Williamson County Schools elections (2016)

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<- 2014

Williamson County Schools Elections

* * *

General election date:
August 4, 2016
Enrollment (13–14):
34,350 students

Seven of the 12 seats on the Williamson County Schools Board of Education were up for by-district general election on August 4, 2016.[1] The District 1, 3, and 11 seats were left open for newcomers when incumbents Kenneth Peterson, PJ Mezera, and Mark Gregory, respectively, did not file to run for re-election. Richard Davis and Angela Durham ran for the District 1 seat, and Durham won the election. The District 3 race featured candidates Christy Coleman, Kimberly Little, and Eliot Mitchell. Mitchell was elected to the seat. The District 11 race featured candidates Stuart Cooper and K.C. Haugh, and Haugh won the election. In the race for the unexpired term in District 4, incumbent Anne McGraw defeated challenger Joey Czarneski. In District 5, incumbent Gary Anderson defeated challenger Julie Ellen Mauck to win another term on the board. District 7 incumbent Robert Hullett won re-election against challengers Jennifer Luteran and Christopher Richards. The District 9 race featured incumbent Rick Wimberly and challenger Denise Boothby. Wimberly was re-elected to the seat.[2][3][4]

This race had a lower percentage of unopposed seats and a higher average number of candidates running per seat than the district's past three election cycles. To see how else this race compared to past elections in both the district and the state, check out the "Election trends" section below. Four candidates in the 2016 race participated in Ballotpedia's school board candidate survey. Click here to read their responses.

Candidates in this race participated in a candidate forum on June 2, 2016. They discussed the privatization of schools, guns on school grounds, and how the district's policy on teaching religion in schools should change in response to a new state law. Click here to read how candidates responded to these issues.

## Contents

* 1 Elections
* 1.1 Voter and candidate information
* 1.2 Candidates and results
* 2 District 1
* 2.1 Results
* 2.2 Candidates
* 3 District 3
* 3.1 Results
* 3.2 Candidates
* 4 District 4
* 4.1 Results
* 4.2 Candidates
* 5 District 5
* 5.1 Results
* 5.2 Candidates
* 6 District 7
* 6.1 Results
* 6.2 Candidates
* 7 District 9
* 7.1 Results
* 7.2 Candidates
* 8 District 11
* 8.1 Results
* 8.2 Candidates
* 9 Additional elections on the ballot
* 10 Key deadlines
* 10.1 Endorsements
* 10.2 Campaign finance
* 10.2.1 Reports
* 10.2.1.1 District 1
* 10.2.1.2 District 3
* 10.2.1.3 District 4
* 10.2.1.4 District 5
* 10.2.1.5 District 7
* 10.2.1.6 District 9
* 10.2.1.7 District 11
* 10.3 Past elections
* 10.3.1 2014
* 10.3.2 2012
* 10.3.3 2010
* 10.4 What was at stake?
* 10.4.1 2016
* 10.4.1.1 Election trends
* 10.4.1.2 Issues in the election
* 10.4.1.2.1 Anonymous letter calls for censure of incumbents
* 10.4.1.2.2 Candidate forum
* 10.4.1.3 Issues in the district
* 10.4.1.3.1 Setting up new religion policy
* 10.4.1.3.2 Testing suspended in wake of state terminating TNReady contract
* 10.4.1.4 Issues in the state
* 10.4.1.4.1 Transgender bathroom bill withdrawn
* 10.4.2 Candidate survey
* 10.4.2.1 Survey responses
* 10.4.2.1.1 Hope to achieve
* 10.4.2.1.2 Ranking the issues
* 10.4.2.1.3 Positions on the issues
* 10.5 About the district
* 10.5.1 Demographics
* 10.6 Recent news
* 10.7 See also
* 10.8 External links
* 10.9 Footnotes

## Elections[edit]

### Voter and candidate information[edit]

The Williamson County Board of Education consists of 12 members elected by district to four-year terms. Elections are held on a staggered basis every August of even-numbered years. The District 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 seats were up for election on August 7, 2014, and the District 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11 seats were up for general election on August 4, 2016. A special election for an unexpired term in District 4 was also on the ballot on August 4, 2016. There was no primary election.[2][3][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[edit]

# District 1[edit]

### Results[edit]

Williamson County Schools,
District 1 General Election, 4-Year Term, 2016

Candidate | Vote % | Votes
Angela Durham | 53.38% | 694
Richard Davis | 46.38% | 603
Write-in votes | 0.23% | 3
Total Votes | 1,300
Source: Williamson County Election Commission, "Summary Report: Primary and General Election August 4, 2016," accessed August 5, 2016

