BENTONVILLE — Benton County residents are certain to see some familiar names when they go to vote in school board elections in September.
Each of the county’s seven school districts has at least one board seat up for election. Seven incumbents reached for comment this week said they intend to run for re-election.
At A Glance
School Board Petitions
Any person wishing to run for a position on their local school board must:
• Be a qualified voter.
• Be a resident of the district and respective electoral zone, if elected from zones.
• File a petition containing at least 20 signatures of qualified registered voters of the district and zone, if elected from zones; or file a Notice of Write-In Candidacy with the county clerk.
• Complete and file an Affidavit of Eligibility and a Political Practices Pledge in person at the County Clerk’s office.
Petition forms are available at any of the county clerk’s offices and online at www.co.benton.ar.us/CountyClerk.
Source: Benton County Clerk’s Office
Tuesday is the beginning of the filing period for those interested in running for school board in the Sept. 17 election. Candidates will have until noon July 9 to file petitions to get their name on the ballot.
In Bentonville, the Zone 6 seat held by Rudy Upshaw is up for election. Upshaw, who was appointed to the seat last year, said he intends to run. He is a commercial relationship manager for InTrust Bank.
The Bentonville board election will be accompanied on the ballot by a 2.9-mill tax increase the board is proposing to build a second high school.
In Rogers, the Zone 2 seat held by Curtis Clements is up for election. Clements, a lawyer with Hood & Stacy, also said he intends to run. He was appointed to the position in January 2011 after Jennifer Haskins resigned. He was unopposed when he ran for election to the seat later that year.
Bentonville, Rogers, Decatur, Gentry and Siloam Springs candidates must live in the zone they represent, unless they are going for an at-large seat. Gravette and Pea Ridge board seats are not zoned.
Other incumbents who said they plan to run for re-election this year include:
• Louie Thomas Jr., Zone 3, Siloam Springs
• Randall Bolinger, Zone 4, Gentry
• David Williamson, at-large, Gentry
• John R. Edwards, Position 7, Gravette
• Darin Wright, Position 3, Pea Ridge
Others whose seats are up for election this year, but could not be reached for comment this week include Decatur School Board members Amy Brooks, Zone 1; and Kevin W. Smith, Zone 3.
The deadline to register to vote in school board elections is Aug. 19.