Rutherford County Schools elections (2016)
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Four of the seven seats on the Rutherford County Schools Board of Education were up for by-district general election on August 4, 2016.[1] Incumbents Coy Young, Lisa Moore, and Terry Hodge ran unopposed and won re-election to the Zone 2, 3, and 5 seats, respectively. In Zone 6, incumbent Jeff Jordan defeated challenger David Sevier to win another term.[2][3]
This race had a higher percentage of unopposed seats and fewer candidates running per seat than the district and the state had in 2014. To see how else this race compared to past elections in both the district and the state, check out the "Election trends" section below.
The two Zone 6 candidates in this race participated in a candidate forum on June 30, 2016. Click here to read about their positions on education in the district.
Elections
Voter and candidate information
The Rutherford County Board of Education consists of seven members elected by district to four-year terms. Elections are held on a staggered basis every August of even-numbered years. The Zone 1, 4, and 7 seats were up for general election and the Zone 3 seat was up for special election to a two-year term on August 7, 2014. The Zone 2, 3, 5, and 6 seats were up for general election on August 4, 2016. There was no primary election.[4][5]
To get on the ballot, school board candidates had to file their qualifying documents by April 7, 2016. The deadline to withdraw from the election was April 14, 2016.[1]
To vote in this election, residents of the district had to register by July 5, 2016.[1] Photo identification was required to vote in this election.[6]
Candidates and results
Zone 2
Results
| Rutherford County Schools, Zone 2 General Election, 4-Year Term, 2016 |
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| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Coy Young Incumbent (unopposed) |
99.29% | 2,098 |
| Write-in votes | 0.71% | 15 |
| Total Votes | 2,113 | |
| Source: Rutherford County Election Commission, "Election Summary Report," accessed September 8, 2016 | ||
Candidates
| Coy Young | |
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Zone 3
Results
| Rutherford County Schools, Zone 3 General Election, 4-Year Term, 2016 |
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|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Lisa Moore Incumbent (unopposed) |
99.40% | 2,985 |
| Write-in votes | 0.6% | 18 |
| Total Votes | 3,003 | |
| Source: Rutherford County Election Commission, "Election Summary Report," accessed September 8, 2016 | ||
Candidates
| Lisa Moore | |
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Zone 5
Results
| Rutherford County Schools, Zone 5 General Election, 4-Year Term, 2016 |
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|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Terry Hodge Incumbent (unopposed) |
99.49% | 1,933 |
| Write-in votes | 0.51% | 10 |
| Total Votes | 1,943 | |
| Source: Rutherford County Election Commission, "Election Summary Report," accessed September 8, 2016 | ||
Candidates
| Terry Hodge | |
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Zone 6
Results
| Rutherford County Schools, Zone 6 General Election, 4-Year Term, 2016 |
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|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Jeff Jordan Incumbent |
60.07% | 1,819 |
| David Sevier | 39.63% | 1,200 |
| Write-in votes | 0.3% | 9 |
| Total Votes | 3,028 | |
| Source: Rutherford County Election Commission, "Election Summary Report," accessed September 8, 2016 | ||
Candidates
| Jeff Jordan |
David Sevier | ||
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Additional elections on the ballot
- See also: Tennessee elections, 2016
The Rutherford County Schools election shared the ballot with primary elections for the state's 4th Congressional District on the U.S. House of Representatives, the District 14 seat on the Tennessee State Senate, and the District 34, 37, 48, and 49 seats on the Tennessee House of Representatives. It also shared the ballot with general elections for Rutherford County Assessor of Property, Rutherford County Road Superintendent, the Zone 3, 5, and 6 seats on the Rutherford County Road Board, and some city-level offices.[7]
Key deadlines
The following dates were key deadlines for Tennessee school board elections in 2016:[1]
| Deadline | Event |
|---|---|
| April 7, 2016 | Candidate filing deadline |
| April 11, 2016 | 1st quarter campaign finance report due |
| April 14, 2016 | Candidate withdrawal deadline |
| July 5, 2016 | Voter registration deadline |
| July 11, 2016 | 2nd quarter campaign finance report due |
| July 15, 2016 - July 30, 2016 | Early voting period |
| July 28, 2016 | Pre-election campaign finance report due |
| August 4, 2016 | Election day |
| October 11, 2016 | 3rd quarter campaign finance report due |
| January 25, 2017 | 4th quarter campaign finance report due |
Endorsements
No candidates received official endorsements in the election.
Do you know of an official or organization that endorsed a candidate in this race? Let Ballotpedia know by email at elections@ballotpedia.org.
