School board filing period nears; Yager plans to file

One of the five Pea Ridge School Board seats is up for election this year. The seat held by Adam Yager for Zone 1 will be up for election.

Pea Ridge School District was divided into zones last year due to population growth. The board members received various lengths of term so one seat is open every year and all will ultimately be for five-year terms.

Yager has served one year. He said Monday that he does plan to seek re-election.

There are nearly two dozen school board seats up for election across Benton and Washington counties this spring.

The period for candidates to file to run for one of those seats begins at noon Feb. 22 and lasts until noon March 1. Elections will be May 9.

Most Arkansas school districts hold board elections in May. Some choose to do elections in November, in which case the filing period is in August.

The other 14 districts in Benton and Washington counties all have at least one seat up for election in May.

All those who win their elections receive five-year terms, unless they are running to fill an unexpired term. Such situations exist when board members resign before their term runs out. All school board positions are unpaid and nonpartisan.

Those interested in running for a board seat should contact their county clerk for petitions and other information.

Board candidates must file petitions with at least 20 signatures from registered voters within the school district or from within the zone they would represent to appear on ballots. While some seats represent specific zones within a district, other seats are at-large and thus represent the entire district. Candidates must be qualified voters and live in the district or zone for which they’re running. They also may file a notice of write-in candidacy with their county clerk.