Pinellas County Schools elections (2016)

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← 2014
Pinellas County Schools Elections
Primary election date:
August 30, 2016
General election date:
November 8, 2016
Enrollment (13–14):
103,411 students

The Pinellas County school board was under critical examination after an investigation of the board and district—titled "Failure Factories"—was published in 2015. According to the report, five elementary schools in the district produced students who were failing standardized tests. Eight in 10 students failed reading and nine in 10 failed math, according to the scores available when the report was released. The investigation tied the scores to a 2007 decision the board made to effectively segregate the district's schools, and the report triggered a still-in-progress civil rights investigation by the U.S. Department of Education.

Three of the board members who voted for the de-integration plan still sat on the board in 2016: Peggy O'Shea, Linda Lerner, and Carol Cook. These incumbents were re-elected to the board multiple times, exemplifying the 100 percent incumbency success rate the district saw from 1998 to 2014. Cook filed for re-election in District 5 and successfully defended her spot on the board against Michael Petruccelli and Eliseo Santana in the race for the seat. O'Shea's and Lerner's seats weren't up for election until 2018.

---

One of the seven seats on the Pinellas County school board was up for by-district general election, and one was up for at-large general election on November 8, 2016. Four newcomers filed in the race for the at-large District 1 seat: Robert Beal, Bill Dudley, Joanne Lentino, and Matt Stewart. A primary election was held on August 30, 2016, in which Lentino and Stewart were the top two vote-getters. Since neither received more than 50 percent of the vote, they both advanced to the general election. Lentino won the general election. In District 5, Cook and Santana both advanced from the primary to the general, leaving Petruccelli behind. Cook was successful in securing another term on the board. The seat of incumbent Ken Peluso was also on the primary ballot. He filed for re-election to the District 4 seat and was joined on the ballot by newcomer Eileen Long. She was successful in unseating the incumbent and won outright by receiving a majority of the vote.

Florida school board elections function differently than elections of this kind in most states. Primary elections for Florida school boards were held on August 30, 2016, though these primaries are functionally general elections. A general election was held on November 8, 2016, between the top two vote recipients in any race where no candidate receives the majority of votes. Unopposed elections were canceled and did not appear on the ballot. Special elections were held in conjunction with some general elections to fill vacancies.

This election was one of Ballotpedia's top 10 local-level races in 2016. Click here to read the full list.

Elections

Voter and candidate information

The Pinellas County school board consists of seven members elected to four-year terms. Three members represent the entire county, and four members are elected to specific geographic districts. There was a primary election on August 30, 2016, and a general election was scheduled on November 8, 2016.

Candidates for the school board had to file for the election by June 24, 2016. To run in this election, candidates had to be registered voters in Florida. Candidates running for by-district election had to reside in the district for which they decided to run, and at-large candidates had to reside in Pinellas County at the time of qualifying. Candidates also had to pay a fee of $1,688.88 or choose to gather a specific number of valid signatures (6,237 signatures for an at-large district, 1,688 signatures for District 4, and 1,451 for District 5). The qualifying fee was determined by calculating 4 percent of a board member's salary as of July 1, 2015—that is, 4 percent of $42,222. The number of collected signatures was found by taking 1 percent of Pinellas County's registered voters as of the last general election in November 2014.

At-Large District 1

General results

Pinellas County Schools, At-Large District 1 General Election, 4-year term, 2016
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Joanne Lentino	55.98%	222,119
Matt Stewart	44.02%	174,676
Total Votes (100)		396,795
Source: Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections, "Official Results," accessed November 30, 2016

Primary results

Pinellas County Schools, At-Large District 1 Primary Election, 4-year term, 2016
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Joanne Lentino	32.29%	48,944
Matt Stewart	30.26%	45,871
Bill Dudley	29.25%	44,340
Robert Beal	8.19%	12,412
Total Votes		151,567
Source: Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections, "Official Results," accessed November 30, 2016

Candidates

Joanne Lentino		Matt Stewart
	Retired teacher Worked for Las Vegas Cultural Affairs Division		Worked for educational organizations Deputy director for Hillsborough Supervisor of Elections

Defeated in primary

Robert Beal		Bill Dudley
	St. Petersburg College student Member of U.S. Marines		Retired teacher Former St. Petersburg City Council member

District 4

Results

Pinellas County Schools, District 4 Primary Election, 4-year term, 2016
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Eileen Long	51.07%	20,812
Ken Peluso Incumbent	48.93%	19,936
Total Votes		40,748
Source: Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections, "Official Results," accessed November 30, 2016

Candidates

Ken Peluso		Eileen Long
	Incumbent Retired owner of Peluso Chiropractic		Teacher for 33 years Member of the League of Women Voters of North Pinellas County

District 5

General results

Pinellas County Schools, District 5 General Election, 4-year term, 2016
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Carol Cook Incumbent	64.95%	59,696
Eliseo Santana	35.05%	32,216
Total Votes (100)		91,912
Source: Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections, "Official Results," accessed November 30, 2016

Primary results

Pinellas County Schools, District 5 Primary Election, 4-year term, 2016
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Carol Cook Incumbent	48.22%	16,362
Eliseo Santana	26.65%	9,043
Michael Petruccelli	25.12%	8,524
Total Votes		33,929
Source: Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections, "Official Results," accessed November 30, 2016

Candidates

Carol Cook		Eliseo Santana
	Incumbent Retired teacher Served on the Florida School Boards Association Board of Directors		Retired communications maintenance supervisor

Defeated in primary

Michael Petruccelli
	Real estate and insurance broker Indian Shores town councilman

Additional elections on the ballot

See also: Florida elections, 2016

The following federal and state offices shared the primary, general, or both election dates with school board elections:

• President
• U.S. Senate
• U.S. House
• State Senate
• State House
• State Attorney
• Public Defender
• State Supreme Court
• District Court of Appeal

One state ballot measure appeared on the primary ballot.

The following local offices shared primary, general, or both election dates with school board elections:

• County Judge
• Sheriff
• Property Appraiser
• Tax Collector
• Supervisor of Elections
• Board of County Commissioners
• East Lake Tarpon Special Fire Control District
• Lealman Special Fire Control District
• Palm Harbor Special Fire Control & Rescue District
• Pinellas Suncoast Fire & Rescue District
• Eastlake Oaks Community Development District

There was also a special bond referendum on the general ballot in Pinellas County. The bond was a continuation of a half-a-million dollar property tax first approved by voters in 2004, and again in 2008 and 2012. A "yes" vote would have approved a one-half million dollar per-year property tax for 2017 through 2021.