Campaign finance
The pre-general campaign financial disclosure report for this election was due July 28, 2016. Candidates were also required to file quarterly reports for the 2016 election year. Those reports were due on April 11, 2016; July 11, 2016; October 11, 2016; and January 25, 2017.[1]
Reports
Candidates received a total of $9,072.00 and spent a total of $8,016.21 in the election, according to the Rutherford County Election Commission.[8]
| Candidate | Existing balance | Contributions | Expenditures | Cash on hand |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coy Young | $1.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $1.00 |
| Lisa Moore | $0.00 | $100.00 | $0.00 | $100.00 |
| Terry Hodge | $0.00 | $100.00 | $100.00 | $0.00 |
| Jeff Jordan | $0.00 | $4,617.00 | $4,024.69 | $592.31 |
| David Sevier | $0.00 | $4,255.00 | $3,891.52 | $363.48 |
Past elections
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What was at stake?
2016
Election trends
- See also: School board elections, 2014
The Rutherford County Schools Board of Education election in 2016 had a higher percentage of unopposed seats than the district saw in 2014. Three-quarters of the seats up for election in 2016 had only one candidate running. In 2014, 25 percent of the seats were unopposed in the district. Overall in 2014, 36.78 percent of school board seats were unopposed in Tennessee's largest school districts.
In addition to having a high percentage of unopposed seats, the district's 2016 race also attracted fewer candidates per seat. Five candidates ran for four seats, creating an average of 1.25 candidates per seat. In 2014, there was an average of 2.75 candidates per seat in the district's race, and an average of 1.94 candidates ran per seat statewide.
All four incumbents ran to retain their seats in Rutherford County's 2016 school board election. Three ran unopposed and the fourth defeated a challenger to win another term, creating a 100 percent success rate. In 2014, incumbents also experienced a 100 percent success rate, with two running for additional terms and winning re-election. Statewide, 75.41 percent of incumbents won re-election in 2014.
There was the chance for one new member to join the Rutherford County Board of Education in 2016, but he was unable to defeat the incumbent who held the seat. The district's 2014 race saw two new members elected to the board. One won an open seat, and one defeated an incumbent for a spot on the board. Overall in 2014, 45.98 percent of school board seats were taken by newcomers.
Issues in the election
Candidate forum
Incumbent Jeff Jordan and challenger David Sevier, the only two candidates who faced opposition in the district's 2016 school board election, participated in a candidate forum hosted by the League of Women Voters on June 30, 2016. Both promoted their experience in the education field as reason to vote for them.
"I am 100 percent invested in public education in Rutherford County and its 43,000 students," said Jordan, who worked as a teacher and assistant principal for more than 30 years.
Sevier said his experience creating education policy on a state level when he served as the deputy executive director for the Tennessee Board of Education would combine well with his experiences as an educator and parent. He said he wanted to find balance in managing the growth of the district that went beyond the construction of new buildings. "Just building a bunch of schools is not the solution," said Sevier. "We have to be able to be creative in using our existing resources in Rutherford County."
For Jordan, the top priority for the district involved funding. He said the state should return to the school district some of the funds generated by local sales tax. He said, "They're going to have to send more of it back to educate children and provide the services they need us to provide."[9]
Jordan defeated Sevier in the election.[3]
Issues in the state
Transgender bathroom bill withdrawn
State Rep. Susan Lynn (R-57) proposed legislation in January 2016 that would require public school students in kindergarten through college to use the bathroom and locker room that corresponded with the sex listed on their birth certificates. Four months later, she withdrew the bill. "I am still absolutely 100 percent in support of maintaining the privacy of all students. But I'm going to roll the bill over until next year so we can work on those issues," Lynn said.[10][11]
House Bill 2414 drew criticism from local media and some companies threatened to withhold business from the state if the bill were passed. Lynn said that was not why she withdrew the bill; instead, she put it on hold in order to further study the issue. She said school districts in Tennessee were "largely following what the bill says."[10][12]
While HB 2414 was still in committee, Gov. Bill Haslam (R) expressed concern about the bill. “I’m hearing that our school boards have figured out how to adjust to each situation that arises, and to date, I’m not hearing parents say we have [a] problem in our schools today,” said Haslam.[13]
State Reps. Mike Stewart (D-52) and Harry Brooks (R-19) asked for an opinion on the issue from Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery (R). Slatery responded by warning that the state could lose federal Title IX funding if the bill were passed.[14]
| “ | As things currently stand, we must, as a practical matter, assume that H.B. 2414 would violate Title IX, because the enforcer of Title IX has clearly interpreted — and enforced — Title IX to prohibit as 'discriminatory on the basis of sex' what H.B. 2414 is designed to accomplish.[15] | ” |
