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Tyler Independent School District elections (2015)
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Tyler Independent School District Smith County, Texas ballot measures Local ballot measures, Texas |
Two seats on the Tyler Independent School District Board of Trustees were up for election on May 9, 2015. The candidate filing deadline for this election was February 27, 2015.[1]
District 5 incumbent Barbara Smith faced challenger Aaron Martinez in the election, while District 7 incumbent J.A. Bergfeld won re-election unopposed.[2]
Martinez defeated Smith for the District 5 seat.[3]
About the district
- See also: Tyler Independent School District, Texas
Tyler Independent School District is located in Smith County in northeastern Texas. The county seat is Tyler. An estimated 216,080 residents lived in the county in 2013, according to the United States Census Bureau.[4] In the 2011-2012 school year, Tyler Independent School District was the 63rd-largest school district in Texas, serving 18,393 students.[5]
Demographics
In 2013, Smith County underperformed in comparison to the rest of Texas in terms of higher education attainment and median household income, while outperforming the state as a whole in terms of poverty rate. The United States Census Bureau found 24.5 percent of county residents over 25 years old held undergraduate degrees compared to a 26.7 percent statewide. Smith County had a median household income of $47,432, compared to $51,900 for Texas as a whole. The poverty rate for the county was 16.7 percent in comparison to whole state at 17.6 percent.[4]
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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 Tyler Board of Trustees consists of seven members who are elected by geographic district. They serve three-year terms. There was no primary election, and the general election was held May 9, 2015.[1]
A member of the board must be 18 years old, a U.S. citizen and a resident of the district. An individual seeking office must be a resident of the state for 12 months and a resident of the district for six months, prior to the last date on which the candidate could file to be listed on the ballot.[7]
Elections
2015
Candidates
District 5
- Barbara Smith
- Incumbent
- Aaron Martinez
District 7
- J.A. Bergfeld
- Incumbent
District map
Election results
District 5
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District 7Incumbent J.A. Bergfeld won re-election without opposition. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Endorsements
District 5 incumbent Barbara Smith was endorsed by fellow board member Marty Dunbar, the District 6 trustee.[8] Former trustee Eleno Licea and Rabbi Neil Katz also endorsed Smith for re-election.[9][10]
Both Smith and her opponent, Aaron Martinez, were praised by the Tyler Morning Telegraph. The paper did not ultimately endorse one over the other, but said instead, "We should celebrate the fact that two outstanding candidates are vying for the same position — though it seems a shame we can’t vote for both of them. So voters must choose, between high-level experience in education on one hand, or the perspective of an involved parent on the other hand."[11]
Campaign finance
No contributions or expenditures were reported as of April 9, 2015, according to the Texas Ethics Commission.[12] The next filing deadline was May 1, 2015.
Texas school board candidates and officeholders must file semiannual reports, which were due on January 15, 2015, and July 15, 2015. In addition, candidates in contested elections were required to file 30-day and 8-day pre-election reports, unless the candidate chose modified reporting.[13]
Candidates in contested elections who did not intend to exceed $500 in contributions or expenditures, excepting filing fees, were eligible for modified reporting. If they exceeded the threshold before the 30th day prior to the election, candidates were required to submit the 30- and 8-day reports. If they exceeded the threshold after the 30th day prior to the election, they were required to file a report within 48 hours of exceeding the threshold and participate in regular reporting for the rest of the election cycle.[14]
Past elections
Information about earlier elections can be found by clicking [show] at the right. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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2014District 2
District 4Patricia Nation won election to the District 4 seat without opposition. District 5
2013The 2013 Board of Trustee’s election was canceled due to a lack of opposed races. R. Wade Washmon, Jean Washington and Mary M. Dunbar were elected as unopposed candidates on March 7, 2013, to their respective District 1, 3 and 6 seats.[2] 2012The 2012 Board of Trustee’s election was canceled due to a lack of opposed races. Brad Spradlin and J.A. Bergfeld were elected as unopposed candidates on March 22, 2012, to their respective District 5 and 7 seats.[2] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
What was at stake?
