PEA RIDGE -- All five seats on the Pea Ridge School Board are up for election this year as a result of a state law requiring the district be zoned because of the percentage of the district population belonging to a minority status.
The law requires any board of a community that has a combined minority population of more than 10% create zones. The law provides that a school district that attains 10% minority population out of the total population shall elect board members in compliance with the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965 as amended.
The School Board has taken all necessary steps to comply with the law including approving a resolution to create and approve the zones created by a demographer.
Five zones were created, and each of the board members must reside in the district being represented. Term lengths will be established by elected board members drawing lots. According to the law, no more than two board members can be up for election in any year.
To be eligible for a School Board seat, a person must be a registered voter, live in the Pea Ridge School District and live in the zone they will represent. They must not be an employee of the district. A felony, in most cases, is a disqualifier for running for School Board or holding a School Board seat.
The candidate filing period opens Feb. 22 and closes March 1. The election will be May 24.
In order to be a candidate, interested persons are advised to obtain materials about running for office from the County Clerk's office, then circulate petitions to gather signatures of at least 20 qualified residents of the district and zone.
Dr. Tony Prothro, executive director of the Arkansas School Boards Association, said specific legal duties of School Board members include:
• Make, enforce and obey district policies.
• Hire and evaluate the superintendent.
• Set the district's vision, mission and direction.
• Oversee district finances and budget.
• Approve the employment of staff.
• Attend legal convened board meetings.
• Conduct hearings.
• Visit schools annually when students are present.
• Receive training and professional development.
• Follow state and federal laws and Arkansas Department of Education rules governing public schools, including the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act.
In addition, School Board members may:
• Monitor and advocate for student achievement and district progress.
• Advocate student needs to lawmakers and stakeholders.
• Collaborate with community partners.
• Ensure facilities are safe and adequate.
• Align resources with goals.
Prothro said qualities of a good board member are integrity, commitment, vision, courage and respect.
He said board members should be motivated by the best interest of all students regardless of demographic area or other identifiers; be passionate about public education; share responsibility for fiscal accountability, facilities and student academic achievement; be willing to follow high ethical standards; be strong communicators and willing to listen; be ready to rely on facts and weigh in on all sides of an issue before making a decision; be well informed about current issues in public education; be supporters of the democratic process and accept the will of the majority; be willing to spend time and energy on board business; be committed to learning by participating in ongoing training; be collaborative and able to function as part of a team; and be willing to exercise power only at legally held meetings.
He said an individual board member only has authority when present in a legally convened meeting and casting a vote with a quorum present.
Noting that many times parents of students complain to school board members, Prothro said the "Golden Rule" is that if someone is hired to do it, it is not their job. He said board members should require all parties complaining to follow the chain of command by routing all requests and information through the proper channels.