The question read as follows: "Shall the Pinellas County School District ad valorem millage of one-half mill per year be continued beginning July 1, 2017 and ending four fiscal years later on June 30, 2021, for necessary operating expenses including funds to recruit and retain teachers; preserve reading programs and music and art classes; and provide up-to-date textbooks and technology, with oversight of these expenditures by an independent citizens financial oversight committee?"

Lastly, six proposed amendments to the Pinellas County charter appeared on the general ballot.

Key deadlines

The following dates were key deadlines for this Florida election in 2016:

Deadline	Event
June 24, 2016	Last day to file nominating petitions
August 1, 2016	Primary election voter registration deadline
August 20-27, 2016	Primary election early voting period
August 30, 2016	Primary election day
October 11, 2016	General election voter registration deadline
October 29-November 5, 2016	General election early voting period
November 8, 2016	General election day

Endorsements

In At-Large District 1, a double endorsement was given by the Pinellas Classroom Teachers Association (PCTA) to both Joanne Lentino and Matt Stewart. It was given to both because after the union's committee met, they could not decide between the two candidates, and so they endorsed both.

Also in At-Large District 1, Matt Stewart was endorsed by the Tampa Bay Times, Pinellas County Commissioner Charlie Justice, Clerk of Court Ken Burke, and Tax Collector Diane Nelson. Joanne Lentino was endorsed by former District 1 candidate Bill Dudley, the St. Petersburg Association of Firefighters Local 747, and the Florida service employees union.

In District 4, Eileen Long was endorsed by the PCTA and the Tampa Bay Times.

In District 5, Eliseo Santana was endorsed by the PCTA, the Pinellas Educational Support Professionals Association (PESPA), the West Central Florida Federation of Labor (WCFFL), 5 Star Youth Empowerment, the National Organization for Women (NOW), and the Tampa Bay Times.

Do you know of an official or organization that endorsed a candidate in this race? Let Ballotpedia know by email at [email protected].

Campaign finance

See also: List of school board campaign finance deadlines in 2016

Reports

Note: Primary candidate campaign finance reports were accessed on July 27, 2016, and general candidate reports were updated on October 10, 2016.

At-Large District 1 general candidates

Candidate	Contributions	Expenditures	Cash on hand
Joanne Lentino	$31,837.00	$18,305.75	$13,531.25
Matt Stewart	$29,190.00	$25,793.71	$3,396.29

At-Large District 1 candidates defeated in primary

Candidate	Contributions	Expenditures	Cash on hand
Robert Beal	$2,400.00	$2,079.05	$320.95
Bill Dudley	$20,630.00	$4,783.38	$15,846.62

District 4

Candidate	Contributions	Expenditures	Cash on hand
Eileen Long	$7,853.30	$7,437.56	$415.74
Ken Peluso	$26,525.00	$3,153.21	$23,371.79

District 5 general candidates

Candidate	Contributions	Expenditures	Cash on hand
Carol Cook	$23,725.74	$15,400.94	$8,324.80
Eliseo Santana	$22,131.00	$19,401.76	$2,729.24

District 5 candidates defeated in primary

Candidate	Contributions	Expenditures	Cash on hand
Michael Petruccelli	$8,925.00	$4,296.30	$4,628.70

Past elections

Information about earlier elections can be found by clicking [show] at the right.

