School board filing period changes
Posted on Wednesday, June 18, 2008
BENTON COUNTY — Petitions for school board positions in Benton County can be circulated starting Wednesday, but the day those petitions can be filed is not for several more weeks.
For many years, the filing period for school-board elections was the same time frame as when the petitions could be circulated — more than a month. The law changed in 2007; the filing period is only one week long — from July 11 through noon July 18. The filing period for community college board of trustee elections did not change. That filing period began last week and ends Aug. 4.
Other than the time change, the filing process will be pretty much the same. To qualify for the ballot, school board candidates must be qualified voters, be residents of the school district or zone in which they wish to be elected and must file petitions with at least 20 signatures of people within their school district or zone.
Petitions are available either at the Benton County Clerk’s Office locations or at the school district’s central offices. Petitions must be filed in person at one of the following Clerk’s Office locations:
• 215 E. Central Ave., Suite 217, in Bentonville;
• 300 W. Poplar St., Suite 2, in Rogers; or
• 707 S. Lincoln St., Suite C, in Siloam Springs.
This year, each school district has only one opening on its board, except for the Bentonville School District. Board member Doylene Fuqua, Position 6, resigned Monday night. The school board has 30 days to appoint someone to fill that position. The appointee is required to run for the unexpired term if he or she wishes to remain in that position.
The board elections for both Northwest Arkansas Community College and school boards will be Sept. 16.
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