### Candidates[edit]

Richard Davis | Angela Durham

|

* Graduate, Middle Tennessee State University
* Supervisor, Williamson County's solid waste department

* Graduate, Lipscomb University
* Vice president of anesthesia, AMSURG

# District 3[edit]

### Results[edit]

Williamson County Schools,
District 3 General Election, 4-Year Term, 2016

Candidate | Vote % | Votes
Eliot Mitchell | 45.60% | 477
Kimberly Little | 31.74% | 332
Christy Coleman | 22.56% | 236
Write-in votes | 0.1% | 1
Total Votes | 1,046
Source: Williamson County Election Commission, "Summary Report: Primary and General Election August 4, 2016," accessed August 5, 2016

### Candidates[edit]

Christy Coleman | Kimberly Little | Eliot Mitchell

|
|

* Graduate, Volunteer State Community College
* Sales technology specialist, Mars Petcare

|  |

* Graduate, Middle Tennessee State University
* Director, OpenText, Inc.

# District 4[edit]

### Results[edit]

Williamson County Schools,
District 4 General Election, 2-Year Term, 2016

Candidate | Vote % | Votes
Anne McGraw Incumbent | 62.22% | 886
Joey Czarneski | 37.71% | 537
Write-in votes | 0.07% | 1
Total Votes | 1,424
Source: Williamson County Election Commission, "Summary Report: Primary and General Election August 4, 2016," accessed August 5, 2016

### Candidates[edit]

Anne McGraw | Joey Czarneski

|

* Incumbent
* Member from 2015-2016
* Graduate, Georgia Tech
* Senior manager, Nissan Motor Co.

* Application development manager

# District 5[edit]

### Results[edit]

Williamson County Schools,
District 5 General Election, 4-Year Term, 2016

Candidate | Vote % | Votes
Gary Anderson Incumbent | 72.44% | 1,038
Julie Ellen Mauck | 27.36% | 392
Write-in votes | 0.21% | 3
Total Votes | 1,433
Source: Williamson County Election Commission, "Summary Report: Primary and General Election August 4, 2016," accessed August 5, 2016

### Candidates[edit]

Gary Anderson | Julie Ellen Mauck

|

* Incumbent
* Member from 1990-2016

* Graduate, Middle Tennessee State University and the National Center for Paralegal Training
* Realtor, Crye Leike Realtors

# District 7[edit]

### Results[edit]

Williamson County Schools,
District 7 General Election, 4-Year Term, 2016

Candidate | Vote % | Votes
Robert Hullett Incumbent | 49.44% | 1,050
Jennifer Luteran | 40.73% | 865
Christopher Richards | 9.60% | 204
Write-in votes | 0.24% | 5
Total Votes | 2,124
Source: Williamson County Election Commission, "Summary Report: Primary and General Election August 4, 2016," accessed August 5, 2016

### Candidates[edit]

Robert Hullett | Jennifer Luteran | Christopher Richards

|
|

* Incumbent
* Member from 2012-2016
* Graduate, University of Memphis and Lipscomb University
* Senior IT consultant, Vanderbilt University Medical Center

* Stay-at-home mom

* Stay-at-home dad

# District 9[edit]

### Results[edit]

Williamson County Schools,
District 9 General Election, 4-Year Term, 2016

Candidate | Vote % | Votes
Rick Wimberly Incumbent | 62.57% | 1,312
Denise Boothby | 37.24% | 781
Write-in votes | 0.19% | 4
Total Votes | 2,097
Source: Williamson County Election Commission, "Summary Report: Primary and General Election August 4, 2016," accessed August 5, 2016

### Candidates[edit]

Rick Wimberly | Denise Boothby

|

* Incumbent
* Member from 2012-2016
* President, Galain Solutions
* Co-author, Seven Myths of Selling to Government

# District 11[edit]

### Results[edit]

Williamson County Schools,
District 11 General Election, 4-Year Term, 2016

Candidate | Vote % | Votes
K.C. Haugh | 60.00% | 996
Stuart Cooper | 40.00% | 664
Write-in votes | 0% | 0
Total Votes | 1,660
Source: Williamson County Election Commission, "Summary Report: Primary and General Election August 4, 2016," accessed August 5, 2016

### Candidates[edit]

Stuart Cooper | K.C. Haugh

|

* Graduate, University of Tennessee at Knoxville and the Haslam College of Business at the University of Tennessee
* Senior technology solutions manager, TekLinks

* Graduate, University of Wisconsin at Madison
* Vice president of information technology, Store Opening Solutions

