FAYETTEVILLE -- Robert Maranto won a three-way race Tuesday to represent Zone 2 on the Fayetteville School Board, according to final unofficial election results.
Maranto, 57, said he was stunned by the outcome against two other strong candidates, Phil Jones and Jeanne Champagne.
Results of Washington County school board elections
Farmington, Position 3
Wade Cash, 168 votes (77.4 percent)
Tony Parsley,* 49 votes (22.6 percent)
Fayetteville, Zone 2
Robert Maranto, 397 votes (63 percent)
Phil Jones, 161 votes (25.6 percent)
Jeanne Champagne, 72 votes (11.4 percent)
Prairie Grove, Position 5
Casie Ruland, 77 votes (74 percent)
Mark Beaver, 27 votes (26 percent)
West Fork, Position 3
Kelley Oliver, 97 votes (58.8 percent)
Deborah Harnish,* 68 votes (41.2 percent)
*denotes incumbent
Source: Washington County Election Commission
"Our big message was really about academics," Maranto said. "We're a good school district. Academically good isn't good enough. Given the strengths of this community, we should be the best school district in Arkansas and several states around."
In the contest to represent Zone 2 on the Fayetteville School Board, Maranto received 397 votes (63 percent), according to final unofficial results from the Washington County Election Commission. Jones received 161 votes ( 25.6 percent), with Champagne receiving 72 votes (11.4 percent).
The Election Commission will do a preliminary certification of the results Friday morning, said Jennifer Price, Washington County election coordinator.
The annual school board elections in Washington County drew a turnout of 1,205 voters. School board races in Washington County also were decided in Farmington, Prairie Grove and West Fork.
Of the 12,850 eligible voters living in Zone 2 of the Fayetteville School District, 630 voters participated in the election.
Zone 2 previously was represented by Bryn Bagwell, who decided to vacate her seat. Maranto will take his seat on the School Board at the next monthly meeting on Sept. 24, Fayetteville School District spokesman Alan Wilbourn said.
Justin Eichmann was also up for re-election to represent Zone 3. Eichmann was the only candidate to file for that seat. He will remain on the School Board.
Maranto is married to April Gresham Maranto and is the father of two children attending Fayetteville schools. He is the 21st Century Chairman in Leadership in the Department of Education Reform at the University of Arkansas.
Maranto said he will approach the position with humility and will rely on fellow School Board members and Superintendent Paul Hewitt.
"Public schools are very complex things," Maranto said. "You make change in increments."
Jones, 58, has a consulting business and is an adjunct faculty member in the College of Engineering at the University of Arkansas and in the business department of Ecclesia College in Springdale. He is married to Janis, and they have two adult children.
Champagne, 61, is a former private school teacher who is now semi-retired from working in the medical and dental business and owns a consulting business. She is married to Dennis. They have four grown children and have been foster parents to students in Fayetteville schools.
Voters approved continuing the same millage rates in seven of the eight school districts in Washington County. The vote was tied for the millage in Greenland.
No millages will change because school districts are leaving their millages at the same rates. When a millage is defeated, it still remains unchanged because it reverts to the rate set the previous year.
NW News on 09/16/2015