Annual School Elections Are Set For May 24

CANDIDATES CAN CIRCULATE PETITIONS

Eligible residents interested in running for school board on the May 24 election ballot can circulate petitions at this time. The first day to file with the Washington County Clerk’s office is beginning at noon, Feb. 22, with a filing deadline of noon March 1.

School board candidates must have at least 20 qualified signatures from registered voters within the school district or the school zone. Candidates are required to submit the petition, a political practice pledge and an affidavit of eligibility. Candidate packets are available in the county clerk’s office.

School board members do not receive any compensation for serving as an elected official.

Farmington and Prairie Grove school districts are having to change the way voters elect board members because the 2020 census showed each district now has at least 10% minority population.

A 1993 state law says a school district cannot elect all its board members in at- large elections if the total population has more than a 10% minority.

Currently, both boards have members elected at- large. Farmington has five board members and Prairie Grove has seven board members. After the May 24 election, members of both boards will draw lots to decide terms of office so that positions will be staggered and not all will be on the election ballot each year going forward.

Farmington School District

Farmington School Board is changing from five at- large positions to five zoned positions for the May 24 school election, which means all positions will be on the election ballot.

Eligible candidates must live in the zone they want to represent. They will be elected by voters in those zones.

Prairie Grove School District

Prairie Grove School Board will have five board members elected by zone and two board members elected at-large. The zoned positions will be on the May 24 ballot. Eligible candidates must live in the zone they want to represent and are elected by voters in those zones.

The positions currently held by board members Casie Ruland and William Dick are the at-large positions and will not be on this year’s school election ballot.

Lincoln Consolidated School District

Lincoln School Board already is elected by zone. The zone boundaries changed slightly because of the 2020 census but only two positions, Zone 1 and Zone 3, will be on the May 24 ballot. Presently, Ronnie Remington is the Zone 1 board member and Kendra Moore represents Zone 3.