# Additional elections on the ballot[edit]

See also: Tennessee elections, 2016

The Williamson County Schools election shared the ballot with primary elections for the state's 7th Congressional District on the U.S. House of Representatives and the District 61, 63, and 65 seats on the Tennessee House of Representatives.[2]

# Key deadlines[edit]

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[edit]

The William County Republican Party endorsed District 1 candidate Richard Davis, District 3 candidate Kimberly Little, District 4 candidate Joey Czarneski, and District 11 candidate Stuart Cooper.[7] Little was also endorsed by Spring Hill Mayor Rick Graham.[8]

District 1 candidate Angela Durham, District 3 candidate Eliot Mitchell, District 4 incumbent Anne McGraw, District 5 incumbent Gary Anderson, District 7 incumbent Robert Hullett, District 9 incumbent Rick Wimberly, and District 11 candidate K.C. Haugh were endorsed by the WillCo Rising PAC. The Williamson Business PAC also endorsed McGraw, Anderson, Hullett, Wimberly, and Haugh.[9]

Do you know of an official or organization that endorsed a candidate in this race? Let Ballotpedia know by email at editor@ballotpedia.org.

### Campaign finance[edit]

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

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[edit]

Candidates received a total of $49,274.56 and spent a total of $24,273.51 as of July 29, 2016, according to the Williamson County Election Commission.[10]

##### District 1[edit]

Candidate  | Existing balance  | Contributions  | Expenditures  | Cash on hand

|
|
|
|

Richard Davis | $0.00  | $1,450.00  | $200.00  | $1,250.00
Angela Durham | $0.00  | $1,200.00  | $940.39  | $259.61

##### District 3[edit]

Candidate  | Existing balance  | Contributions  | Expenditures  | Cash on hand

|
|
|
|

Christy Coleman | $0.00  | $994.36  | $994.36  | $0.00
Kimberly Little | $0.00  | $2,160.00  | $1,028.64  | $1,131.36
Eliot Mitchell | $0.00  | $3,948.62  | $2,146.78  | $1,801.84

##### District 4[edit]

Candidate  | Existing balance  | Contributions  | Expenditures  | Cash on hand

|
|
|
|

Anne McGraw | $2,032.84  | $4,950.00  | $2,540.76  | $4,442.08
Joey Czarneski | $0.00  | $2,459.00  | $1,618.53  | $840.47

##### District 5[edit]

Candidate  | Existing balance  | Contributions  | Expenditures  | Cash on hand

|
|
|
|

Gary Anderson | $0.00  | $3,404.38  | $2,135.01  | $1,269.37
Julie Ellen Mauck | $0.00  | $0.00  | $0.00  | $0.00

##### District 7[edit]

Candidate  | Existing balance  | Contributions  | Expenditures  | Cash on hand

|
|
|
|

Robert Hullett | $0.00  | $4,068.00  | $2,499.43  | $1,568.57
Jennifer Luteran | $0.00  | $3,338.50  | $1,756.18  | $1,582.32
Christopher Richards | $0.00  | $1,500.00  | $746.20  | $753.80

##### District 9[edit]

Candidate  | Existing balance  | Contributions  | Expenditures  | Cash on hand

|
|
|
|

Rick Wimberly  | $290.00  | $5,620.00  | $1,548.24  | $4,071.76
Denise Boothby | $0.00  | $5,400.70  | $2,135.73  | $3,264.97

##### District 11[edit]

Candidate  | Existing balance  | Contributions  | Expenditures  | Cash on hand

|
|
|
|

Stuart Cooper | $795.01  | $3,779.00  | $2,611.71  | $1,962.30
K.C. Haugh | $2,792.76  | $5,002.00  | $1,371.55  | $6,423.21

### Past elections[edit]

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

|

#### 2014

See also: Williamson County Schools elections (2014)
Williamson County Schools,
District 2 General Election, 4-year term, 2014 | Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes

|
|
|

| Nonpartisan  | Daniel E. Cash | 58.9% | 1,260
| Nonpartisan  |  Melody M. Morris | 35.3% | 755
| Nonpartisan  |  Patsy Writesman | 5.6% | 120
| Nonpartisan  |  Write-in votes  | 0.2% | 4
Total Votes | 2,139
Source: Williamson County, Tennessee, "Primary and General Election Results," accessed August 8, 2014

Williamson County Schools,
District 4 General Election, 4-year term, 2014 Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes

|
|
|

| Nonpartisan  | Paul J. Bartholomew | 98.6% | 1,450
| Nonpartisan  |  Write-in votes  | 1.4% | 21
Total Votes | 1,471
Source: Williamson County, Tennessee, "Primary and General Election Results," accessed August 8, 2014