| —Attorney General Herbert Slatery (April 2016)[14] | ||
Stewart said Slatery's opinion was the "final nail in the coffin" for the bill. He and State Rep. John Ray Clemmons (D-55) said the bill could also hinder the state's goal of creating a business-friendly climate.[14] Executives of dozens of companies had signed a letter to state lawmakers asking them to reject the bill on the grounds that it was discriminatory.[16]
David Fowler, former state senator and president of the Family Action Council of Tennessee, objected to Slatery's opinion. He said the attorney general had used settlement agreements rather than court decisions to warn the state legislature away from passing the bill. "Settlement agreements have no persuasive value as a matter of law, unlike the court decisions that have actually ruled in favor of sex-designated bathrooms," Fowler said.[14]
After the bill was withdrawn, Fowler issued a statement:
| “ | But we join the thousands of parents across the state who are profoundly disappointed that at this point in the process Rep. Lynn has decided not to proceed with a bill that would have simply protected the privacy of the children they have entrusted to our public schools.[15] | ” |
| —David Fowler (April 2016)[10] | ||
In addition to receiving support from the Family Action Council of Tennessee, the bill was backed by approximately 30 pastors from the Tennessee Pastors Network. At least 67,000 state citizens opposed the bill, as two transgender high school students turned in that many signatures to the governor's office. They were joined by the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee, the Tennessee Equality Project, the Tennessee Transgender Political Coalition, and the Human Rights Campaign.[10]
Candidate survey
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About the district
- See also: Rutherford County Schools, Tennessee
The Rutherford County school district is located in Rutherford County in central Tennessee. The county seat is Murfreesboro. Rutherford County was home to 298,612 residents in 2015, according to the United States Census Bureau.[17] The district was the fifth-largest school district in the state in the 2013–2014 school year and served 41,495 students.[18]
Demographics
Rutherford County outperformed Tennessee as a whole in terms of higher education achievement from 2010 to 2014. The United States Census Bureau found that 28.9 percent of county residents aged 25 years and older had attained a bachelor's degree, compared to 24.4 percent of state residents. The median household income in Rutherford County was $55,096, compared to $44,621 for the entire state. The poverty rate was 14.7 percent, compared to 18.3 percent statewide.[17]
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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 'Rutherford County Schools' 'Tennessee'. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
| Rutherford County Schools | Tennessee | School Boards |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Tennessee Secretary of State, "Election Calendar 2016," accessed March 31, 2016 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "calendar" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ Daily News Journal, "Only 3 running for City Council," April 7, 2016
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Rutherford County Election Commission, "Election Summary Report," accessed August 5, 2016
- ↑ Tiffany Rouse, "Email communication with Rutherford County Election Commission Candy Richmond," March 6, 2015
- ↑ Rutherford County Schools, "Board of Education Members," accessed March 31, 2016
- ↑ Tennessee Secretary of State, "What ID is required when voting?" accessed March 31, 2016
- ↑ Rutherford County Election Commission, "Legal Notices," April 12, 2016
- ↑ Rutheford County Election Commission, "Financial Disclosures for Campaigns and PACs," accessed November 29, 2016
- ↑ Daily News Journal, "School board candidates talk growth, funding at forum," June 30, 2016
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 The Tennesseean, "Transgender bathroom bill dead for year," April 18, 2016
- ↑ Open States, "HB 2414," accessed April 19, 2016
- ↑ Knoxville News Sentinel, "Tennessee lawmakers should stay out of students’ restrooms," April 3, 2016
- ↑ Huffington Post, "Tennessee Governor Skeptical Of Anti-Transgender Bathroom Bill," April 13, 2016
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 The Tennesseean, "Attorney general: Tennessee bathroom bill threatens Title IX funds," April 11, 2016
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ CBS News, "Tennessee lawmakers under fire over transgender bathroom bill," April 13, 2016
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 United States Census Bureau, "Rutherford County, Tennessee," accessed April 11, 2016
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "ELSI Table Generator," accessed November 16, 2015
- ↑ Tennessee Secretary of State, "Election Results," accessed June 26, 2014
| 2016 Rutherford County Schools Elections | |
| Rutherford County, Tennessee | |
| Election date: | August 4, 2016 |
| Candidates: | Zone 2: • Incumbent, Coy Young Zone 3: • Incumbent, Lisa Moore Zone 5: • Incumbent, Terry Hodge Zone 6: • Incumbent, Jeff Jordan • David Sevier |
| Important information: | What was at stake? • Additional elections on the ballot • Key deadlines |
