West Des Moines Community Schools elections (2015)
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West Des Moines Community Schools Polk County, Iowa ballot measures Local ballot measures, Iowa |
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Four seats on the West Des Moines Community Schools Board of Education were up for general election on September 8, 2015.
Incumbents Milton Cole and Andi Lipman were defeated in the election. Incumbent David Brown retained his seat. Candidates Liz Cox, Melinda Dunnwald and Jill Johnson won the seats of Cole and Lipman, as well as the open seat left by incumbent Kevin Carroll who did not run for re-election. Candidates Michele Dahlen and Judy Jesse were also defeated in the election.[1][2][3]
About the district
- See also: West Des Moines Community Schools, Iowa
The West Des Moines school district is located in central Iowa in Polk County. The county seat is Des Moines. According to the United States Census Bureau, Polk County was home to 459,862 residents in 2014.[4] In the 2012-2013 school year, the West Des Moines school district was the 10th-largest school district in Iowa and served 9,376 students.[5]
Demographics
Polk County outperformed the rest of Iowa in terms of higher education achievement in 2013. The United States Census Bureau found 34.9 percent of Polk County residents aged 25 years and older attained a bachelor's degree compared to 25.7 percent of state residents. The median household income in the county was $59,018 compared to $51,843 for the state of Iowa. The poverty rate in the county was 11.8 percent compared to 12.4 percent for the entire state.[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 West Des Moines Board of Education consists of seven members elected to four-year terms. All members represent the district at-large. There was no primary election, and the general election was held on September 8, 2015. Four seats were up for election in 2015.[2]
School board candidates had to file for this election with Polk County by July 30, 2015. To vote in the election, residents had to register by August 28, 2015.[7]
Elections
2015
Candidates
David Brown 
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Milton Cole | Andi Lipman | Liz Cox
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| Michele Dahlen | Melinda Dunnwald
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Judy Jesse | Jill Johnson
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Election results
This election was held September 8, 2015.
| West Des Moines Community Schools, At-Large, 4-Year Term, General Election, 2015 | ||
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| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Melinda Dunnwald |
17.2% | 1,407 |
| David Brown Incumbent |
17.2% | 1,403 |
| Jill Johnson |
16.4% | 1,338 |
| Liz Cox |
15.6% | 1,274 |
| Milton Cole Incumbent | 10.8% | 878 |
| Andi Lipman Incumbent | 8.6% | 698 |
| Judy Jesse | 7.6% | 617 |
| Michele Dahlen | 6.7% | 547 |
| Total Votes | 8,162 | |
| Source: Polk County Auditor's Office, "Regular School Election," accessed November 12, 2015 | ||
Endorsements
Cox received an official endorsement from the West Des Moines Education Association.[8]
Campaign finance
Candidates received a total of $16,185.83 and spent a total of $15,875.12 in the election, according to the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board.[9] Any candidate spending, receiving or incurring debt in the amount of $1,000 or less was not required to file the disclosure form for campaign finances.[10]
Past elections
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2013
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Key deadlines
The following dates were key deadlines for the West Des Moines Community Schools election in 2015:[7]
| Deadline | Event |
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| July 6, 2015 | First day for candidates to file |
| July 30, 2015 | Candidate filing deadline |
| August 4, 2015 | Candidate withdrawal deadline |
| August 28, 2015 | Last day to register to vote in the election |
| September 8, 2015 | Election Day |
Additional elections on the ballot
- See also: Iowa elections, 2015
This election shared the ballot with elections for the Des Moines Area Community College board.[1]
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms West Des Moines Community Schools Iowa. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
| West Des Moines Community Schools | Iowa | School Boards |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 West Des Moines Community Schools, "School Board Elections, Candidates," accessed August 3, 2015
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 West Des Moines Community Schools, "Members," accessed June 24, 2015
- ↑ Polk County Auditor's Office, "Regular School Election," accessed September 8, 2015
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 United States Census Bureau, "Polk County, Iowa," accessed March 27, 2015
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "District Directory Information," accessed June 24, 2015
- ↑ Iowa Secretary of State, “Voter Registration Totals by County,” accessed July 29, 2013
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Iowa Secretary of State, "Auditor's Calendar of School Elections," accessed March 6, 2015
- ↑ Liz Cox for School Board, "Endorsements," accessed September 6, 2015
- ↑ Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board, "IECDB State/Local Campaign Disclosure Reports," accessed February 2, 2016
- ↑ Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board, "Reporting Dates," accessed August 13, 2015
| 2015 West Des Moines Community Schools Elections | |
| Polk County, Iowa | |
| Election date: | September 8, 2015 |
| Candidates: | At-large: Incumbent, David Brown • Incumbent, Milton Cole • Incumbent, Andi Lipman • Liz Cox • Michele Dahlen • Melinda Dunnwald • Judy Jesse • Jill Johnson |
| Important information: | Key deadlines • Additional elections on the ballot |