2014 See also: Pinellas County Schools elections (2014) District 4: Special runoff Pinellas County Schools, District 4 Special Runoff Election, 2-year unexpired term, 2014 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Nonpartisan Ken Peluso 50.4% 42,089      Nonpartisan Beverley Billiris 49.6% 41,398 Total Votes 83,487 Source: Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections, "Official Results," accessed December 22, 2014 District 7: Runoff Pinellas County Schools, District 7 Runoff Election, 4-year term, 2014 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Nonpartisan Rene Flowers Incumbent 96% 64,245      Nonpartisan Irene Olive Cates (write-in) 4% 2,645 Total Votes 66,890 Source: Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections, "Official Results," accessed December 22, 2014 District 2: General Pinellas County Schools, District 2 General Election, 4-year term, 2014 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Nonpartisan Terry B. Krassner Incumbent 71.1% 89,676      Nonpartisan Chris Tauchnitz 28.9% 36,411 Total Votes 126,087 Source: Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections, "2014 Primary Election Official Results," August 29, 2014 District 3: General Pinellas County Schools, District 3 Special Election, 2-year unexpired term, 2014 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Nonpartisan Peggy O'Shea Incumbent 65.4% 83,926      Nonpartisan Kent "Kip" A. Curtis 34.6% 44,393 Total Votes 128,319 Source: Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections, "2014 Primary Election Official Results," August 29, 2014 District 4: Special Pinellas County Schools, District 4 General Election, 4-year term, 2014 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Nonpartisan Ken Peluso 47.7% 17,347      Nonpartisan Beverley Billiris 39.4% 14,340      Nonpartisan John H. Nygren 12.8% 4,670 Total Votes 36,357 Source: Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections, "2014 Primary Election Official Results," August 29, 2014 District 6: General Pinellas County Schools, District 6 General Election, 4-year term, 2014 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Nonpartisan Linda Lerner Incumbent 55.2% 19,916      Nonpartisan Maureen Ahern 44.8% 16,188 Total Votes 36,104 Source: Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections, "2014 Primary Election Official Results," August 29, 2014 District 7: General No general election was held for the District 7 seat because the only challenger to incumbent René Flowers was write-in candidate Irene Olive Cates. The election between Flowers and Cates was held November 4, 2014. Flowers won re-election to the seat. 2012 Runoff election Pinellas County Schools, District 1 At-Large Runoff Election, 4-year term, 2010 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Nonpartisan Janet R. Clark Incumbent 65.6% 247,060      Nonpartisan Elliot Stern 34.4% 129,310 Total Votes 376,370 Source: Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections, "General Election, November 6, 2012, Official Results," November 16, 2012 Pinellas County Schools, District 7 Runoff Election, 4-year term, 2010 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Nonpartisan René Flowers 77.4% 71,398      Nonpartisan Glenton "Glen" Gilzean 22.6% 20,831 Total Votes 92,229 Source: Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections, "General Election, November 6, 2012, Official Results," November 16, 2012 General election Pinellas County Schools, District 1 At-Large General Election, 4-year term, 2010 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Nonpartisan Janet R. Clark Incumbent 34.5% 43,385      Nonpartisan Elliot Stern 25.8% 32,431      Nonpartisan Shelly Ladd-Gilbert 21.3% 26,815      Nonpartisan Jim Jackson 18.3% 23,053 Total Votes 125,684 Source: Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections, "Primary Election, August 14, 2012, Official Results," August 17, 2012 Pinellas County Schools, District 7 General Election, 4-year term, 2010 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Nonpartisan René Flowers 47.9% 13,851      Nonpartisan Glenton "Glen" Gilzean 15.7% 4,550      Nonpartisan Corey Givens, Jr. 14.3% 4,130      Nonpartisan Cassandra Jackson 11.7% 3,371      Nonpartisan Keisha Bell 10.4% 3,021 Total Votes 28,923 Source: Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections, "Primary Election, August 14, 2012, Official Results," August 17, 2012 2010 Runoff election Pinellas County Schools, District 7 Runoff Election, 4-year term, 2010 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Nonpartisan Lewis "Lew" Williams 52.5% 28,423      Nonpartisan James "Jim" Jackson 47.5% 25,724 Total Votes 54,147 Source: Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections, "Primary Election, November 2, 2010, Official Results," November 12, 2010 General election Pinellas County Schools, District 2 At-Large General Election, 4-year term, 2010 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Nonpartisan Terry B. Krassner 69.1% 84,666      Nonpartisan Fonda Huff 30.9% 37,804 Total Votes 122,470 Source: Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections, "Primary Election, August 24, 2010, Official Results," November 17, 2010 Pinellas County Schools, District 3 At-Large General Election, 4-year term, 2010 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Nonpartisan Peggy O'Shea Incumbent 61.2% 76,012      Nonpartisan Greg Hunsinger 38.8% 48,167 Total Votes 124,179 Source: Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections, "Primary Election, August 24, 2010, Official Results," November 17, 2010 Pinellas County Schools, District 6 General Election, 4-year term, 2010 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Nonpartisan Linda Lerner Incumbent 59.9% 20,229      Nonpartisan Brian David Hawley 40.1% 13,538 Total Votes 33,767 Source: Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections, "Primary Election, August 24, 2010, Official Results," November 17, 2010 Pinellas County Schools, District 7 General Election, 4-year term, 2010 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Nonpartisan Lewis "Lew" Williams 39.5% 11,172      Nonpartisan James "Jim" Jackson 33.1% 9,377      Nonpartisan Keisha Bell 27.4% 7,746 Total Votes 28,295 Source: Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections, "Primary Election, August 24, 2010, Official Results," November 17, 2010 2008 Runoff election Pinellas County Schools, Member At-Large 1 Runoff Election, 4-year term, 2008 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Nonpartisan Janet R. Clark Incumbent 53.2% 194,828      Nonpartisan Jennifer S. Crockett 46.8% 171,146 Total Votes 365,974 Source: Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections, "General Election, November 4, 2008, Official Results," November 19, 2008 Pinellas County Schools, Member At-Large 2 Runoff Election, 4-year term, 2008 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Nonpartisan Nina Hayden 54% 198,161      Nonpartisan Sean Michael O'Flannery 46% 168,746 Total Votes 366,907 Source: Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections, "General Election, November 4, 2008, Official Results," November 19, 2008 Pinellas County Schools, Member At-Large 4 Runoff Election, 4-year term, 2008 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Nonpartisan Robin Wikle 51% 52,676      Nonpartisan Ken Peluso 49% 50,710 Total Votes 103,386 Source: Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections, "General Election, November 4, 2008, Official Results," November 19, 2008 General election Pinellas County Schools, Member At-Large 1 General Election, 4-year term, 2008 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Nonpartisan Janet R. Clark Incumbent 29.2% 21,052      Nonpartisan Jennifer S. Crockett 28.3% 20,426      Nonpartisan Grant Smith 24.1% 17,415      Nonpartisan Max Loden 18.4% 13,244 Total Votes 72,137 Source: Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections, "Primary Election, August 26, 2008, Official Results," September 4, 2008 Pinellas County Schools, Member At-Large 2 General Election, 4-year term, 2008 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Nonpartisan Nina Hayden 28.6% 20,492      Nonpartisan Sean Michael O'Flannery 25% 17,952      Nonpartisan Ron Walker 24.4% 17,474      Nonpartisan David Archie 12.8% 9,194      Nonpartisan Minnie Morris 9.2% 6,575 Total Votes 71,687 Source: Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections, "Primary Election, August 26, 2008, Official Results," September 4, 2008 Pinellas County Schools, Member At-Large 4 General Election, 4-year term, 2008 