2015
Issues in the district
Early college program
The district was set to embark on its new early college program with the 2015-2016 school year. The program allows high school students to earn college credit and even associate degrees from Tyler Junior College, which agreed to waive tuition for all students who enroll in the program.[15]
Ninth and 10th grade students who enroll in the program attend classes at a district facility, the A.T. Stewart Building, but 11th and 12th graders attend the junior college campus. All students are required to take Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) classes to prepare them for college coursework and studying. The 2015-2016 school year initiated the first group of ninth graders to participate in the program. The planned full enrollment for the program is 400 to 500 students.[15]
Bond refinancing
The Tyler ISD Board of Trustees approved the refinancing of its outstanding $50.7 million in bonds on February 19, 2015. Prior to the authorization, the bonds were financed at an average rate of 4.87 percent, but the district's bond counsel, RBC Capital Markets, told the board that they could be reduced to a rate of 2.62 percent as of that date. The savings to taxpayers due to the refinancing adds up to $4.8 million.[16]
Key deadlines
The following dates were key deadlines for Texas school board elections in May 2015:[1][13]
| Deadline | Event |
|---|---|
| January 28, 2015 | First day to file paperwork for ballot placement |
| February 27, 2015 | Last day to file paperwork for ballot placement |
| March 4, 2015 | Last day to withdraw from ballot |
| April 9, 2015 | Last day for voter registration with county clerk |
| Campaign finance report due | |
| April 27, 2015- May 5, 2015 |
Early in-person voting period |
| April 30, 2015 | Last day to request mailed ballot from county clerk |
| May 1, 2015 | Campaign finance report due |
| May 9, 2015 | Election Day |
| May 20, 2015 | Final day for canvassing of votes |
| July 15, 2015 | Campaign finance report due |
Additional elections on the ballot
- See also: Texas elections, 2015
In addition to these school trustee positions, municipal offices were also up for election on May 9, 2015.
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term "Tyler + Independent + School + District + Texas"
See also
| Tyler Independent School District | Texas | School Boards |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Texas Secretary of State, "May 9, 2015 Election Law Calendar," accessed January 21, 2015
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Margaret Koenig, "Email correspondence with Rosa Miranda Smith, Tyler ISD Records Management/Public Information Officer," March 4, 2015
- ↑ Smith County, Texas, "Smith County Election Results," accessed May 9, 2015
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 United States Census Bureau, "Quick Facts: Smith County," accessed January 21, 2015
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "ELSI Table Generator," accessed April 22, 2014
- ↑ Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections, "Presidential General Election Results Comparison - Texas," accessed January 21, 2015
- ↑ Tyler Independent School District, "Board Member Qualifications," accessed April 8, 2014
- ↑ Facebook, "Barbara Smith For TISD School Board: Timeline photos," April 10, 2015
- ↑ Facebook, "Barbara Smith For TISD School Board: Timeline photos," April 25, 2015
- ↑ Facebook, "Barbara Smith For TISD School Board: Mobile Uploads," April 27, 2015
- ↑ Tyler Morning Telegraph, "Sellers has earned our endorsement," April 25, 2015
- ↑ Texas Ethics Commission, "Search Campaign Finance Reports," accessed April 10, 2015
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Texas Ethics Commission, "2015 Filing Schedule for Elections Held on Uniform Election Dates," accessed January 21, 2015
- ↑ Texas Ethics Commission, "Campaign Finance Guide for Candidates and Officeholders Who File with Local Filing Authorities," September 1, 2013
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Tyler Morning Telegraph, "Tyler ISD early-college grads could also receive associate degrees," February 16, 2015
- ↑ Tyler Morning Telegraph, "Tyler ISD trustees OK bond refinancing plan," February 19, 2015
| 2015 Tyler Independent School District Elections | |
| Smith County, Texas | |
| Election date: | May 9, 2015 |
| Candidates: | District 5: Incumbent, Barbara Smith • Aaron Martinez
District 7: Incumbent, J.A. Bergfeld |
| Important information: | What was at stake? • Key deadlines • Additional elections on the ballot |