school board
Conway incumbents unseated in closely watched school board election
Two political newcomers unseated incumbents on the Conway School Board in an election that attracted increased attention after a series of debates in the district on divisive social issues. Though school board elections are nonpartisan, the incumbents who lost had aligned themselves with conservatives, even drawing endorsements from Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders. However, Trey Geier […]
Candidates vie for two Conway school board seats
Interest in the school board election in one Central Arkansas county has grown after the district became a battleground for “culture war” issues, like transgender bathroom policies, book bans and parental rights. Faulkner County has seen a “very high turnout for a school election,” according to the election commission’s office. There were 4,091 votes cast, […]
Bus driver shortage in rural Arkansas district strands kids, angers parents
Nicole Haynes is exasperated by excuses from the Sheridan School District. A parent of two children in the district, Haynes lives in daily uncertainty. She never knows if the school bus her children ride will run on schedule. She sometimes receives an automated text alerting her at the last minute that the bus may be […]
Anti-transparency measure withers in Arkansas Senate committee
First, the good news: Rep. Mary Bentley’s bill narrowing what counts as a public meeting failed on a voice vote in a Senate committee Tuesday. That effectively kills it for this session. I hope. Thanks to the government transparency debate her legislation sparked, I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the ambiguity in the Arkansas […]
Lawmaker to take another swing at your right to know
Rep. Mary Bentley is pushing for county governments, city councils and school boards to be more like the Legislature. The Perryville Republican points to the ease with which she can get together with or call other lawmakers to talk about possible legislation or pending bills. The ability to confer with other lawmakers out of the […]
Dozens of contested Arkansas school board races set for May 9
Several Arkansans are vying for a seat on their local school board in May, but legislation being considered by the Arkansas General Assembly could change how these elections are conducted in the future. Senate Bill 206, which was amended and re-referred to the Senate Education Committee in February, would allow school board elections to be […]
Lone incumbent holds onto seat on Bentonville School Board
Jennifer Faddis kept her position on the Bentonville School Board by defeating Gail Pianalto in the Zone 2 race with nearly 58% of the vote Tuesday. Faddis joined the board in 2020. Twelve candidates were seeking five positions on the board, which restructured itself last year to create two at-large positions and five geographic zones. […]
Bentonville school board election garners attention of national conservative group
In a Bentonville School Board election with a dozen candidates seeking five positions, Jennifer Faddis stands out: she’s the only incumbent running. The seven-member board restructured itself last year, creating two at-large positions and five geographic zones. Previously, all seven members represented specific areas. The at-large members are not up for re-election. Faddis joined the […]
Citations issued in Huntsville School District abuse case
Audra Kimball, former Huntsville School District superintendent and current personnel and program compliance director, and former junior high school basketball coach Kaleb Houston have been summoned to appear for charges of failure to notify by mandated reporters in the first degree, according to Fourth Judicial Prosecuting Attorney Matt Durrett. “These are the initial summons and […]
An ‘unprecedented flood’ of book bans engulfs U.S. school districts, PEN report says
WASHINGTON — More than 1,600 book titles across 32 states were banned from public schools during the 2021-2022 school year, with the bulk of the ban requests coming from a handful of right-wing groups pushing for censorship of books that feature LGBTQ+ characters and characters of color, a new report issued Monday said. “What I […]