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Nonpartisan Robin Wikle 40.3% 8,041      Nonpartisan Ken Peluso 39.5% 7,887      Nonpartisan Chris Hardman 14.1% 2,812      Nonpartisan Steven Isbitts 6.1% 1,211 Total Votes 19,951 Source: Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections, "Primary Election, August 26, 2008, Official Results," September 4, 2008 2006 Runoff election Pinellas County Schools, District 7 Runoff Election, 4-year term, 2006 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Nonpartisan Mary Brown Incumbent 60.2% 32,601      Nonpartisan Jennifer S. Crockett 39.8% 21,527 Total Votes 54,128 Source: Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections, "November 7, 2006, General Election, Official Final Results," accessed August 25, 2014 Pinellas County Schools, Member At-Large 3 Runoff Election, 4-year term, 2006 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Nonpartisan Peggy O'Shea 58.7% 134,131      Nonpartisan Sean Michael O'Flannery 41.3% 94,531 Total Votes 228,662 Source: Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections, "November 7, 2006, General Election, Official Final Results," accessed August 25, 2014 General election Pinellas County Schools, District 6 General Election, 4-year term, 2006 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Nonpartisan Linda Lerner Incumbent 56.3% 16,687      Nonpartisan Jack Killingsworth 23.3% 6,920      Nonpartisan Carl Neumann 20.4% 6,038 Total Votes 29,645 Source: Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections, "September 5, 2006, Primary, Official Final Results," accessed August 25, 2014 Pinellas County Schools, District 7 General Election, 4-year term, 2006 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Nonpartisan Mary Brown Incumbent 47.6% 12,138      Nonpartisan Jennifer S. Crockett 22% 5,617      Nonpartisan Ray Tampa 18.6% 4,730      Nonpartisan Sheldon A. "Shelly" Schwartz 8% 2,048      Nonpartisan Minetha Morris 3.7% 945 Total Votes 25,478 Source: Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections, "September 5, 2006, Primary, Official Final Results," accessed August 25, 2014 Pinellas County Schools, Member At-Large 2 General Election, 4-year term, 2006 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Nonpartisan Nancy Bostock Incumbent 52.3% 56,074      Nonpartisan Mary Russell 25.5% 27,303      Nonpartisan Chris Hardman 22.2% 23,778 Total Votes 107,155 Source: Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections, "September 5, 2006, Primary, Official Final Results," accessed August 25, 2014 Pinellas County Schools, Member At-Large 3 General Election, 4-year term, 2006 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Nonpartisan Peggy O'Shea 38.9% 40,736      Nonpartisan Sean Michael O'Flannery 19.9% 20,839      Nonpartisan Lew Williams 19.7% 20,619      Nonpartisan Anne K. Scofield 15.4% 16,073      Nonpartisan Marti Folwell 6.1% 6,353 Total Votes 104,620 Source: Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections, "September 5, 2006, Primary, Official Final Results," accessed August 25, 2014 2004 Pinellas County Schools, District 1 At-Large General Election, 4-year term, 2004 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Nonpartisan Janet R. Clark 54.5% 64,594      Nonpartisan Lee Benjamin 45.5% 53,900 Total Votes 118,494 Source: Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections, "August 31, 2004, Primary, School Board Member District 1-At Large Statement of Vote," accessed August 25, 2014 Pinellas County Schools, District 1 At-Large General Election, 4-year term, 2004 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Nonpartisan Carol J. Cook Incumbent 67.3% 19,459      Nonpartisan Dave Baylor 32.7% 9,440 Total Votes 28,899 Source: Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections, "August 31, 2004, Primary, School Board Member District 5 Statement of Vote," accessed August 25, 2014 2002 Runoff election Pinellas County Schools, District 4 Runoff Election, 4-year term, 2002 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Nonpartisan Mary Brown 56.8% 166,192      Nonpartisan Tiffany Todd 43.2% 126,209 Total Votes 292,401 Source: Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections, "November 5, 2002, General Election," accessed August 25, 2014 General election Pinellas County Schools, At-Large General Election, 4-year term, 2002 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Nonpartisan Mary Russell 53% 74,077      Nonpartisan Max Gessner 47% 65,791 Total Votes 139,868 Source: Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections, "September 10, 2002, Primary Election," accessed August 25, 2014 Pinellas County Schools, District 2 General Election, 4-year term, 2002 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Nonpartisan Linda Lerner Incumbent 51.8% 72,351      Nonpartisan Richard L. Bennett 21.3% 29,725      Nonpartisan Marc B. Wilson 16.2% 22,626      Nonpartisan Michael Smith 10.7% 14,985 Total Votes 139,687 Source: Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections, "September 10, 2002, Primary Election," accessed August 25, 2014 Pinellas County Schools, District 4 General Election, 4-year term, 2002 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Nonpartisan Tiffany Todd 26.1% 36,424      Nonpartisan Mary Brown 24.7% 34,488      Nonpartisan Janice Starling 24.1% 33,593      Nonpartisan Mike Pachik 13.5% 18,869      Nonpartisan Matthew Patrick Sullivan, Sr. 11.6% 16,268 Total Votes 139,642 Source: Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections, "September 10, 2002, Primary Election," accessed August 25, 2014 Pinellas County Schools, District 5 General Election, 4-year term, 2002 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Nonpartisan Nancy Bostock Incumbent 63.8% 88,184      Nonpartisan Moses D. Holmes, Jr. 36.2% 49,949 Total Votes 138,133 Source: Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections, "September 10, 2002, Primary Election," accessed August 25, 2014 2000 Pinellas County Schools, District 1 General Election, 4-year term, 2000 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Nonpartisan Lee Benjamin 50.3% 49,180      Nonpartisan Ron Ogden 19% 18,600      Nonpartisan Arline "Artie" Lopes 16.2% 15,787      Nonpartisan Mike Guju 14.5% 14,178 Total Votes 97,745 Source: Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections, "School Board Member District 1 Statement of Vote 9/6/2000," accessed August 25, 2014 Pinellas County Schools, District 3 General Election, 4-year term, 2000 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Nonpartisan Carol J. Cook 56% 54,134      Nonpartisan David Archie 29.9% 28,954      Nonpartisan Peter F. Nehr 14.1% 13,594 Total Votes 96,682 Source: Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections, "School Board Member District 3 Statement of Vote 9/6/2000," accessed August 25, 2014 Pinellas County Schools, At-Large General Election, 4-year term, 2000 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Nonpartisan Jane Gallucci 52.3% 52,021      Nonpartisan Kenneth D. Fullerton 37.6% 37,369      Nonpartisan Dwight "Chimurenga" Waller 10.1% 9,997 Total Votes 99,387 Source: Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections, "School Board Member At Large Statement of Vote 9/6/2000," accessed August 25, 2014 1998 General election Pinellas County Schools, District 2 General Election, 4-year term, 1998 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Democratic Linda Lerner 51.6% 135,772      Republican Tom Robbins 48.4% 127,326 Total Votes 263,098 Pinellas County Schools, District 4 General Election, 4-year term, 1998 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Republican Tom Todd 53.5% 139,370      Democratic Adelle Vaughn-Jemison 46.5% 120,925 Total Votes 260,295 Pinellas County Schools, District 5 General Election, 4-year term, 1998 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Republican Nancy Bostock 52.2% 136,597      Democratic Mary Brown 47.8% 125,328 Total Votes 261,925 Republican primary Pinellas County Schools, At-large Primary Election, 4-year term, 1998 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Republican Max Gessner 64% 14,644      Republican Peggy O'Shea 36% 8,226 Total Votes 22,870 Pinellas County Schools, District 4 Primary Election, 4-year term, 1998 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Republican Tom Todd 57.8% 12,860      Republican Janet Carmello 42.2% 9,392 Total Votes 22,252 Pinellas County Schools, District 5 Primary Election, 4-year term, 1998 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Republican Nancy Bostock 60.1% 13,327      Republican Kenneth T. Welch 39.9% 8,863 Total Votes 22,190

