WESTSIDE — Superintendent Randy Barrett was surprised when no one filed by the July 12 deadline to run for an opening on Gentry's School Board. Barrett doesn't remember a time in his 24 years with the district when a seat had no candidate in the annual school election, set for Sept. 20 this year.
Two other districts in Benton and Washington counties are in a similar situation. No candidates filed to run for two open seats in Decatur, nor for two open seats in Greenland.
School boards have options for filling open seats, but the lack of candidates means the boards will be without elected members in those seats, said Greenland Superintendent Larry Ben.
"We want more people interested in running for school board, getting involved and helping out with their schools," Ben said. "It just seems there are a lack of people willing to do that."
Involvement on a school board requires a time commitment, Ben said. Board members are expected at a minimum to attend a monthly school board meeting and to spend nine hours in training the first year and six hours in training each subsequent year. School board members also attend school activities and sometimes have extra meetings. They spend time studying information sent to them prior to meetings.
"The people in our district love their school," Ben said. "I just don't know that a lot of them feel they're in a place in life where they can commit that much time to it."
A candidate has 10 days to subscribe to the oath of office after he receives official notice that he won an election, said Chris Lawson, an attorney from the Friday, Eldredge & Clark law firm who works with school districts.
When no one takes the oath, including in elections where no candidate runs for the position, state law allows the person in that board position to remain on the board for up to one more term, Lawson said.
If that person chooses not to remain, the board can declare a vacancy, he said. The board has 30 days to appoint a new member to fill a vacancy. Otherwise, the appointment is made by the county quorum court.
If a board member has finished a term as a holdover and if no one runs for that position in the next election, a board would have the option of voting to appoint that person to the same position, Lawson said.
Gentry school officials worked to get the word out about the opening in Zone 2 prior to the filing deadline, Barrett said. The current board member, Dani Cypert, announced her plans not to run for re-election in June.
Barrett stopped short of urging candidates to run out of concern he shouldn't try to pick out his next boss, he said.
"I work for whoever makes up our board," he said.
If the board does have a vacancy as a result of this election, Barrett said he would contact active school volunteers who have shown a desire to improve the schools. He's confident the board will find a qualified person to serve.
"If you're going to be a board member, you need to want to do it," he said. "It's unpaid, but it's a job to be a board member."
Running for a board in a contested race is an expense that deters some candidates, especially for an unpaid position, said Coye Cripps, Gentry School Board president.
In any month, Cripps may have one meeting or as many as five, he said. A recent opening for an agriculture teacher meant two board members served on a hiring committee that met several times in one month.
"It can be challenging, but yet rewarding in the end," he said. "What I would like to see more of is community involvement."
As the smallest district in Benton and Washington counties with 600 students, Decatur also has the smallest board with five members, Superintendent Jeff Gravette said. Most districts have a seven-member board.
Decatur School Board for the past couple of election cycles hasn't had a candidate run in the annual election for the Zone 1 position, now occupied by Amy Brooks, Gravette said.
After the election cycle is over, the board at its Oct. 17 meeting likely will appoint Brooks to continue serving, though the board would consider others interested in joining, Gravette said.
In the open Zone 2 position, represented by Aaron Owens, Owens likely will continue as a holdover, he said.
Gravette thinks school board positions are among the most challenging and time-consuming of volunteer positions.
"We're always looking for prospective new members and people that can be on there and be an advocate for our kids," Gravette said.
School boards
The following is a list of the seats up for election in three school districts where no candidates filed to run:
Decatur
• Zone 1, five years (Amy Brooks) Zone 2, four years unexpired (Aaron Owens)
Gentry
• Zone 2, five years (Dani Cypert)
Greenland
• Zone 6, five years (Terry Reed) Zone 7, three years (Deborah Crown)
Source: Staff report
General News on 07/27/2016