections on the ballot
This election shared the ballot with general elections for a U.S. House seat, U.S. Senate seat, Michigan state executive offices, Michigan House of Representatives seats, and Michigan State Senate seats. It also shared the ballot with county, municipal, and judicial elections.[14]
See also
- Michigan
- Grand Rapids Public Schools, Michigan
- Michigan school board elections, 2014
- List of school board elections in 2014
- School board elections, 2014
- Kent County, Michigan ballot measures
- Local ballot measures, Michigan
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Grand Rapids Public Schools, "School Board Members," accessed August 30, 2014
- ↑ Access Kent, "Official Candidates and Proposals," accessed September 1, 2014
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 United States Census Bureau, "Kent County, Michigan," accessed July 24, 2014
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "ELSI Table Generator," accessed April 22, 2014
- ↑ Secretary of State - Department of State, "Previous Election Information," accessed August 1, 2014
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Secretary of State - Department of State, "2014 Michigan Election Dates," accessed September 1, 2014
- ↑ Michigan Education Association, "MEA Recommended Candidates – Election 2014," October 16, 2014
- ↑ Mlive, "Grand Rapid Area Chamber of Commerce PAC endorses in GRCC, school board races," September 26, 2014
- ↑ Elect Maureen Quinn Slade, "Endorsements," accessed October 26, 2014
- ↑ John Matias, "John Matias' Endorsements Include," accessed October 26, 2014
- ↑ UAW Election 2014, "Michigan," accessed October 26, 2014
- ↑ Jamie Scripps for GRPS Board of Education, "Home," accessed October 26, 2014
- ↑ Facebook, "Milinda Ysasi for Grand Rapids Public School Board," accessed October 26, 2014
- ↑ Kent County Elections Division, "November 4, 2014 General Election - Unofficial List of Candidates," accessed September 1, 2014
| 2014 Grand Rapids Public Schools Elections | |
| Kent County, Michigan | |
| Election date: | November 4, 2014 |
| Candidates: | At-large: • Incumbent, Tony Baker • Incumbent, Wendy Verhage Falb • Incumbent, John M. Matias • Incumbent, Maureen Quinn Slade • Jose Flores • Jamie Scripps • Milinda Ysasi |
| Important information: | Key deadlines • Additional elections on the ballot |
