The Pulaski County Election Commission on Thursday certified the results of the North Little Rock and Little Rock school elections that took place earlier this week.
Dorothy "Dot" Williams and Taniesha Richardson-Wiley were elected in uncontested races for the North Little Rock School Board's Zone 1 and Zone 4 seats, respectively.
The two candidates were grouped together on the ballot and received 68 votes, according to the newly certified, final results from Tuesday elections.
The final, certified totals on the North Little Rock district's 48.3-mill tax rate were:
For 53
Against 34
The certified totals on the Little Rock district's 46.4-mill tax rate were:
For 262
Against 126
There were no changes proposed in the existing tax rates in either district, but the Arkansas Constitution requires that school tax rates be voted on annually. Even if a majority of voters opposed the tax rates in one or the other or in both districts, the tax rates would remain unchanged.
The Little Rock district had only the millage on the school election ballot because the district is operating under state control and without an elected school board.
The Pulaski County Special School District, which will exit later this year from five years of state control for fiscal distress, will elect seven new school board members in conjunction with the Nov. 8 general election. In that November election, voters also will act on the district's existing 40.7-mill property tax rate for school operations.
The Jacksonville/North Pulaski School District held a special election in February on a 7.6-mill property-tax increase for schools. That election -- in which the tax increase was approved -- met the district's obligation for having an annual vote on the school tax rate that is now 48.3 mills.
All seven members of the Jacksonville/North Pulaski School Board were elected in September 2015. They drew lots for the lengths of their terms, which range from two to four years. Two of the seven seats will be open for election in September 2017.
Metro on 09/23/2016