Bella Vistan challenges Powers in Bentonville School Board race

BENTONVILLE -- Rebecca Powers has dealt with controversy in her first term as a School Board member, but it hasn't deterred her from seeking re-election.

"I've put a lot of time and effort into this School Board position," Powers said. "And I've learned a lot in the last three years and feel I could contribute even more than I did in the first three years because of the training and experience I've received."

Eowyn Francis Moore is challenging Powers. The Bella Vista resident said she thinks the board needs someone who is more open-minded.

Powers "has her set of ethics and beliefs, and I have my own," Moore said. "I think a little differently."

The election is Sept. 15. Early voting begins Tuesday.

Powers and Moore differed on the recent proposal to add sexual orientation and gender identity to the list of classes protected under the school district's anti-discrimination policy. Powers opposed the proposal; Moore supported it. The board voted 4-2 last month not to adopt the proposed changes.

Moore said that was one of the issues that inspired her to run for the board. One of her sons, a Bentonville High School senior, encouraged her to get involved.

Powers, the board secretary, joined in October 2012 after running unopposed for the Zone 1 seat. Zone 1 covers parts of Centerton and Bella Vista.

Board terms normally last five years, but when the Bentonville board changed to zoned seats in 2012, each member drew lots to determine when each position would be up for re-election so no more than two terms would expire each year. Powers drew 2015.

Powers has attended 24 of the 28 meetings the board has held over the past year, according to district records. She has achieved master board member status through the Arkansas School Boards Association training program. School board members are required to undergo at least six hours of training per year; Powers said she's received more than 60 hours.

Giving teachers a raise, expanding the alternative high school program and getting voter approval of a second high school are the board accomplishments she's most proud of during her first term, she said.

"I'm also super excited we have an alternative learning classroom at Sugar Creek Elementary," Powers said, referring to a program that began this year.

Board members have been the focus of some controversy over the past few years.

In February 2014, Powers criticized then-board president Wendi Cheatham's handling of the evaluation process of Superintendent Michael Poore, saying Poore had been "bullied and abused" by the board.

Last September, Powers tangled with district administrators over whether her son was entitled to homebound services during the weeks he was excluded from school because he hadn't received a vaccine required under state rules. Powers sought an exemption from the state's vaccination requirements on religious grounds.

In May, Powers came under fire for making a statement on Facebook about a Bentonville High student. Powers called the student an "atheist" and mentioned a school incident during which Powers said the student was disciplined. She didn't name the student, but the student's mother asked Powers to apologize for the post, saying Powers had "cyberbullied" her daughter. Powers denied she had cyberbullied anyone, but said she was sorry the remarks became public.

Powers, a former teacher, said there's always room for improvement when it comes to how the board works together.

"Some of that goes with training. The state offers us a lot of training, and I don't think our district takes advantage of that training as much as we should," she said.

Lisa Richards, a homemaker from Bentonville, said she's known Powers for more than five years. Richards has been impressed by Powers' commitment and her understanding of students' needs.

"I've gone to quite a few board meetings lately," Richards said. "She's real quiet and pensive and tries to comprehend everyone's perspective. She's committed to helping each person develop to reach their highest potential."

Moore has been a detention worker at the Benton County Juvenile Detention Center for a year. She's observed firsthand the effect drugs -- particularly methamphetamine -- are taking on the community's youth.

"We need to bring D.A.R.E. back and talk about the importance of not being on drugs," Moore said. "And we need more advocates for those kids who are at risk."

Moore doesn't have a problem with the way the district or the board is operating.

"I think everyone has done a very good job. Everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses. I feel like I would bring a different aspect to the board," she said.

The board's focus must be on relieving overcrowding in the schools while at the same time keeping the budget in line so the district doesn't have to ask voters for more money to pay for additional buildings, she said.

Moore has spent more than three years helping youth at her church in Missouri. She also volunteered for several years as a mentor for Youth Bridge, a nonprofit organization that works to support and empower teens and their families.

Amy Gillespie, a parent in the district and co-organizer of Bentonville Public Schools Citizens for Equality, said she and her organization support Moore.

"Mrs. Moore has a unique set of skills and expertise that I feel make her the best candidate," Gillespie wrote in an email. "Her years of experience with at-risk youth and her passion for helping them succeed give her a perspective that is badly needed on our school board. She knows firsthand what needs to be done to help students stay in school and out of trouble."

NW News on 09/05/2015