Williamson County Schools,
District 6 General Election, 4-year term, 2014 Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes

|
|
|

| Nonpartisan  | Jay Galbreath | 99% | 1,761
| Nonpartisan  |  Write-in votes  | 1% | 17
Total Votes | 1,778
Source: Williamson County, Tennessee, "Primary and General Election Results," accessed August 8, 2014

Williamson County Schools,
District 8 General Election, 4-year term, 2014 Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes

|
|
|

| Nonpartisan  | Candace Emerson | 57.2% | 1,173
| Nonpartisan  |  Pat Anderson Incumbent | 42.8% | 878
| Nonpartisan  |  Write-in votes  | 0% | 1
Total Votes | 2,052
Source: Williamson County, Tennessee, "Primary and General Election Results," accessed August 8, 2014

Williamson County Schools,
District 10 General Election, 4-year term, 2014 Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes

|
|
|

| Nonpartisan  | Beth Burgos | 54.3% | 1,090
| Nonpartisan  |  Eric Welch Incumbent | 45.5% | 913
| Nonpartisan  |  Write-in votes  | 0.2% | 4
Total Votes | 2,007
Source: Williamson County, Tennessee, "Primary and General Election Results," accessed August 8, 2014

Williamson County Schools,
District 12 General Election, 4-year term, 2014 Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes

|
|
|

| Nonpartisan  | Susan Curlee | 54.9% | 1,180
| Nonpartisan  |  Vicki Vogt Incumbent | 45% | 968
| Nonpartisan  |  Write-in votes  | 0.1% | 3
Total Votes | 2,151
Source: Williamson County, Tennessee, "Primary and General Election Results," accessed August 8, 2014

#### 2012

Williamson County Schools,
District 1 General Election, 4-year term, 2012 Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes

|
|
|

| Nonpartisan  | Kenneth Peterson | 55.5% | 773
| Nonpartisan  |  Eddie Creech  | 44.2% | 615
| Nonpartisan  |  Write-in votes  | 0.3% | 4
Total Votes | 1,392
Source: Williamson County Election Commission, "Primary/General Election," August 2, 2012

Williamson County Schools,
District 3 General Election, 4-year term, 2012 Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes

|
|
|

| Nonpartisan  | P.J. Mezera | 99.6% | 1,060
| Nonpartisan  |  Write-in votes  | 0.4% | 4
Total Votes | 1,064
Source: Williamson County Election Commission, "Primary/General Election," August 2, 2012

Williamson County Schools,
District 5 General Election, 4-year term, 2012 Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes

|
|
|

| Nonpartisan  | Gary Anderson Incumbent | 98.5% | 734
| Nonpartisan  |  Write-in votes  | 1.5% | 11
Total Votes | 745
Source: Williamson County Election Commission, "Primary/General Election," August 2, 2012

Williamson County Schools,
District 7 General Election, 4-year term, 2012 Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes

|
|
|

| Nonpartisan  | Robert Hullett | 52.2% | 698
| Nonpartisan  |  Brian W. Randolph  | 47.4% | 634
| Nonpartisan  |  Write-in votes  | 0.4% | 6
Total Votes | 1,338
Source: Williamson County Election Commission, "Primary/General Election," August 2, 2012

Williamson County Schools,
District 9 General Election, 4-year term, 2012 Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes

|
|
|

| Nonpartisan  | Rick Wimberly | 99.4% | 1,571
| Nonpartisan  |  Write-in votes  | 0.6% | 9
Total Votes | 1,580
Source: Williamson County Election Commission, "Primary/General Election," August 2, 2012

Williamson County Schools,
District 11 General Election, 4-year term, 2012 Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes

|
|
|

| Nonpartisan  | Mark Gregory Incumbent | 77.8% | 1,079
| Nonpartisan  |  Write-in votes  | 22.2% | 307
Total Votes | 1,386
Source: Williamson County Election Commission, "Primary/General Election," August 2, 2012

#### 2010

Williamson County Schools,
District 2 General Election, 4-year term, 2010

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Nonpartisan  | Janice Mills Incumbent | 52.7% | 1,024
| Nonpartisan  |  Martin Maguire  | 47.3% | 920
Total Votes | 1,944
Source: Williamson County Election Commission, "Primary & General Election," August 16, 2010

Williamson County Schools,
District 4 General Election, 4-year term, 2010

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Nonpartisan  | Timothy McLaughlin | 73.2% | 1,264
| Nonpartisan  |  Jessie Summerville Myhre  | 26.8% | 463
Total Votes | 1,727
Source: Williamson County Election Commission, "Primary & General Election," August 16, 2010

