First-time candidate unseats incumbent in Bentonville school board race

Grace Wixson of Rogers seals shows off her sticker Tuesday Nov. 2, 2021 after voting for the first time at the Rogers Convention Center. Citizens in Benton County voted on school board positions and a school tax. Visit nwaonline.com/210001103Daily/ (NWA Democrat-Gazette/J.T. Wampler)
Grace Wixson of Rogers seals shows off her sticker Tuesday Nov. 2, 2021 after voting for the first time at the Rogers Convention Center. Citizens in Benton County voted on school board positions and a school tax. Visit nwaonline.com/210001103Daily/ (NWA Democrat-Gazette/J.T. Wampler)

BENTONVILLE -- Mike Swanson unseated incumbent Joe Quinn to secure the School Board's Zone 7 seat according to final, unofficial results from Tuesday's school election.

Quinn received 484 votes (40.7%), while Swanson received 704 votes (59.2%).

This was Swanson's first bid for public office.

"It's been encouraging to have the opportunity to hear from parents in the zone and to know that my message resonated with them," Swanson said. "I look forward to being a voice on the board for the young parents in the district and all the constituents of Zone 7."

Swanson said he ran for School Board to be more involved in his children's education.

"You want to be involved and make sure you're doing what you can to make sure your kids are getting the best experience and education that they can," he said.

Swanson is an analyst for General Mills. He previously worked as a substitute teacher in Nebraska, as an adviser for Bayer Healthcare and a project manager for Advantage Sales and Marketing. Swanson also serves the community as a Sunday school teacher with First Baptist Rogers and by coaching his son's flag football team.

Swanson said he'd like to see the district give equal conversation to the value of students pursuing a trade, rather than a college track, following graduation.

"We need to change the the narrative around college versus trades," Swanson said.

Swanson is the father of three: a 4-year-old, a fourth-grader at Evening Star Elementary School and a first-grader who attends school at First Baptist Rogers, he said.

Quinn congratulated Swanson on his win.

"I hope he finds the joy in serving on the school board that I did," Quinn said. "He ran a smart campaign, and he worked hard."

Quinn said he's unsure if he'll run for public office again in the future.

Quinn, a self-employed consultant, ran unopposed for School Board in 2016, one year after the board appointed him to a vacant seat. He has two children, both Bentonville High School graduates.

On at least two occasions during time allotted for public comment at board meetings, Swanson has spoken out against the board mandating the wearing of masks in schools.

Quinn voted repeatedly in favor of mask mandates.

Swanson said Quinn ran a tough campaign and thanked him for his service to the district.

Most school districts in the state held board elections in May, but Bentonville opted for a November election. School board positions are unpaid in Arkansas.

Only those who live in Zone 7 -- which covers southwest Bentonville and parts of Centerton, Rogers, Highfill and Cave Springs -- were eligible to vote in this election.

A total of 1,458 ballots were cast in the election. There are 14,140 registered voters in the zone, said Dana Caler of the Benton County Clerk's Office.

Eric White, Bentonville's board president, ran unopposed for Zone 3, which consists of parts of north and central Bentonville and east Centerton.

All other Bentonville ballots contained only a question on the district's 48.5 millage rate, which is not changing.

Districts are required under Article 14, Section 3, of the Arkansas Constitution to include their tax rates on the ballots in school elections, regardless of whether they seek a change.

If there is no proposed change in a tax rate, then a district seeks a vote on its current rate.

Board members serve five-year terms.

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Mike Swanson

• Age: 32

• Residency: Rogers. He has lived in the district for seven years.

• Employment: Analyst with General Mills

• Education: Master’s of Business Administration from John Brown University, 2019

• Political Experience: None

Source: NWA Democrat-Gazette

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