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Kalamazoo Public School District elections (2016)
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Two of the seven seats on the Kalamazoo Board of Education were up for general election on November 8, 2016. Incumbent Jennie Hill filed for re-election, while fellow board member Martha Warfield opted against seeking a new term. Hill faced challengers Maria Basnak, Lauren Freedman, Jesse Herron, Paul Marquardt, and George White. Hill and Freedman defeated Basnak, Marquardt, White, and Herron.[1] Find out how Kalamazoo's school board races stack up with other Michigan school districts here. The candidates' views on issues facing the district were compared in this table.
Elections
Voter and candidate information
The Kalamazoo Board of Education consists of seven members elected at large to six-year terms. Michigan school board candidates had to file with their county elections department during the candidate filing period, which concluded on July 26, 2016. The deadline to withdraw from the election was July 29, 2016. Candidates needed to submit nominating petitions with signatures from district residents or $100 non-refundable deposits to reach the ballot. The deadline for voters to register for the election was October 11, 2016.[2]
Candidates and results
At-large
Results
| Kalamazoo Public School District, At-Large General Election, 6-year terms, 2016 |
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| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Jennie Hill Incumbent |
23.89% | 12,910 |
| Lauren Freedman |
21.72% | 11,734 |
| Maria Basnak | 15.04% | 8,128 |
| Paul Marquardt | 13.28% | 7,174 |
| George White | 13.17% | 7,114 |
| Jesse Herron | 12.90% | 6,970 |
| Total Votes | 54,030 | |
| Source: Election Magic, "Kalamazoo County Election Returns," accessed December 14, 2016 | ||
Candidates
Jennie Hill 
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Maria Basnak | Lauren Freedman
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| Jesse Herron | Paul Marquardt | George White | |||
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Additional elections
- See also: Michigan elections, 2016
School board elections in Michigan shared the ballot with races for president of the United States, U.S. House, state legislature, state courts, and local courts.
Key deadlines
The following dates were key deadlines for Michigan school board elections in 2016:[3]
| Deadline | Event |
|---|---|
| July 26, 2016 | Candidate filing deadline |
| July 29, 2016 | Deadline for candidates to withdraw from ballot |
| October 11, 2016 | Voter registration deadline for general election |
| October 28, 2016 | Pre-election campaign finance reporting deadline |
| November 8, 2016 | General election |
| December 8, 2016 | Post-election campaign finance reporting deadline |
Endorsements
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
School board candidates in Michigan were required to file pre-election campaign finance reports with their county election offices by October 28, 2016. Post-election reports were due by December 8, 2016.[3]
In Michigan, candidates are prohibited from receiving contributions from corporations or labor organizations. Within 10 days of becoming a candidate, candidates must form a candidate committee. Following the creation of the committee, candidates have an additional 10 days to register the committee with the school district filing official by filing a statement of organization. A candidate committee that does not expect to receive or spend more than $1,000 during the election cycle is eligible to receive a reporting waiver, which allows that committee not to file pre-election, post-election, and annual campaign statements.[4]
October 28 filing
Candidates received a total of $4,075.00 and spent a total of $3,632.48 as of October 30, 2016, according to the Kalamazoo County Clerk/Register.[5]
| Candidate | Contributions | Expenditures | Cash on hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jennie Hill (incumbent) | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Maria Bosnak | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Lauren Freedman | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Jesse Herron | $4,075.00 | $3,632.48 | $442.52 |
| Paul Marquardt | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| George White | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
Past elections
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What was at stake?
Election trends
Kalamazoo's 2016 school board elections featured more candidates per seat than the district's 2014 elections. Voters in the Kalamazoo Public School District saw three candidates per seat up for election in 2016, while the 2014 ballot featured 1.25 candidates per seat. The district's 2016 elections surpassed the 2.3 candidates per seat average for all Michigan school board elections covered by Ballotpedia. Kalamazoo's 1.25 candidates per seat in 2014 fell below the 2.09 candidates per seat for Michigan districts in Ballotpedia's coverage. The following table compares candidates per seat in 2014 and 2016 for school board elections covered by Ballotpedia in Michigan and the United States:
Comparing candidate positions
All six candidates for Kalamazoo school board in 2016 answered questions for the voter guide assembled by MLive.com. The following table compares the candidates' answers to the question "What is the most pressing issue for this office?"