Williamson County Schools,
District 6 General Election, 4-year term, 2010

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Nonpartisan  | Terry Leve Incumbent | 100% | 1,335
Total Votes | 1,335
Source: Williamson County Election Commission, "Primary & General Election," August 16, 2010

Williamson County Schools,
District 8 General Election, 4-year term, 2010

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Nonpartisan  | Pat Anderson Incumbent | 100% | 1,435
Total Votes | 1,435
Source: Williamson County Election Commission, "Primary & General Election," August 16, 2010

Williamson County Schools,
District 10 General Election, 4-year term, 2010

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Nonpartisan  | Eric Welch | 63.3% | 827
| Nonpartisan  |  Bill Peach Incumbent | 36.7% | 479
Total Votes | 1,306
Source: Williamson County Election Commission, "Primary & General Election," August 16, 2010

Williamson County Schools,
District 12 General Election, 4-year term, 2010

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Nonpartisan  | Vicki Vogt | 63.3% | 705
| Nonpartisan  |  James Bond Incumbent | 36.7% | 409
Total Votes | 1,114
Source: Williamson County Election Commission, "Primary & General Election," August 16, 2010

## What was at stake?[edit]

### 2016[edit]

#### Election trends[edit]

See also: School board elections, 2014

The 2016 election for the Williamson County Schools Board of Education had a smaller percentage of unopposed seats and a higher average number of candidates running per seat compared to past elections in both the district and the state. Sixteen candidates ran for seven seats in the district's 2016 race, equaling 2.29 candidates per seat. The district's 2014 race attracted an average of 1.83 candidates per seat. In 2012, an average of 1.33 candidates ran per seat on the district's ballot, and in 2010, an average of 1.67 candidates ran. In 2014, Tennessee's largest school districts attracted an average of 1.94 candidates per seat.

No school board seats were unopposed in the district's 2016 election. A total of 33.33 percent of the seats were unopposed in the district's 2010 and 2014 races, and in 2012, 66.67 percent of the seats were unopposed. Statewide in 2014, 36.78 percent of school board seats were unopposed.

With challengers running for every seat on the ballot in 2016, the district had the chance to see all seven board seats go to new members. Instead, three new members were elected, and all three of them won open seats. No challengers were able to unseat incumbents, giving the four who ran a 100 percent success rate. In 2014, the district saw every seat on the ballot go to new members. Three of the six seats on the ballot were left open, and newcomers defeated incumbents for the other three seats. Overall in 2014, 45.98 percent of school board seats were taken by newcomers statewide, and 75.41 percent of incumbents won re-election.

#### Issues in the election[edit]

##### Anonymous letter calls for censure of incumbents[edit]

After four incumbents running for re-election in the district's 2016 race were endorsed by the WillCo Rising PAC and the Williamson Business PAC, an anonymous request was read at a board meeting on June 20, 2016, asking that the endorsed members be censured. The request said that Anne McGraw, Gary Anderson, Robert Hullett, and Rick Wimberly had violated school board policy by accepting the endorsements and that they should sever relationships with the political action committees and return any contributions they received from them.[11]

The board did not move to censure the endorsed members. According to Carol Birdsong, a spokeswoman for the district, the board was prohibited from considering anonymous complaints. Though board policy instructed members not to use their elected positions for personal or partisan gain, it also did not prohibit members from accepting endorsements from PACs.[11]

All four members responded to the censure request. Anderson said, "I'm thanking people who endorsed me. I think that's appropriate." In a statement, Wimberly said, “I’m honored to receive endorsements from the two organizations named in the statement read at the meeting."[11]

"I haven't had time to read the resolution yet, but I don't know that I put a lot of stock into anonymously written and delivered resolutions," said McGraw. "If someone wants to come forward to me, I'd be happy to do so." Hullett said the request was "a move out of desperation for people to try to defame me and make me look bad. And that's their choice to do, but it's factually incorrect."[11]

##### Candidate forum[edit]

On June 2, 2016, candidates running in the district's 2016 school board election participated in a candidate forum hosted by Williamson, Inc. and the Home Page Media Group.

Angela Durham

Christy Coleman

Gary Anderson

Robert Hullett

Anne McGraw

Denise Boothby

When asked her opinion on privatizing schools in the district, District 1 candidate Angela Durham said she would be open to privatizing certain aspects of a school, such as the arts or special programs. Most candidates, however, said they were not in favor of privatizing any area of public schools.

“I do not agree with privatization of public schools,” said District 3 candidate Christy Coleman. “Public schools need to be accountable to the community. They need to be accountable to the taxpayers. When we start privatizing schools or even parts of the school system, all of a sudden, it becomes a for-profit venture.”

