Eau Claire Area School District elections (2015)
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Two seats on the Eau Claire Area Board of Education were up for general election on April 7, 2015. A primary election would have been held on February 17, 2015, if more than two candidates had filed per seat.
Two at-large board incumbents were up for re-election. The terms of Wendy Sue Johnson and Kathryn P. Duax ended in April 2015. Johnson did not file to run for re-election, leaving Duax and challenger Joe Luginbill to run unopposed.[1]
About the district
Eau Claire Area School District is located in Eau Claire County in western Wisconsin. The county seat is Eau Claire. In 2013, Eau Claire County was home to approximately 101,438 residents according to estimates by the United States Census Bureau.[2] During the 2010-2011 school year, Eau Claire Area School District was the eighth-largest school district in Wisconsin and served 11,030 students.[3]
Demographics
Eau Claire County outperformed the rest of Wisconsin in terms of higher education achievement in 2010. The United States Census Bureau found that 31.5 percent of Eau Claire County residents aged 25 years and older had attained a bachelor's degree compared to 26.4 percent for Wisconsin as a whole. The median household income in Eau Claire County was $47,821 between 2008 and 2012. During that same time period, the median household income for the entire state was $52,627. Between 2008 and 2012, the poverty rate in Eau Claire County was 15.7 percent compared to 12.5 percent statewide.[2]
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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.
Voter and candidate information
The Eau Claire Board of Education consists of seven members who are elected at-large on a staggered basis to three-year terms. If more than two candidates had filed for any board position, a primary election would have been held on February 17, 2015. Because only two candidates filed to run, both advanced to the general election on April 7, 2015.
To be elected to the board, candidates must reside in the boundaries of the school district for 28 days prior to the filing of a "Declaration of Candidacy" form. Furthermore, at the time of taking office, each candidate must be a resident of the apportioned area he or she is elected to represent.[5] Candidates must also be 18 years old and citizens of the United States. Unless pardoned, those who have been convicted of a felony are not eligible for election to office in Wisconsin.[6]
Candidates had between December 1, 2014, and January 6, 2015, to collect between 100 and 200 signatures for their nomination papers. The signatures had to come from residents of the district that the candidate sought election to represent, but the petition circulators were not required to reside in the district or municipality. Circulators were required to be U.S. citizens and 18 years or older.[7]
Residents could register to vote in the election at the polling place on the election day. Proof of residence was required when registering to vote.[8] In March 2015, the United States Supreme Court declined to hear a challenge to Wisconsin's voter ID law allowing it to take effect. However, Wisconsin officials stated they would not enforce the law until after the election on April 7, 2015. No photo identification was required to vote in this election.[9]
Elections
2015
Candidates
At-large
- Kathryn P. Duax
- Incumbent
- Graduate, Austin College, University of Minnesota and University of Iowa
- Retired music professor
- Joe Luginbill
- Business executive
- Former student representative, Eau Claire Area School Board
Election results
Incumbent Kathryn P. Duax and candidate Joe Luginbill were both elected without opposition.
Endorsements
There were no official endorsements in this race.
Campaign finance
Candidates were only required to file campaign finance reports if they did one of the following:
- accepted contributions, made disbursements or incurred obligations in an aggregate amount of more than $1,000 in a calendar year
- accepted more than $100 from a single source in the calendar year, except contributions made by candidates to their own campaigns
Past elections
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What was at stake?
2015
Issues in the district
District opens healthcare clinic for employees
In December 2014, the Eau Claire Area School District opened the Marshfield Clinic Clairemont Center, a healthcare clinic for employees, retirees of the district and their families. The initiative to start the clinic was aimed at lowering health insurance rates, which is a significant portion of the district's budget. After a year of planning and collaborating with Marshfield Clinic and Security Health Plan, primary care, which includes exams, x-rays and blood work, is available for employees with no out-of-pocket expenses. The district estimates that the clinic has cut health insurance costs by 15 percent.[10]
Contract negotiations accepted by many, rejected by one
The Eau Claire Association of Educators ratified their 2014-2015 proposed contracts from the district on December 1, 2014, but the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 560, which includes employees of the district's buildings and grounds department, rejected their proposed contracts. The contract for teachers included a $545 increase in annual earnings. That increase mirrored a similar wage increase for non-union staff, such as administrators, principals and teachers aides. Food and nutrition staff also agreed to their proposed contracts, accepting an additional 19 cents per hour.