What was at stake?

2016

Election trends

See also: School boards in session: opposition in 2015

The Pinellas school board is made up of seven members and has three or four seats up for election each year, unless there is a special election. In 2016, the district had three seats up for election. Between 1998 and 2016, the Pinellas board saw an average of 2.7 candidates run for election per seat. In 2016, an average of three candidates filed per seat: four candidates filed for one seat, two candidates for another, and three candidates for a third seat. This number is significantly higher than the candidate-per-seat average across the country (1.72), according to an analysis of 2015 school board elections.

From 1998 to 2014, the incumbency success rate in the district was 100 percent. In other words, each time an incumbent filed for re-election during that time period, he or she won an additional term on the board. The district's elections were changed from partisan to nonpartisan in 2000, with the last year partisan elections were held being 1998. That year, incumbent Linda Lerner filed as a Democrat and won election to the board. In 2016, she was still a member. In 2000, incumbent Carol Cook was first elected. Cook also still sat on the board in 2016. Peggy O'Shea won election to the Pinellas board in 2006 and remained a member in 2016.

Candidate forums

Tampa Bay Times

The Tampa Bay Times published a questionnaire featuring biographical information about the Pinellas school board candidates as well as questions and answers regarding issues in the district. The quotes below are highlights of the candidates' answers.

At-Large District 1

How would you rate the district's efforts to improve failing schools in south St. Petersburg?

Robert Beal: "The schools' efforts have been satisfactory, however an incentive should be given to encourage more parental involvement in the south St. Petersburg schools."

Bill Dudley: "Unsatisfactory. Earlier efforts to improve student performance have not been successful because the plan that was implemented did not have all of the stakeholders on the same page. A clear, well-defined vision complete with personnel, resources, funding and commitment from the School Board will improve the chances for success."

Joanne Lentino: "Unsatisfactory (from my experience as a first-grade teacher). The school district's efforts have fallen short. Making our schools better will be a huge undertaking and will take time."

Matt Stewart: "Unsatisfactory — When the series was printed, the district did not act with any haste to rectify the problem. We are a year later and have seen marginal improvements. ...I recommend the following changes to address the issues." Stewart went on to list "a longer school day, individual mentors for each child and tracking students' progress."

Do you agree or disagree with those who say the district isn't doing enough to ensure black children catch up to their peers?

Beal: "Agree. I would reinstate a program that ended in 2007 called On Campus Intervention Program. This program would be important because disadvantaged students are suspended more frequently." (Note: The Tampa Bay Times explained the intervention program "was designed to help students with reading and math skills, as opposed to staying home during a school suspension.")

Dudley: "Agree. I believe their concerns are justified. … These schools are receiving in excess of $1 million more than north county schools and they are receiving additional resources in the form of teaching aides and additional support staff. Is it enough? That will be answered when all of the achievement scores are posted."

Lentino: "Agree. The word 'spending' is key. Let's follow the budget. Where is the money going? Who is following the data? … Is the PCSB being forthright in the mandates that were set by the court? I think not, based on the short time I have attended the (Concerned Organization for the Quality Education of Black Students) meetings."

Stewart: "Agree. The Pinellas County school district has not directed enough money and resources to ensure that black students are on par with their peers in reading and math. A review of (those test scores) confirms the lack of funding has had an adverse effect on student achievement. Black students are not getting the support they need to perform well."

Do you agree or disagree that charter schools are being held accountable?

Beal: "I agree that charter schools are not being monitored properly or held accountable, as evidenced by the closing of Windsor Preparatory Academy." Beal added that he believed charter schools had seen questionable success at the national level and that more charter schools would take away needed money from public schools.

Dudley: "Disagree. Charter schools, when run properly, do offer parents a choice for the education of their child. … I find fault with our School Board for not doing a better job of overseeing these schools. Accountability is a very important part of how we justify the use of public funds."

Lentino: "Disagree. I believe from the reporting that the Tampa Bay Times has been doing, charter schools are not held accountable. It was explained that PCS do not receive enough funding to monitor charter activities. That may be right, but who set the monitoring up that way? The state."

Stewart: "Agree — The Pinellas County School Board has a responsibility to vet, approve and oversee charter schools. The board should take swift action when charter schools are not fiscally sound or meeting educational requirements."

District 4

How would you rate the performance of Superintendent Mike Grego?

Eileen Long: "Unsatisfactory." According to the Tampa Bay Times, Long pointed out that Superintendent Mike Grego had accepted a contract extension while annual teachers could be terminated without cause. Long said that Grego had a history of moving teachers at low-performing schools without waiting to properly gauge progress, adding that morale among teachers was very low.

Ken Peluso: "Satisfactory." According to the Tampa Bay Times, Peluso said he believed Grego had met his expectations, citing Grego's work to improve student achievement, manage finances responsibly, conduct himself in an ethical manner, and communicate well with staff and the community.

How would you rate the district's efforts to improve failing schools in south St. Petersburg?

Long: "Unsatisfactory." The Tampa Bay Times added, "Long says the district's plan hasn't been well articulated to the public. She says the district needs to sit down with the community and have real conversations. She would open day care at the schools and lower the teacher-to-student ratio."

Peluso: "Satisfactory." According to the Tampa Bay Times, "Peluso says the district is adapting national models to fit schools' needs, providing more money, more staffing and a longer school day. The district also has created a transformation team."

District 5

How would you rate the district's efforts to improve failing schools in south St. Petersburg?

Carol Cook: "I think our efforts at this point have shown some results but we are definitely not finished. It is a challenge that has been put ahead of us. I have to admit that we lost focus for a while while we were focusing on high school graduation rates and have now focused back on the five schools over the past five years."

Michael Petruccelli: "Unsatisfactory. I would say the wrong plan was implemented and there was no follow up when they returned to neighborhood schools. Proposal for improving would be by having honest dialogue and all stakeholders working for the same goal."

Eliseo Santana: "Unsatisfactory. Regrettably, the superintendent, with approval from the School Board, did an unexpected massive change of principals and teachers. In my view, this was premature, without the benefit of the valuable new data attesting to progress, without the input from experienced teachers and administrators."

Do you agree or disagree with those who say the district isn't doing enough to ensure black children catch up to their peers?

Cook: "Disagree. Money alone is not the answer; however, we are currently spending a considerable amount of money and resources in our five south St. Petersburg schools supporting educational opportunities for our African American students. These schools have been staffed with additional personnel."

Petruccelli: "I feel there has been misdirection of money and poor oversight and no honest acknowledgement of what the problem is before we throw money at it. Black students in St. Pete are not the only ones struggling. I feel we need more money for all struggling students."

Santana: "Agree. It is also more than just the expenditure of money. There is a history of poor decision making. … We need to bring every one of the individual stakeholders into an effective team with the same mission. We do not have the time to second guess or, as has happened in the past, prematurely change course."