District 5 incumbent Gary Anderson was also opposed to the privatization of district schools. He said, "Charter and voucher schools would take money out of public education funds. While it may not impact Williamson County Schools today, it impacts the amount of money available from the state for us.”

On the subject of guns on school grounds and whether or not anyone but a safety resource officer (SRO) should carry them, most candidates said they had to do more research before answering. District 7 incumbent Robert Hullett, however, knew his answer right away. “I’m a lifetime gun owner, permit holder, and lifetime member of the NRA and the answer is no,” said Hullett. “You have to be really cognizant and know what you’re taking about when you approach introducing guns into an environment where lots of children are and what could go wrong."

District 4 incumbent Anne McGraw put her faith in the district's SROs. “I think we have to be very careful when we talk about any situation that introduces more guns around children,” said McGraw. “I’m very thankful for our SROs. I think they do a great job. I know myself as a parent I feel very good knowing that they’re there everyday at my daughter’s school." She also said would look to the teachers for input before making an opinion on the issue.

When asked their opinion on teaching religion in public school, a majority of candidates said it should be taught in a historical context and at higher grade levels. “I think there needs to be strict guidelines around how it’s done, and I also think it should be taught at a higher level where the kids are able to form their own opinions and maybe not so young where they’re impressionable,” said Durham.

District 9 candidate Denise Boothby said, “As long as Islam is being taught from a history perspective, it can be done from a religious studies course, it can be done from a history course."[12]

#### Issues in the district[edit]

##### Setting up new religion policy[edit]

In the summer of 2016, the Williamson County Board of Education started discussing updates to the district's religion policy in response to a new state law. Prior to the discussions, the district only had a religious holiday policy, but the board sought to amend that policy to ensure it met the new state requirements that religious themes be presented in a factual and objective manner.[13]

The state law also required the school board to seek public comment on its new religion policy. The district was additionally required to give parents access to curriculum and major assignments in social studies, science, math, and English courses for grades six through 12.[13]

School board candidates weighed in on the issue in a candidate forum on June 2, 2016. Most of them were in favor of teaching religion in a historical context and at higher grade levels.[12]

The state bill on religion policy was introduced in January 2016 in response to "statewide concerns about religious indoctrination in public schools," according to The Tennesseean.[14]

##### Testing suspended in wake of state terminating TNReady contract[edit]

After the Tennessee Department of Education terminated the contract with the provider of the state's new TNReady test assessments on April 27, 2016, Williamson County Schools halted its assessments for all students. Education Commissioner Candice McQueen said the contract was terminated with North Carolina-based Measurement Inc. after it failed to deliver all of the testing materials.[15][16]

Education Commissioner Candice McQueen

McQueen called Measurement Inc.'s performance "deeply disappointing" after months of delivery delays and a failure to rollout the assessment online in February 2016. "We’ve exhausted every option in problem solving with this vendor to assist them in getting these tests delivered. Districts have exceeded their responsibility and obligation to wait for grade 3-8 materials, and we will not ask districts to continue waiting on a vendor that has repeatedly failed us," said McQueen.[17]

Measurement Inc. President Henry Scherich said the contract termination was a disappointment. "It has been a very difficult job, and we were within a couple days or so of having all the tests in the state," said Scherich.[16]

Scherich said that the company had been put in a "difficult, and even impossible, situation" after they were required to switch to a paper test in response to the failed online assessment, according to Chalkbeat Tennessee. McQueen said the state's contract had included provisions for paper tests in the case of technical difficulties.[17] The state first contracted with Measurement Inc. in 2014 in response to displeasure with the Common Core standards. As of the termination, the state had paid $1.6 million toward the $108 million contract.[16]

The state decided to continue testing high school students, as those materials had been received, but it suspended the tests for younger students. School districts that received the needed materials for testing younger grades were allowed to choose between continuing the assessments or suspending them. The state also gave districts a one-year reprieve for all tests, which Williamson County Schools used to cancel tests for high schoolers as well as younger students.[15][17]

Due to the suspension, accountability measures related to test scores, such as teacher evaluations, were also delayed for one year. Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam (R) said that despite the delay, the state was still moving forward.[17]

“  | The failure of the testing vendor to deliver the tests and meet its own obligations does not take away from the fact that Tennessee has created our own, higher standards, we have an improved assessment fully aligned with those standards, and we remain committed going forward to measuring student performance fairly and ensuring accountability for those results.[18] | ”

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—Gov. Bill Haslam (R)[17]

#### Issues in the state[edit]

##### Transgender bathroom bill withdrawn[edit]

Rep. Susan Lynn (R-57)