According to Michael Turner, Local 560's president, the buildings and grounds department rejected their proposed contracts because there was no base wage adjustment. Wisconsin's Act 10 prohibits unions from negotiating over anything except base wage adjustments. Though the contract mentioned the possibility of bonuses, that cannot be negotiated.
Rich Spindler, the district's board president, said the board will continue negotiations with Local 560.[11]
Veteran's Day program canceled over 21-gun salute
The Eau Claire Area School District canceled its annual Veteran's Day program with the Eau Claire Patriotic Council, a local veterans group, for the 2014-2015 school year due to the group's traditional 21-gun salute. The program had been put on every year for 80 years prior to the cancelation.[12]
District administrators said they had received complaints from parents and did not feel that firing guns on campus, even with blanks, was appropriate given the number of school shootings that had occurred in recent years. Because the district and the Eau Claire Patriotic Council could not agree on an alternative to the 21-gun salute, the program was moved outside of district property to a Burger King parking lot.[12]
Key deadlines
The following were key deadlines for the Eau Claire Area School District election in 2015:[7][13]
| Deadline | Event |
|---|---|
| December 1, 2014 | Candidate signature gathering period began |
| January 6, 2015 | Signature submission deadline at 5 p.m. |
| February 9, 2015 | Campaign finance report due |
| February 17, 2015 | Primary election day |
| March 30, 2015 | Campaign finance report due |
| April 7, 2015 | Election Day |
Additional elections on the ballot
- See also: Wisconsin elections, 2015
One seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court and five district seats on the Eau Claire City Council were up for election on April 7, 2015.[14] Statewide, a constitutional amendment question regarding the selection of the state's supreme court chief justice was on the ballot.
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term "Eau + Claire + Area + School + District + Wisconsin"
See also
| Eau Claire Area School District | Wisconsin | School Boards |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Abbey Smith, "Phone communication with the Eau Claire Area School District Office of the Superintendent," January 7, 2015
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 United States Census Bureau, "Eau Claire County, Wisconsin," accessed September 9, 2014
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "ELSI Table Generator," accessed January 27, 2014
- ↑ Eau Claire County Clerk, "Election Results," accessed February 7, 2014
- ↑ Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, "Wisconsin Candidate Eligibility," accessed September 22, 2014
- ↑ Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, "Candidates: Getting on the Ballot," accessed September 22, 2014
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Wisconsin State Legislature, "State Statutes: CHAPTER 8," accessed September 22, 2014
- ↑ Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, "Voter Registration," accessed September 22, 2014
- ↑ The New York Times, "Wisconsin Decides Not to Enforce Voter ID Law," March 23, 2015
- ↑ WQOW 18, "Eau Claire Area School District establishes clinic for employees," December 3, 2014
- ↑ Leader-Telegram, "Eau Claire teachers OK contract; one union rejects deal," December 1, 2014
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Red Alert Politics, "Wisconsin school district cancels Veterans Day program over 21-gun salute," November 11, 2014
- ↑ Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, "CAMPAIGN FINANCE REPORT DATES," accessed September 22, 2014
- ↑ City of Eau Claire, "2015 Spring Election," accessed January 12, 2015
| 2015 Eau Claire Area School District Elections | |
| Eau Claire County, Wisconsin | |
| Election date: | General election - April 7, 2015 |
| Candidates: | At-large: • Incumbent, Kathryn P. Duax • Joe Luginbill |
| Important information: | What was at stake? • Key deadlines • Additional elections on the ballot |
