Educator announces bid for council seat

Ward 2 covers downtown and most of the University of Arkansas campus.

FAYETTEVILLE — A longtime educator wants to serve her neighbors as their Ward 2 representative. Kristen Scott, 53, said she plans to file as a candidate to fill former City Council member Matthew Petty’s seat. Petty resigned Oct. 25, saying work demands were taking away from his time on the council.

Scott is an assistant professor teaching mainly math and science at the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith. She has lived in the city for 35 years.

Ward 2 covers downtown and most of the University of Arkansas campus.

Scott resigned Wednesday after serving three years on the Fayetteville Housing Authority board, saying she wanted to focus her time on campaigning and her job.

Scott said if elected, she would focus on economic development to recover from the pandemic and improvement of the city’s sidewalks and trails. She also said she wanted to strengthen the city’s relationship with Fayetteville Public Schools to better market the city as a destination for families looking to move to Northwest Arkansas.

Too often, working-class people work in the city but live elsewhere, Scott said. She cited attainable housing for working-class residents as a priority.

“Coming from a background of service — being a public educator — I recognize it’s not just teachers, it’s also police officers, it’s firefighters, it’s artists,” Scott said. “The more we can do to keep those workers able to live in our community, the more it strengthens our community.”

Scott previously worked in administration for Fayetteville Public Schools, taught math at McNair Middle School and was principal at Owl Creek School and Root Elementary School.

Council members earn $1,042 per month and serve four-year terms. The positions are nonpartisan.

The special election is Feb. 8. The winner will serve the remainder of the term through Dec. 31, 2024.

Scott