School election by absentee ballot, early voting in Decatur

DECATUR — There will not be any polling places open in Decatur for the Sept. 28 school board election.

School board members passed a resolution at the Aug. 20 meeting, request- ing that the county board of election commissioners not to open any polling places and to allow the election to be conducted by absentee ballot and early voting.

There is no need to open a polling site because Dar- leen Holly is the only can- didate who has filed for the Zone 4 school board position up for election

this year, superinten- dent Larry Ben explained. There are no changes to millage or other issues on the ballot, and the district will be able to save money by conducting the election through absentee ballots only, he said.

There were not any can- didates who filed for the Zone 1 position left open when Justin Thompson resigned last year, so Amy Brooks will continue to serve in that position. She was appointed to Zone 1 in June, after the school board spent sev- eral months searching for a willing candidate, even though she lives in Zone 4.

In other business, the

school board voted in favor of the following measures:

• A tuition agreement with the Ozark Guidance Center for off-campus therapeutic day treat- ment;

• A service agreement with OGC for school- based therapy;

• A special services rate agreement with OGC for school-based therapy for special education therapy; and

• Approval of the school’s athletic budget.

Decatur’s next school board meeting will be held one week later than usual, at 7 p.m., Sept. 24, in the district professional devel- opment room.