Norris School District 160 recall, Nebraska (2021)
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| 2021 Norris School District 160 recall |
| Recall status |
| Table of contents |
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Recall supporters Recall opponents Path to the ballot About the district 2021 recall efforts |
| See also |
| External links Footnotes |
An effort to recall five of the six members of the Norris School District 160 Board of Education in Nebraska did not go to a vote in 2021. Recall supporters did not submit petitions by the deadline on October 7, 2021.[1]
The recall effort began in August 2021. Ward 1 representative Rhonda Burbach, Ward 2 representative Patty Bentzinger, Ward 3 representative Jim Devine, Ward 4 representative Jim Craig, and Ward 5 representative Gary Kubicek were named in the recall petitions.[2]
The effort began after the board voted 4-1 on August 6, 2021, to require students ages 2-12 to wear masks indoors. The vote came after the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department issued new guidance due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Ward 6 representative Craig Gana voted against the mask requirement and was the only board member not included in the recall effort. Kubicek was absent from the meeting when the vote was taken.[2]
The last time all five board members were up for election, they all ran unopposed. Bentzinger and Craig were re-elected to four-year terms on November 6, 2018. Devine and Kubicek were re-elected to four-year terms on November 3, 2020, and Burbach won her first term on the board in the same election.
To read about other recall efforts related to the coronavirus and government responses to the pandemic, click here.
Recall supporters
The recall petitions were filed by Conan Thomas, a resident of Hickman, Nebraska. Thomas called the district's mask requirement unwarranted and a violation of parents' freedoms.[2]
Thomas also said that residents of the Norris School District did not have a say in who was leading the county-city health department as the mayor of Lincoln, Nebraska, appointed the health department director. The Norris School District's boundaries were outside of that city. "We have no representation and thus should not be governed by their recommendations," Thomas said.[2]
Recall opponents
Bentzinger said the district had to make difficult decisions during the pandemic. She said she accepted that differing opinions existed. "Our board and administration have received feedback on all sides of the topic. While we are disappointed to learn that an individual in the community has filed a request for a recall petition, it is an option afforded to them," she said. "The Norris Board of Education has many long-standing members who have served with a sincere dedication to students. This is an excellent community which is defined by more than this one topic."[2]
Bentzinger also said that ignoring the health department's guidance "could have brought legal liability, jeopardized school stability and potentially put vulnerable students ineligible for vaccination at risk."[2]
Path to the ballot
- See also: Laws governing recall in Nebraska
The five board members had until the end of August to submit statements of defense against the recall petition.[2] After that, recall supporters had 30 days to gather signatures.[3]
About the district
Norris School District 160 is located in Lancaster County, Nebraska. It is classified as a rural school district by the National Center for Education Statistics. The district served 2,390 students during the 2018-2019 school year and comprised four schools.[4]
During the 2018-2019 school year, 13.6% of the district's students were eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, 0.7% were English language learners, and 9.1% of students had an Individual Education Plan (IEP).[5]
| Racial Demographics, 2018-2019 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Race | Norris School District 160 (%) | Nebraska K-12 students (%) |
| American Indian/Alaska Native | 0.4 | 1.3 |
| Asian or Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.8 | 2.8 |
| Black | 0.6 | 6.6 |
| Hispanic | 4.8 | 19.2 |
| Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | 0.0 | 0.1 |
| Two or More Races | 1.8 | 3.9 |
| White | 91.6 | 66.0 |
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.
Ballotpedia covered 35 coronavirus-related recall efforts against 94 officials in 2022, accounting for 13% of recalls that year. This is a decrease from both 2020 and 2021. COVID-related recalls accounted for 37% of all recall efforts in both 2020 and 2021. In 2020, there were 87 COVID-related recalls against 89 officials, and in 2021, there were 131 against 214 officials.
The chart below compares coronavirus-related recalls to recalls for all other reasons in 2020, 2021, and 2022.
2021 recall efforts
- See also: School board recalls
Ballotpedia tracked 92 school board recall efforts against 237 board members in 2021. Recall elections against 17 board members were held in 2021. The school board recall success rate was 0.42%.
The chart below details the status of 2021 recall efforts by individual school board member.
See also
- [[Norris School District 160, Nebraska
- Norris School District 160, Nebraska, elections (2020)
- Norris School District 160 elections (2018)
- Recall campaigns in Nebraska
- Political recall efforts, 2021
- School board recalls
- States that allow school board recalls
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Abbey Smith, “Email communication with Lancaster County Election Commissioner David J. Shively," October 14, 2021
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Lincoln Journal-Star, "Majority of Norris school board faces recall effort over mask requirement," August 18, 2021
- ↑ Nebraska Legislature, "Nebraska Revised Statute 32-1305," accessed August 25, 2021
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Search for Public School Districts," accessed March 8, 2021
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Public Elementary/Secondary School Universe Survey," accessed March 8, 2021
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