Do you agree or disagree that charter schools are being held accountable?

Cook: "Disagree. Charters were supposed to be innovative programs that would demonstrate effective instruction to other public schools. That has not always worked out in all cases. … I worked with Florida School Boards Association and our legislative delegation to enact laws that provided more accountability. ... The state still limits our ability to oversee charter schools on a daily basis and as a result some problems don't rise to the surface early enough."

Petruccelli: "Disagree. Some violated accounting and business practices. They don't have the same oversight as public schools nor the amount of testing nor the accountability. Some were held accountable after years of repeated problems."

Santana: "Disagree. In general, I believe that public money needs to stay in the public schools. Our School Board needs to better articulate the parameters to parents and, along with the state, hold charter schools accountable for substandard performance."

Pinellas County Council Parent Teacher Association

All nine Pinellas school board candidates went head to head during a debate hosted by the Pinellas County Council Parent Teacher Association on August 3, 2016. "Failure Factories," a series exploring the failure of five Pinellas elementary schools, loomed in the background throughout the event.

District 1 candidate Matt Stewart told the audience that his foster son attended one of the five schools. "Our teachers are not failures, our schools are not failures. There are some good things going on in those schools," he said. "But I will not neglect the fact that we have low academically performing students who are black and brown in those schools." District 4 candidate Ken Peluso commented on family involvement, saying parent communication had greatly improved in south St. Petersburg. "We've had phenomenal programs that have engaged the community," Peluso said. Eileen Long, another District 4 candidate, emphasized that parents needed to be surveyed more in order to improve communication. Another question posed to the candidates was whether they support proposals to allow teachers to carry concealed weapons at school. District 5 candidate Michael Petruccelli replied "no," but was interrupted when attempting to explain his answer. He later commented,

“	It hurts me that an elementary school teacher was standing in a room in Sandy Hook with nothing but a ruler in her hand when those kids were killed. I believe we should have safety in the school and what is necessary to protect those children.	”
—Mike Petruccelli (2016)

NAACP

The local branch of the NAACP was the first to host a forum for Pinellas school board candidates on June 21, 2016. All agreed that significant change was needed in the school system. What candidates did not agree on, however, was how that change should take place. "Parental participation is a must," said Eliseo Santana. "Our system is not geared to bringing our parents into the schools." Eileen Long called for the district to conduct more surveys and stated, "Survey our stakeholders, find what we are doing right; find what we are doing wrong; and be proactive, not reactive."

Joanne Lentino spoke of a divide between upper-level administration and the teachers in the district. "Teachers and other school employees have been sidelined by the upper administrative levels of the School District. Teachers and other school workers, she said, were not consulted for their thoughts and ideas about ways to turn around seven underperforming schools." Lentino further commented that it's "really been a slap in the face." She continued on to speak about the turnaround expert whom the district hired from Tennessee:

“	Bringing in someone from out of state was another slap in the face. We keep missing the point that this is between the child and instructional staff.	”
—Joanne Lentino (2016)

Carol Cook, an incumbent who largely defended the school system, acknowledged that change needs to happen in the district. She said a "needed improvement" is to close the achievement gap "that shows black children and those from lower socio-economic backgrounds lagging behind." She also noted that security in schools needed to increase.

The evening took a turn when candidates were asked their thoughts about the district's turnaround plan for its most struggling schools. Some of the candidates had not heard about the plan prior to the question. One of the candidates stated, it "is a clear indication that the district failed to include stakeholders and has failed to communicate that plan."

"I really don’t know what the plan is," Santana commented. He also was unsure if the district had informed the public what the plan is, saying, "I don’t know if it’s a good plan. I don’t know if it’s a bad plan. … We need to empower our community to solve this problem. It doesn’t come from the top."

Issues in the election

Teachers union endorses no incumbents

Pinellas Classroom Teachers Association

In the 2016 race, the Pinellas Classroom Teachers Association (PCTA) endorsed newcomers Eileen Long, Eliseo Santana, and Joanne Lentino, giving a double endorsement to Lentino. This stood in stark contrast to the 2014 school board election, when the PCTA endorsed only the incumbents to file for re-election except for a newcomer who filed for an open seat. Linda Lerner, Peggy O'Shea, Rene Flowers, and Terry Krassner all won the union's support in their bids for re-election.

PCTA president Mike Gandolfo explained their reasoning, saying that the incumbents had "not been receptive to educator issues" and that newcomers would "understand that the superintendent works for the board, not the other way around." In talking to the Tampa Bay Times, he cited issues including unfair evaluations, lack of administrative support on discipline, and low wages for support professionals.

Issues in the district

Pinellas County Schools sued by Southern Poverty Law Center

The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) announced on August 31, 2016, that it is suing Pinellas County Schools for "subjecting black students and students with disabilities to disproportionate arrests and restraints such as pepper spray for common misbehavior." The complaint was filed with both the U.S. Department of Justice and the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights, and detailed how the district's use of law enforcement officers in schools has resulted in discrimination across the district. According to SPLC attorney Amir Whitaker, "School resource officers are very common throughout the district, there’s probably upwards of 13 law enforcement agencies within the district and [the district] also operates their own police force."

Superintendent Michael Grego

The lawsuit arose from an incident at Richard L. Sanders School in Pinellas Park, a school for K-12 students with learning disabilities. The lawsuit stated that two students, named as "PP" and "HF," were "honor roll students who were arrested [earlier this year] after defending a female student who was attacked by a male student in the school cafeteria. Both PP and HF were arrested, and a School Resource Officer (SRO) used the chemical weapon and restraint known as ‘pepper spray’ on HF, temporarily blinding him." The complaint said that although the original misdemeanor charges against the students were dropped, both still have criminal arrest records because of the fight.

Pinellas superintendent Michael Grego did not want to comment on the lawsuit until he examined the allegation. However, the district issued a statement about the litigation:

“	The Southern Poverty Law Center filed their complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights. The Pinellas County Schools Legal office received a copy today. The complaint will be reviewed, and all applicable information will be provided to the DOJ and/or OCR as requested. The district welcomes the opportunity to review existing practices and determine if there are additional best practices that can be implemented to continue the significant reduction in student arrests.	”
—Pinellas County Schools (August 31, 2016)

Pinellas elementary schools produce failing black students

On August 14, 2015, the Tampa Bay Times released an investigation called "Failure Factories" that they conducted on Pinellas County Schools. According to the report, five elementary schools in the district—Campbell Park, Fairmount Park, Lakewood, Maximo, and Melrose—produced students who were failing standardized tests. According to the scores when the report was released, eight in 10 failed reading and nine in 10 failed math. Additionally, the state Department of Education ranked Melrose as the worst school in Florida, Fairmount Park as the second worst, Maximo as the 10th worst, Lakewood as the 12th worst, and Campbell Park as the 15th worst. The Tampa Bay Times tied these numbers to a decision the school board made in 2007 ending efforts to integrate white and black children.