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.[19][20]

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."[19][21]

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.[22]

Attorney General Herbert Slatery (R)

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.[23]

“  | 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.[18] | ”

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—Attorney General Herbert Slatery (April 2016)[23]

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.[23] 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.[24]

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.[23]

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.[18] | ”

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—David Fowler (April 2016)[19]

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.[19]

### Candidate survey[edit]

Ballotpedia invites school board candidates to participate in its annual survey.
Click here to view or fill out the survey.

|

#### Survey responses[edit]

Four candidates in this race participated in Ballotpedia's 2016 survey of school board candidates. The following sections display the responses to the survey questions from District 1 challenger Angela Durham, District 3 challenger Christy Coleman, District 7 incumbent Robert Hullett, and District 7 challenger Jennifer Luteran.

##### Hope to achieve[edit]

Angela Durham

When asked what she hoped to achieve if elected to the school board, Durham stated:

“  | I hope to represent the families, teachers, students, staff and administration of the four schools in my district at the broader county level. I have an investment in the community as a long-time resident with two children in the system. I will professionally and respectfully represent all educational matters with the sole interest of enhancing and improving the educational experience of all of our county's students.[18] | ”

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—Angela Durham (July 8, 2016)[25]

Christy Coleman

Coleman did not respond to the question about what she hoped to achieve if elected to the board.[26]

Robert Hullet

Hullett said he hoped to achieve the following if he was re-elected to the board:

“  | When I am re-elected to serve the children and families of my community, we will be tackling three main issues immediately: unprecedented growth, high-stakes testing, and fiscally responsible stewardship of our current facilities and other assets. You can read more at: www.roberthullett.com. Your Vote is Your Voice...make sure you are heard.[18] | ”

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—Robert Hullet (May 26, 2016)[27]

Jennifer Luteran

Luteran stated the following when asked what she hoped to achieve if elected to the board:

“  | I hope to bring a reasonable and sound voice back to the constituents of District 7. I hope to engage the business community in a way that improves and enhances our children's learning experience. I hope to make the school budget more transparent to that the average tax payer is able to clearly review it and make clear sense out of the numbers. I hope to make sure that all future rezonings are done out in the open instead of behind closed doors. I hope to have more frequent community meetings so that taxpayers have a easy way to voice their concerns. I hope to make sure that every single taxpayer dollar that can go into the classroom, makes it to the classroom.[18] | ”

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—Jennifer Luteran (July 7, 2016)[28]

##### Ranking the issues[edit]

The candidates were asked to rank the following issues by importance in the school district, with 1 being the most important and 7 being the least important. This table displays their rankings:

Issue importance ranking

Issue  | Durham's ranking
(District 1)  | Coleman's ranking
(District 3)  | Hullett's ranking
(District 7)  | Luteran's ranking
(District 7)
Expanding arts education | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6
Improving relations with teachers | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4
Balancing or maintaining the district's budget | 5 | 2 | 2 | 3
Improving post-secondary readiness | 3 | 5 | 3 | 5
Closing the achievement gap | 6 | 3 | 4 | 1
Improving education for special needs students | 1 | 4 | 5 | 2
Expanding school choice options | 4 | 7 | 7 | 7

##### Positions on the issues[edit]

The candidates were asked to answer nine multiple choice and short answer questions from Ballotpedia regarding significant issues in education and the school district. A link to their responses can be found below.

* Angela Durham survey responses
* Christy Coleman survey responses
* Robert Hullett survey responses
* Jennifer Luteran survey responses

## About the district[edit]

See also: Williamson County Schools, Tennessee

The Williamson County school district is located in Williamson County, Tennessee.

The Williamson County school district is located in Williamson County in central Tennessee. The county seat is Franklin. Williamson County was home to 211,672 residents in 2015, according to the United States Census Bureau.[29] The district was the sixth-largest school district in the state in the 2013–2014 school year and served 34,350 students.[30]

### Demographics[edit]

Williamson County outperformed Tennessee as a whole in terms of higher education achievement from 2010 to 2014. The United States Census Bureau found that 54.1 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 for Williamson County was $91,743, compared to $44,621 for the entire state. The percentage of people below poverty level was 5.6 percent, while it was 18.3 percent statewide.[29]

|  Racial Demographics, 2014[29]

Race  | Williamson County (%)  | Tennessee (%)
White | 90.0 | 78.9
Black or African American | 4.5 | 17.1
American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.3 | 0.4
Asian | 3.7 | 1.7
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander | 0.1 | 0.1
Two or more races | 1.4 | 1.7
Hispanic or Latino | 4.7 | 5.0

|  Presidential Voting Pattern,
Williamson County[31]

