HOPE – The tectonic shift in national politics Tuesday toward the presidential candidacy of Donald J. Trump was mirrored largely across Arkansas; but, not in the classrooms of the Hope Public School District.
Students conducted mock elections on all five HPSD campuses Tuesday as their parents and other family members went to the polls in the U. S. General Election, which saw New York businessman Trump defeat former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in an Electoral College upset.
Students on all five campuses voted against that trend Tuesday, giving Mrs. Clinton substantial margins of victory across the board, with a total of 911 votes to 187 votes for Trump and 67 votes for independent and third-party candidates.
Of the 1,165 total votes cast by the students, Clinton claimed 78.1 percent, Trump received 16 percent and other candidates won 5.7 percent.
The vote break-down by campus was as follows:
Clinton Primary – Clinton, 295; Trump, 37; others, 12.
Beryl Henry Elementary – Clinton, 179; Trump 36; others, 0.
Yerger Middle School – Clinton, 192; Trump, 27; others, 9.
HAPS – Clinton, 130; Trump, 83; others, 22.
Hope High School – Clinton, 115; Trump, 40; others 24.
Classes in the third and fourth grade halls at CPS participated, while the social studies classes of Zach Hoglund and Kathy Knight participated at HHS.
Votes were cast via computer on the YMS and HAPS campuses, while CPS students lined the halls, signed-in and voted by paper ballot.
CPS teacher Lynda Cole said her students were “very surprised” when Trump won the Tuesday election.
“They couldn’t believe that Trump won in Arkansas, also,” Cole said.
