Clements running for second term on Rogers School Board

ROGERS — The School Board’s vice president won’t face opposition in his bid for re-election this spring.

Curtis Clements, 49, filed Monday to run for his second full term. No one else filed by Thursday’s deadline. The election is May 22.

Clements is second in terms of seniority on the board. Kristen Cobbs, board president, has served longer.

This will be the third time Clements has run unopposed. He was appointed to the board’s Zone 2 position in January 2011 and ran unopposed later that year, earning the right to complete the unexpired term. He ran unopposed again in 2013 for his first full five-year term.

Clements is a Rogers native and Rogers High School graduate. He has worked as an attorney with the Hood and Stacy law firm in Bentonville since 1992. He and his wife, Sharon, have two daughters, including a freshman in college and a sophomore at Heritage High School.

Clements said he believes his value as a board member stems from the perspective he brings as a longtime Rogers resident, as a parent and as a lawyer.

“The critical thinking that is part of being an attorney helps me be a better board member,” he said.

He listed several issues he views as priorities for the district.

One is increased enrichment opportunities for higher-achieving students.

“Our motto is ‘Where all belong, all learn and all succeed.’ I truly believe all means all,” Clements said. “So we have to reach every student where they are. That includes more rigorous opportunities for those who are excelling.”

He said making sure all Rogers students have equal opportunities for education, regardless of where they live, is important to him. He’s been an advocate for the arts and extracurricular activities, he said.

Clements added while the graduation rate has improved in recent years, he would like to see it get better. Arkansas Department of Education data shows Rogers’ 2016 graduation rate was 89.3 percent.

Clements