Other statistics released by the report included:

Florida Department of Education

“	Ninety-five percent of black students tested at the schools are failing reading or math, making the black neighborhoods in southern Pinellas County the most concentrated site of academic failure in all of Florida. Teacher turnover is a chronic problem, leaving some children to cycle through a dozen instructors in a single year. In 2014, more than half of the teachers in these schools asked for a transfer out. At least three walked off the job without notice. All of this is a recent phenomenon. By December 2007, when the board ended integration, black students at the schools had posted gains on standardized tests in three of the four previous years. None of the schools was ranked lower than a C. Today, all the schools have F ratings. After reshaping the schools, the district funded four of them erratically. Some years they got less money per student than other schools, including those in more affluent parts of the county. In 2009, the year after resegregation, at least 50 elementary schools got more money per student than Campbell Park. Other districts with higher passing rates are doing far more to aid black students, including creating special offices to target minority achievement, tracking black students’ progress in real time and offering big bonuses to attract quality teachers to high-minority schools. Pinellas does none of those things.	”
—Tampa Bay Times (2015)

The problem appeared to extend beyond those five elementary schools. According to the Tampa Bay Times, black children in the district failed at a higher rate than almost any other district in the state. In 2014, they were one-third more likely to fail at math than black students in Miami-Dade, Broward, Orange, and Palm Beach counties. They were 23 percent more likely to fail math than black children in Hillsborough.

A vote to keep children in neighborhood schools

Board member Linda Lerner

Board member Peggy O'Shea

On December 18, 2007, the Pinellas County School Board met to consider a plan that created "neighborhood schools," meant to keep children close to their homes. Five out of the seven board members voted to approve the plan, and it passed. Following the vote, a journalist from the Tampa Bay Times called it, "De-facto segregation." The result was that children in white neighborhoods attended schools where a majority of the population was white, and the same with children residing in black neighborhoods. Three of the five board members who voted for the plan were still on the board in 2016: Carol Cook, Peggy O'Shea, and Linda Lerner. O'Shea and Lerner were re-elected in 2014, and Cook ran for re-election on August 30, 2016.

Superintendent turnover

The district experienced high turnover at its top position prior to this election, cycling through four superintendents in just five years. Four months after the vote in 2007, Superintendent Clayton Wilcox, who had constructed the plan to end integration, announced he was leaving his position to take a job with Scholastic. The board replaced him with Julie Janssen, who developed a plan to offer teachers a free master's degree if they completed "rigorous on-the-job training and stayed at their school for at least five years." This was designed with the hope that more qualified and experienced teachers would boost the failing students' test scores. She was fired by the school board in 2011. The interim superintendent who replaced her, John Stewart, then canceled the master's program. The board hired Mike Grego to serve as superintendent in 2012. In his efforts to close the racial gap, Grego bolstered a program adding classroom aides, mental health therapists, and navigators hired to put families in contact with resources outside the district. "We will close this gap," he said. "I can tell you that, sure as I’m sitting here."

Schools in chaos

The Tampa Bay Times report described the daily situation for students at the five Pinellas elementary schools:

“	In the mornings, unsupervised boys and girls pack the drop-off area. Giggling and shoving often give way to fist fights and wrestling, parents say. It’s so volatile that Moe Thurton won’t let his 10-year-old son J’Len walk to school. 'It’s fights every day. I’m getting out of my car and physically breaking kids up from fighting,' Thurton, 43, said in March. 'I broke up two fights last week.' Inside the school, students roam the campus at will, said Scott Ryan, a special-needs teacher who resigned in 2013 rather than work another full year at the school. 'I would go in and teachers would be talking,' Ryan said, 'and the kids are telling the teachers to shut up.'	”
—Tampa Bay Times (2015)

Fairmount Park recorded 661 referrals "for violence and disruption" in the 2013-2014 school year. This number contrasts sharply to 198 referrals of this kind in the 2009-2010 school year.

Civil rights investigation triggered

The U.S. Department of Education opened a civil rights investigation on April 4, 2016, into whether Pinellas County Schools "systematically discriminates against black children," the agency said. The inspection will decide if the district is preventing black students from obtaining the resources needed to succeed both in high school and beyond. It will also analyze whether the district is denying those children access to well-qualified teachers and school leaders. The U.S. Department of Education launched the investigation on its own initiative in response to the "Failure Factories" investigative report. If the review concludes that the district is not in compliance with U.S. federal law, they could require that district leaders take measures to fix the problems—or face penalties including a loss of federal funding. Legal experts said that because the Department of Education opened the case themselves, they are "confident they'll find serious problems."

School board reaction

The Tampa Bay Times asked the Pinellas County School Board a series of questions discussing some of the issues "Failure Factories" addressed, including "teacher pay, safety, district spending and diversity in Campbell Park, Fairmount Park, Lakewood, Maximo and Melrose elementaries." The table below includes highlights from each of the board member's comments.

Responses from the Pinellas County School Board to "Failure Factories":

