District altering how 2 members of board selected

It adopts at-large seats to be filled by Bentonville voters

BENTONVILLE — The Bentonville School Board is changing the method by which members are elected so that five members will be chosen by zones and two will be chosen by all school district voters.

For the past decade, each of the board’s seven members has represented a certain geographic zone. Only the residents of a zone are eligible to vote for that zone’s representative.

The switch to having two atlarge members means all district voters will have a say in electing three of the seven board members — their zone representative and the two at-large representatives — instead of just one.

Board members cited that as the biggest reason to make the change.

Brent Leas, a board member, said whenever the annual board election comes around, he hears from frustrated constituents wondering why they can’t vote in it.

“I know my constituents that reach out to me would appreciate more opportunities to vote,” Leas said.

The board voted unanimously Tuesday to switch to the five zones, two at-large system. Eric White, board president, then drew names from a hat to determine who would have first choice of serving in the at-large positions.

White drew the names of Willie Cowgur, the current Zone 4 representative, and Kelly Carlson, Zone 5. Both accepted the at-large assignments.

Next year, each of the other five board members will have to run for reelection to one of the newly designed five zones. Cowgur and Carlson will remain in their at-large positions.

Then, after the 2022 election, each of the seven board members will draw to decide when their positions will come up next for election, so their terms are staggered over a fiveyear period, White said. Board members usually serve five-year terms.

The district — which has more than 17,000 students — must redraw board zones anyway because of the latest census results. Heavy growth over the past decade resulted in the seven zones becoming unbalanced population-wise. The board intends to meet again Tuesday to vote on a new zone map.

The city of Bentonville — which is home to Walmart corporate headquarters and to the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art — is the ninth largest city in Arkansas, with 54,164 residents, according to the 2020 U.S. Census.

Board members acknowledged the biggest disadvantage to running as an at-large candidate is having to campaign districtwide. The district encompasses 142 square miles, including most of Bentonville and portions of Bella Vista, Cave Springs, Centerton, Highfill, Little Flock and Rogers.

“You would have to raise a lot of money to run for an atlarge seat,” said Matt Burgess, a board member.