The North Little Rock School Board said its goodbyes Thursday to September school board elections.
The board, given a choice by a new state law between holding school elections in May or November, voted 7-0 to conduct the district's annual school election from here on out on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of each year.
The board is the first of the four districts in Pulaski County to select an election date option, as is required by Act 910 of 2017.
The board voted on the election date at its regular monthly business meeting during which it also approved the transfer of its North Heights Elementary School property on Allen Street to the city of North Little Rock and discussed the possibility of distributing bonuses to employees.
Board members chose the November election date in anticipation that nearby districts will do the same and that the later election date in a year will provide greater flexibility in scheduling a special election on school tax measures if a special election is desired.
A district can't hold a special election on school property taxes after a regular school election has been held in a year. A district that selects a May date for a school election would be limited to holding any special election on a tax rate change in January through April. A district that selects the November date would have the flexibility of holding a special election on tax rate changes from January through October, according to information provided to the board by district staff members Thursday.
Absent a special election, school districts are required under the Arkansas Constitution to place their tax rates on the ballot at the annual school election -- even if there are no changes proposed in the tax rates.
School Board member Dorothy Williams made the motion to hold the North Little Rock School District's election in November "to be in agreement with surrounding districts."
The November school election will be held in conjunction with the general election -- including elections for city, state and national lawmakers -- in even-numbered years. In 2018, that will be Nov. 6.
The May option offered to school districts is meant to coincide with the preferential primary elections held every two years. In 2018, that will be May 22.
Arkansas school districts have long had annual school and tax elections at times separate from elections for other governing entities. For the past several years, that has been in September but, previously, school board member selections were done in March.
The North Little Rock district's last September election was a quiet one, with only one unopposed incumbent running for re-election. Sandra Campbell was re-elected with 12 votes.
Another seat on the board -- held by Scott Teague for the past 12 years -- was open for election, but no one ran for the position. Teague as a result continues to hold the seat. However, Teague is expected to resign from the board, effective today.
The remaining six School Board members will have 30 days to select a successor to fill the vacancy. The appointee can serve until the next school board election -- which will be in November 2018 -- at which time the appointee must run and be elected to be able to continue board membership.
The School Board will discuss how to fill the vacancy at a special meeting Tuesday, during which it will review the district's proposed 2018-19 budget and resume discussions on a request from the district's licensed employees for a $2,500 bonus this year and in the next two school years plus a possible across-the-board pay raise in 2020.
The North Little Rock board Thursday approved the North Heights property transaction. The city of North Little Rock, which already has city-owned facilities on part of the property, is expected to make the portion of the land where the school now sits available to Habitat for Humanity for housing. The school district is not being paid for the property but will realize savings in insurance and upkeep, Superintendent Kelly Rodgers said.
Metro on 09/22/2017