| Position summaries for school board candidates | ||
|---|---|---|
| Jennie Hill | Maria Basnak | Lauren Freedman |
| "The most pressing issue is to secure adequate state funding and make sure that our spending produces the greatest results for our students. Other than millage requests, which voters in the KPS School District regularly support, almost all funding comes from the State of Michigan. Yet, in real terms, state funding has declined since at least 2008. By its own recent study, the state is underfunding K-12 education, especially school districts with high percentages of at-risk students like KPS. Special needs populations require additional resources. I will continue to strongly advocate and work with our state legislators to improve state funding for our children."[6] | "Ensuring the success of all students and creating pathways for students who decide not to enter college."[6] | "Providing teachers with the conditions and support they need to educate each student in their classroom such as lower class sizes, an adequate number of counselors/social workers in each school to work with students and teachers, and less emphasis on standardized testing."[6] |
| Jesse Herron | Paul Marquardt | George White |
| "The main issue for this office is securing the needed funding to educate and advance our students towards excellence in education, that will be competitive with the world standards. We must effectively utilize and direct our resources for maximum student achievement, at the same time, seek appropriate funding for reduced class sizes, better technology for our students and teachers, and greater funding for early childhood education."[6] | "The schools have been doing their best to patch the system with special schools, classes, and programs with only marginal success. Like a scientific theory with exceptions mounting, we need to find a better way of educating. Continuing cognitive research and advancements in technology offer the possibility of more individualized education presented in ways that engage each student. As a board member I will work to find more effective approaches with out-of-the-box thinking and determination, unwilling to accept “we can’t do that” but instead “HOW can we do it”."[6] | "Creating a environment of cooperation between teachers, administrators and the school board that will set the example for students/parents to follow. Cooperation that will lead to more creative ways of engaging students in matters of cultural diversity of learning, problem solving through a restorative justice model, and respect for others!"[6] |
Candidate survey
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Ballotpedia invites school board candidates to participate in its annual survey. |
About the district
Kalamazoo Public School District is located in southwestern Michigan in Kalamazoo County. The county seat is Kalamazoo. Kalamazoo County was home to 260,263 residents in 2015, according to the United States Census Bureau.[7] The district was the 13th-largest school district in the state in the 2013–2014 school year and served 12,466 students.[8]
Demographics
Kalamazoo County outperformed the rest of Michigan in terms of higher education achievement from 2010 to 2014. The United States Census Bureau found that 34.4 percent of county residents aged 25 years and older had attained a bachelor's degree, compared to 26.4 percent of state residents. The median household income for the county was $46,356, compared to $49,087 for the state. The percentage of people below poverty level for the county was 19.1 percent compared to 16.8 percent for the state.[7]
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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 'Kalamazoo Public School District' 'Michigan'. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
| Kalamazoo Public School District | Michigan | School Boards |
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External links
- Kalamazoo Public School District
- Kalamazoo County, Michigan
- Kalamazoo County Clerk
- Michigan Department of Education
- Michigan Association of School Boards
Footnotes
- ↑ Nick Katers, "Email exchange with Kalamazoo City Clerk," July 27, 2016
- ↑ Wayne County Clerk, "Elections Division-Voter and Candidate Information," accessed August 1, 2016
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Michigan Bureau of Elections, "2016 and 2017 Campaign Finance Filing Schedule," January 12, 2016
- ↑ Genesee County, "Filing Requirements under Michigan's Campaign Finance Act," February 7, 2014
- ↑ Kalamazoo County Clerk/Register, "Kalamazoo County Campaign Finance Information," accessed October 30, 2016
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 MLive.com, "Voter Guide," accessed October 17, 2016
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 United States Census Bureau, "Kalamazoo County, Michigan," accessed September 25, 2015
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "ELSI Table Generator," accessed November 16, 2015
- ↑ Secretary of State - Department of State, "Previous Election Information," accessed August 1, 2014
| 2016 Kalamazoo Public School District Elections | |
| Kalamazoo County, Michigan | |
| Election date: | November 8, 2016 |
| Candidates: | At-large: Incumbent, Jennie Hill • Maria Basnak • Lauren Freedman • Jesse Herron • Paul Marquardt • George White |
| Important information: | What was at stake? |