Janet Clark Janet Clark did not respond to questions from the Tampa Bay Times further than "yes" or "no" responses. Has the district focused enough resources on black student achievement over the past decade? "No, but the district has corrected this situation. Money is not the only resource that needs to be considered when looking to improve student achievement. We have found success making sure that schools have strong leaders/principals and skilled teachers in the schools. Teachers must have high expectations for their students. Additionally, faculties must have the same goals to make sure the students have a safe learning environment in which students can, and will excel. The variety of learning opportunities such as Connect for Success, Extended Learning and Summer Bridge are key components in student success. Combine those factors with family involvement and, as we have seen student achievement improves. Those are the resources on which we should continue to focus." Carol Cook Rene Flowers Should the district pay teachers significantly more to work in Campbell Park, Fairmount Park, Lakewood, Maximo and Melrose, as compared to less-impoverished schools? "We have provided pay enhancements for those individuals who choose to teach in one of our challenging schools. a. In the 2013-2014 school year, Fairmont Park, Maximo, and Melrose Elementary Schools were part of a Recruitment and Retention plan offered at five schools that offered $3000 recruitment bonuses and the potential for an additional $2000 in performance bonuses. b. In the 2014-2015 school year, Campbell Park Elementary School was added to the plan along with other schools bringing the total number of schools participating to fourteen. c. Lakewood Elementary School is being added to this plan for the 2015-2016 school year. d. The purpose of this plan is to bring stability to the staffs at participating schools. So far, it has had the desired effect. The partnership with the City of St. Petersburg, when I was a sitting councilmember, to also provide down payment and closing cost towards homeownership assistance proved to be pivotal when providing incentives to new teachers, teachers desiring to relocate and attracting teachers to become a part of the Midtown community." Should the district explore modifying its student enrollment plan to encourage more diversity at Campbell Park, Fairmount Park, Lakewood, Maximo and Melrose? "Yes. I would like to see more diversity in all Pinellas schools and community engagement in student enrollment plans." Terry Krassner Linda Lerner Because of the special challenges they face, should the district spend more of its own local money and resources (not Title I funds) on the five neighborhood elementary schools in South Pinellas—Campbell Park, Fairmount Park, Lakewood, Maximo and Melrose—than it does on less-impoverished schools? "As a responsible and informed school board member, I can’t simply give yes or no answers for two questions. I also need to provide short clarifying comments for all my answers. There are many schools with large numbers of students from high-poverty neighborhoods which need more funds than other schools. A district analysis of the five schools determined, on the average, more is spent from general resources in these schools than at most of the less-impoverished schools." Has the district focused enough resources on black student achievement over the past decade? "The district has looked at the causes of the Black Student Achievement Gap throughout the years of court-ordered desegregation, and the return to neighborhood schools. In 2006, almost a decade ago, The 'Figlio and Rouse Report' was a study done for Pinellas County.. The findings showed a strong link to a lack of 'Kindergarten Readiness' among Black students as compared to non-Black. The district has increased the number of VPK, (Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten) classes within district schools and have placed them in the geographic areas most impacted by poverty. In addition, we have looked at the other factors including a gender gap (girls score higher than boys), discipline, (girls have less discipline issues than boys), and a poverty gap. The aforementioned five schools have a high percentage of Black students living in poverty, higher crime areas, and are less ready for Kindergarten then their non-black counterparts. Our Bridging the Gap Plan is focused on strong leadership, professional development, family and community outreach. Additional resources have been deployed including: Laptops to Title I schools, Extended learning programs, and the Summer Bridge Program. We have experienced increased enrollment in these programs and an increase in student achievement. We have a great partnership with the Juvenile Welfare Board. They have extended resources to these areas of the county and work in collaboration with the school district to serve our most at-risk students." Peggy O'Shea Ken Peluso Has the district focused enough resources on black student achievement over the past decade? "Yes. Since being elected in November of 2014 I perhaps have a unique perspective as to the extent of focus that our district currently has on black student achievement. Though I cannot speak first hand as to efforts in the past, I can honestly state that our district is constantly monitoring and evaluating as to the most appropriate resource allocation and programming in accordance to our “Bridging The Gap” plan and data shows that we have been successful to date. Note that this gap is not specific to Pinellas County nor is there any quick fix. That being said, we are diligently and adequately focusing on eliminating the black achievement gap."

St. Petersburg in context

All five of the schools highlighted in the series "Failure Factories" are located in the city of St. Petersburg, the fifth-largest city in the state as of July 1, 2015. In 2010, 24 percent of St. Petersburg residents were black. The next two largest cities in Pinellas County were Clearwater and Largo, whose black population percentages were approximately 11 and 6 percent of the cities' total populations during the same time, respectively.

In 2014, the metropolitan area of Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater had an unemployment rate of 6.0 percent. During the same year, the Florida unemployment rate was 6.2 percent. The median household income in St. Petersburg from 2010 to 2014 was $45,483, while it was $47,212 in the entirety of Florida during the same time. Residents lived below the poverty level at a rate of 17.2 percent, while that rate was 16.5 percent for Florida as a whole.

Household types in St. Petersburg

The table below gives information on household types in St. Petersburg, compared to the next two largest cities in the county by population in 2010.

St. Petersburg Households by Type, 2010
Household type	St. Petersburg (%)	Clearwater (%)	Largo (%)
Family households	54.3	55.0	51.5
Husband-wife family	34.8	38.0	36.2
Male householder, no wife present	4.5	4.5	4.2
Female householder, no husband present	15.1	12.5	11.2

Household: All the people who occupy a housing unit.
Family household: A householder and one or more other people living in the same household who are related to the householder by birth, marriage, or adoption. Note: These definitions are provided by the U.S. Census Bureau's 2010 Census Summary File.

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About the district

See also: Pinellas County Schools, Florida

Pinellas County Schools is located in the county of the same name on the west coast of Florida.

Pinellas County Schools serves the county of the same name on the west coast of Florida. The city of Clearwater is the county seat. The county was home to an estimated 949,827 residents between 2010 and 2015, according to the United States Census Bureau. The district was the seventh-largest school district in the state in the 2013–2014 school year and served 103,411 students.

Demographics

Pinellas County outperformed Florida as a whole in terms of higher education attainment from 2010 to 2014. The United States Census Bureau found that 28.3 percent of county residents aged 25 and older had attained a bachelor's degree or higher, compared to 26.8 percent of state residents. The median household income for the county was $45,574 compared to $47,212 for the entire state. County residents lived below poverty level at a rate of 15.2 percent, compared to 16.5 percent statewide.

Racial Demographics, 2015
Race	Pinellas County (%)	Florida (%)
White	82.9	77.7
Black or African American	11.0	16.8
American Indian and Alaska Native	0.4	0.5
Asian	3.5	2.8
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0.1	0.1
Two or More Races	2.1	2.0
Hispanic or Latino	9.1	24.5

Presidential Voting Pattern, Pinellas County
Year	Democratic votes	Republican votes	Other votes
2012	239,104	213,258	239
2008	248,299	210,066	0
2004	225,460	225,686	0
2000	200,630	184,825	0

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 'Pinellas County Schools' 'Florida'. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

Pinellas County Schools elections (2016) - Google News

See also

Pinellas County Schools	Florida	School Boards
Pinellas County Schools elections (2014) List of school districts in Florida	Florida school board elections, 2016 Public education in Florida Local ballot measures, Florida	School board elections, 2016 School board elections, 2015

External links

• Pinellas County Schools
• Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections