Richland School District Two elections (2014)
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Method of election Elections What was at stake? Key deadlines Additional elections External links |
Richland School District Two Richland County, South Carolina ballot measures Local ballot measures, South Carolina |
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Four seats on the Richland County Board of Education were up for general election on November 4, 2014. The seats up for re-election were all at-large positions.
The field was packed in this race, as incumbents Melinda Anderson, James Manning and Barbara R. Specter faced nine challengers. Incumbent William Flemming did not file for re-election.
Manning was the only successful incumbent in this race. Anderson and Specter were defeated by Manning, Cheryl Caution-Parker, Amelia McKie and Craig Plank.
About the district
Richland School District Two is located in Richland County, South Carolina. The county seat of Richland County is Richland. Richland County is home to 384,504 residents, according to the United States Census Bureau.[1] In the 2011-2012 school year, Richland School District Two was the fifth-largest school district in South Carolina and served 25,954 students.[2]
Demographics
Richland County overperformed in comparison to the rest of South Carolina in terms of higher education achievement in 2012. The United States Census Bureau found that 36.2 percent of Richland County residents aged 25 years and older had attained a bachelor's degree compared to 24.6 percent for South Carolina as a whole. The median household income in Richland County was $48,420 compared to $44,623 for the state of South Carolina. The poverty rate in Richland County was 16.4 percent compared to 17.6 percent for the entire state.[1]
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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 Richland Two Board of Education consists of seven members elected to four-year terms that serve at large. There
was
no primary election, and the general election
was
held on November 4, 2014. Four seats
were
up for election in 2014.[4]
Candidates began filing nominating petitions on March 16, 2014. The filing deadline for school board candidates to get on the ballot in the general election was August 15, 2014.[5]
Elections
2014
Candidates
Election results
General election
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan |  James Manning Incumbent |
15.3% | 16,611 | |
| Nonpartisan | Cheryl Caution-Parker |
13.3% | 14,445 | |
| Nonpartisan | Amelia McKie |
12.4% | 13,454 | |
| Nonpartisan | Craig Plank |
11.2% | 12,198 | |
| Nonpartisan | Melinda Anderson Incumbent | 10.1% | 10,959 | |
| Nonpartisan | Chandra Cleveland-Jennings | 8.2% | 8,877 | |
| Nonpartisan | Paul Manville | 7.6% | 8,321 | |
| Nonpartisan | Barbara R. Specter Incumbent | 7.5% | 8,181 | |
| Nonpartisan | James Mobley | 4.8% | 5,216 | |
| Nonpartisan | Hugh J. Harmon | 3.9% | 4,254 | |
| Nonpartisan | Robert Taylor | 2.9% | 3,133 | |
| Nonpartisan | John Dublin | 2.8% | 3,032 | |
| Nonpartisan | Write-in votes | 0.2% | 183 | |
| Total Votes | 108,864 | |||
| Source: South Carolina State Election Commission, "2014 General Election Official Results," accessed December 22, 2014 | ||||
Endorsements
Cheryl Caution-Parker, James Manning, Amelia McKie and Barbara R. Specter were endorsed by the Richland County Education Association, a subgroup of the South Carolina Education Association.[6]
Campaign finance
Candidates were required to file a quarterly finance report with the South Carolina State Ethics Commission for the November general election by October 10, 2014. This report covered the period of July 1, 2014, through September 30, 2014. Candidates were also required to file a pre-election report no later than 15 days prior to the election. A final report is due after the campaign has closed. Candidates for local school boards may not accept more than $1,000 from individuals and $5,000 from political parties.[7]
Candidates received a total of $51,306.59 and spent a total of $46,258.99, according to the South Carolina State Ethics Commission.[8]
| Candidate | Contributions | Expenditures | Cash on hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melinda Anderson | $8,139.90 | $8,139.90 | $0.00 |
| Cheryl Caution-Parker | $8,225.00 | $5,634.88 | $2,590.12 |
| Chandra Cleveland-Jennings | $2,243.00 | $2,066.35 | $176.65 |
| John Dublin | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Hugh J. Harmon | $1,400.00 | $1,400.00 | $0.00 |
| James Manning | $7,813.00 | $7,693.43 | $448.57 |
| Paul Manville | $3,812.00 | $3,812.00 | $0.00 |
| Amelia McKie | $7,311.95 | $5,735.69 | $1,576.26 |
| James Mobley | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Craig Plank | $11,211.74 | $11,211.74 | $0.00 |
| Barbara R. Specter | $1,150.00 | $565.00 | $585.00 |
| Robert Taylor | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
Past elections
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What was at stake?
Issues in the election
Teacher pay, achievement gaps and magnet schools
At a debate held on October 16, 2014, and hosted by the League of Women’s Voters, school board candidates addressed teacher pay, achievement gaps and how to deal with the district's 37 magnet schools that serve 40 percent of the district. The latter has become an increasingly significant problem in the district, with parents and community members worried about the accessibility of the programs, especially for low-income students. Most of the candidates could agree bolstering transportation was a potential solution, however incumbent Barbara Specter said that state law could be a road block, stating that, "[we] need to look to the state and talk to our representatives to get more buses." Incumbent James Manning pointed out that several magnet school options have been added to the district, and that the future Institute of Innovation at the Village at Sandhill, will broaden alternatives for students. Candidate Cheryl Caution-Parker suggested multiple programs could be held at one school, removing the need for additional transportation. Paul Manville, another candidate, proposed offering magnet courses online.
Candidates were largely in agreement when it came to teacher pay and the achievement gap. The consensus reached for teacher pay was that tying it to student performance was not beneficial, and that the student's background and support should be taken into account. The achievement gap was recognized as not just a local problem, but also a national one, with suggestions of more data analysis, an improved grading system and the identification of different learning styles being offered.[9]
Key deadlines
The following dates were key deadlines for the Richland School District Two election in 2014:[5]
| Deadline | Event |
|---|---|
| March 16, 2014 | Candidate filing for primary begins |
| March 30, 2014 | Candidate filing for primary closes |
| June 10, 2014 | Primary election day |
| June 24, 2014 | Primary runoff (if required) |
| August 15, 2014 | Last day for nonpartisan candidates to file for general election |
| October 4, 2014 | Voter registration deadline |
| November 4, 2014 | Election day |
Additional elections on the ballot
- See also: South Carolina elections, 2014
This election shared the ballot with general elections for U.S. House seats and South Carolina state executive offices. It also shared the ballot with other county and municipal elections.[5]
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term "Richland + School + District + Two + South + Carolina"
See also
- South Carolina
- Richland School District Two, South Carolina
- South Carolina school board elections, 2014
- List of school board elections in 2014
- School board elections, 2014
- Richland County, South Carolina ballot measures
- Local ballot measures, South Carolina
External links
- Richland School District Two
- Richland County, South Carolina
- South Carolina State Election Commission
- South Carolina State Ethics Commission
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 United States Census Bureau, "Richland County, South Carolina," accessed July 29, 2014
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "ELSI Table Generator," accessed July 29, 2014
- ↑ South Carolina State Election Commission, "Election Results," accessed August 19, 2014
- ↑ Richland School District Two, "Board Members," accessed July 29, 2014
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 South Carolina Election Commission, "2014 Election Calendar," accessed July 29, 2014
- ↑ Lauren Dixon, "Email correspondence with Amelia McKie," January 14, 2015
- ↑ South Carolina State Ethics Commission, "Campaign Practices," accessed August 18, 2014
- ↑ South Carolina State Ethics Commission, "Individual Reports," accessed January 12, 2015
- ↑ ColaDaily, "Richland Two School Board candidates address teacher pay, achievement gaps at election forum," October 17, 2014