Year  | Democratic Vote  | Republican Vote
2012 | 15,321 | 43,562
2008 | 18,354 | 44,808
2004 | 19,637 | 42,555
2000 | 21,354 | 33,482

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[edit]

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms 'Williamson County Schools' 'Tennessee'. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

Williamson County Schools elections (2016) - Google News

## See also[edit]

Williamson County Schools | Tennessee | School Boards

|
|

* Williamson County Schools elections (2014)

* List of school districts in Tennessee

* Tennessee school board elections, 2016
* Public education in Tennessee
* Local ballot measures, Tennessee

* School board elections, 2016
* School board elections, 2015
* School board election data analysis, 2016
* School board election data analysis, 2015

## External links[edit]

| Suggest a link

|

* Williamson County Schools
* Williamson County Election Commission

## Footnotes[edit]

1. ↑ 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
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Williamson County Election Commission, "Candidate List-August 4, 2016-State Primary/County General Election," accessed April 8, 2016
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Williamson County Schools, "Board Members," accessed March 31, 2016
4. ↑ Williamson County Election Commission, "Summary Report: Primary and General Election August 4, 2016," accessed August 5, 2016
5. ↑ Williamson County, Tennessee, "Primary and General Election Results," accessed August 8, 2014
6. ↑ Tennessee Secretary of State, "What ID is required when voting?" accessed March 31, 2016
7. ↑ The Tennesseean, "Williamson County Republican Party endorses school board candidates," July 19, 2016
8. ↑ Kim 4 School Board, "Home," accessed May 25, 2016
9. ↑ The Tennesseean, "Williamson PACs endorse school board candidates," June 13, 2016
10. ↑ Abbey Smith, “Email communication with Chad Gray, Williamson County Administrator of Elections," July 29, 2016
11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 The Tennesseean, "Request calls for censure of 4 Williamson school board members, "June 21, 2016
12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Williamson Herald, "School board candidates face tough issues – privatization, guns, religion – at forum," June 3, 2016
13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 The Tennesseean, "Williamson school board to draft religion policy," June 16, 2016
14. ↑ The Tennesseean, "Bill seeks to prevent religious indoctrination in schools," January 20, 2016
15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 WATE.com, "Tennessee Department of Education terminates TNReady testing contract," April 27, 2016
16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 The Tennesseean, "Tennessee terminates contract with TNReady test company," April 27, 2016
17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 17.4 Chalkbeat Tennessee, "Tennessee fires TNReady testmaker, suspends tests for grades 3-8," April 27, 2016
18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 18.4 18.5 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 The Tennesseean, "Transgender bathroom bill dead for year," April 18, 2016
20. ↑ Open States, "HB 2414," accessed April 19, 2016
21. ↑ Knoxville News Sentinel, "Tennessee lawmakers should stay out of students’ restrooms," April 3, 2016
22. ↑ Huffington Post, "Tennessee Governor Skeptical Of Anti-Transgender Bathroom Bill," April 13, 2016
23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 23.3 The Tennesseean, "Attorney general: Tennessee bathroom bill threatens Title IX funds," April 11, 2016
24. ↑ CBS News, "Tennessee lawmakers under fire over transgender bathroom bill," April 13, 2016
25. ↑ Ballotpedia's school board candidate survey, "Angela Durham's responses," July 8, 2016]
26. ↑ Ballotpedia's school board candidate survey, "Christy Coleman's responses," July 12, 2016]
27. ↑ Ballotpedia's school board candidate survey, "Robert Hullet's responses," May 26, 2016]
28. ↑ Ballotpedia's school board candidate survey, "Jennifer Luteran's responses," July 7, 2016]
29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 29.2 United States Census Bureau, "Williamson County, Tennessee," accessed April 12, 2016
30. ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "ELSI Table Generator," accessed November 16, 2015
31. ↑ Tennessee Secretary of State, "Election Results," accessed June 25, 2014

2016 Williamson County Schools Elections

Williamson County, Tennessee
Election date:| August 4, 2016
Candidates:| District 1: • Richard Davis • Angela Durham
District 3: • Christy Coleman • Kimberly Little • Eliot Mitchell
District 4: • Incumbent, Anne McGraw • Joey Czarneski
District 5: • Incumbent, Gary Anderson • Julie Ellen Mauck
District 7: • Incumbent, Robert Hullett • Jennifer Luteran • Christopher Richards
District 9: • Incumbent, Rick Wimberly • Denise Boothby
District 11: • Stuart Cooper • K.C. Haugh
Important information:| What was at stake? • Additional elections on the ballot • Key deadlines

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