LITTLE ROCK — Kevin Western doesn't know what's going to happen next.
Western lives in Bald Knob and is one of three candidates along with Herman Kyle and Dr. Phillip Moore running for an open school board seat for the Bald Knob School District in the election that will be held Tuesday, but Bald Knob doesn't have a school board, or at least it doesn't right now.
"I didn't even know that we were going to have an election," Western said. "But we got word from the courthouse that since the ballots had already been printed, that it was going to proceed as normal."
Bald Knob School District was taken over the by the state last month following its being deemed fiscally distressed. The school board was dismissed, but the election had already been scheduled.
"We don't know," he said. "The ballots may not end up getting counted. We've heard that they might get put in a folder someplace. Since the state removed the school board, we don't know if when we get a school board back that we would get on it or if they would have another election. Nobody really knows."
Given the situation, there has been little need for the candidates to campaign.
"It doesn't make any sense to spend money on this," Western said. "I saw Phillip [Moore] at the football game Friday nightand he was the same way. Neither of us are putting out signs or anything. All we are both doing is just trying to get the word out that an election is going to happen and that people should vote."
"It's actually happened both ways," said Julie Johnson Thompson, a spokeswoman for the Arkansas Department of Education. "In Helena-West Helena, they had elections after the state took control and those members were added incrementally, but Midland, on the other hand, they are having an election to replace the entire board."
In Helena-West Helena, the situation was also different. The board was removed from power, but they were still kept together in an advisory role.
In other elections around the Three Rivers area, the Quitman School District is asking for an 8.75-mill increase, and the only other school district asking for a millage increase is Newport Special School District in Jackson County. Newport is seeking a 7-mill increase to 37 mills from last year's 30 mills.
Two counties - Stone and Izard - are not having any school elections.
CLEBURNE COUNTY Quitman School District Tax - 8.75 mill increase Heber Springs School District School board - At-Large position: Charles "Chi-Chi" Tamburo vs. Joe Blankenship.
West Side School District School board - At-Large position: Victor Bailey vs. Hassel Long INDEPENDENCE COUNTY Cedar Ridge School board - Zone 4: Jerry V. Henderson vs. Ricky D. Womack Midland School board - Fifteen are running for seven positions: Danny Beaver, Linda Whitener, Bobby Rhew, Connie Blevins, Bryson Wood, Janie Garland, Mark Biram, Daniel Smith, Roger Hook, Debbie Frazier, Tanya Gay, Robert Beel, Lehman Stephens, James Grider and Clint McCance.
IZARD COUNTY Calico Rock School board - A three-way race between Steven Lively, Shad McClain and Beth Whitfield Dubose. Lively is the incumbent.
JACKSON COUNTY Newport Special School District Tax - Newport is seeking a 7-mill increase to 37 mills from last year's 30 mills.
LONOKE COUNTY Cabot School board - Position 3: Arthur Evans vs. Jim Coy.
School board elections are also happening in England and Lonoke.
Sharp County No elections scheduled for any of the three school districts.
STONE COUNTY Mountain View No contested school board race for Mt. View and no millage increase.
WHITE COUNTY Bald Knob School District School board election - Three - Herman Kyle, Kevin Western, Dr. Phillip Moore - are running for school board in Bald Knob.
No other elections are scheduled for the other school districts in White County.
WOODRUFF COUNTY Augusta School District School board election - Zone 3: Charlotte Stovall vs. Buddy Porter.
- jpeppas@ arkansasonline.com
Three Rivers, Pages 129 on 09/16/2007