Fort Smith Public Schools elections (2016)
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Two of the seven seats on the Fort Smith Public Schools school board were up for general election on September 20, 2016. One seat was up for by-district election and one was up for at-large election. In the race for the open at-large seat, newcomer Talicia Richardson defeated fellow newcomer Greg Murray. Incumbent Susan McFerran defeated challengers Marc Werschem and Brian Means in Zone 2. [1]
Elections
Voter and candidate information
The Fort Smith school board consists of seven members elected to three-year terms. Four members are elected by geographic electoral districts and three members are elected at large. One at-large and one by-district seat was up for general election on September 20, 2016. There was no primary election.[2]
Individuals interested in running for the school board had to be at least 18 years of age and registered to vote. Candidates were required to gather petition signatures from at least 20 voters registered in the school district. This petition of candidacy had to be submitted to the Arkansas secretary of state by June 12, 2016. School board candidates also had to reside in the school district and could not be convicted of a felony.[3]
Candidates and results
At-large
Results
This election was held on September 20, 2016.
| Fort Smith Public Schools, At-Large General Election, 3-year terms, 2016 |
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|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Talicia Richardson |
67.93% | 2,324 |
| Greg Murray | 32.07% | 1,097 |
| Total Votes (100% of precincts reporting) | 3,421 | |
| Source: Sebastian County Arkansas, "Sebastian County Election Results," accessed September 20, 2016 These election results are unofficial and will be updated after official vote totals are made available. | ||
Candidates
| Greg Murray | Talicia Richardson 
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Zone 2
Results
This election was held on September 20, 2016.
| Fort Smith Public Schools, Zone 2 General Election, 3-year term, 2016 |
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|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Susan McFerran Incumbent |
55.09% | 514 |
| Brian Means | 27.87% | 260 |
| Marc Werschem | 17.04% | 159 |
| Total Votes (100% of precincts reporting) | 933 | |
| Source: Sebastian County Arkansas, "Sebastian County Election Results," accessed September 20, 2016 These election results are unofficial and will be updated after official vote totals are made available. | ||
Candidates
| Susan McFerran
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Brian Means | Marc Werschem | |||
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*Incumbent |
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Additional elections
The Arkansas school board elections did not share the ballot with any other elections in 2016.
Key deadlines
The following dates were key deadlines for the annual Arkansas school board elections in 2016:[4]
| Deadline | Event |
|---|---|
| July 5, 2016 | Candidate filing deadline |
| July 18, 2016 | Statement of financial interest due |
| August 8, 2016 | Deadline to register to vote in school board elections |
| September 20, 2016 | Election Day |
| October 11, 2016 | School board runoff election date |
Endorsements
Do you know of an official or organization that endorsed a candidate in this race? Let Ballotpedia know by email at editor@ballotpedia.org.
Campaign finance
No candidate filed a campaign finance report in the election.[5]
Candidates were not required to file a campaign finance report if they did not receive contributions or did not make expenditures in excess of $500.00.[6]
What was at stake?
Report a story for this election
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Candidate survey
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About the district
- See also: Fort Smith Public Schools, Arkansas
Fort Smith Public Schools is located on the western border of Arkansas in Sebastian County. The city of Fort Smith is one of two county seats and is the second-largest city in the state of Arkansas. According to the United States Census Bureau, Fort Smith was home to 88,194 residents between 2010 and 2015.[7] The district was the sixth-largest school district in the state in the 2013–2014 school year and served 14,702 students.[8]
Demographics
Fort Smith underperformed compared to Arkansas as a whole in terms of median household income and poverty rate. The median household income in Fort Smith was $36,777, while the statewide median was $41,264. The United States Census Bureau reported that 20.7 percent of Fort Smith residents aged 25 years and older had attained a bachelor's degree or higher, compared to 20.6 percent for all of Arkansas. The city's poverty rate was 25.9 percent, compared to a statewide poverty rate of 18.9 percent.[7]
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Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms 'Fort Smith Public Schools' 'Arkansas'. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
| Fort Smith Public Schools | Arkansas | School Boards |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Sebastian County Arkansas, "Sebastian County Election Results," accessed September 20, 2016
- ↑ Fort Smith Public Schools, "Board of Education," accessed August 1, 2016
- ↑ Arkansas School Boards Association, "Board Candidates," accessed August 3, 2016
- ↑ Arkansas Secretary of State, "2016 Election dates," accessed August 9, 2016
- ↑ Arkansas Secretary of State, "Financial Disclosure Search," accessed October 5, 2016
- ↑ Arkansas Secretary of State, "Financial Disclosure," accessed August 16, 2016
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 US Census Bureau, "Fort Smith, Arkansas Quick Facts," accessed July 30, 2016
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "ELSI Table Generator," accessed November 16, 2015
- ↑ Arkansas Secretary of State, "Election Results," accessed July 17, 2014
| 2016 Fort Smith Public Schools Elections | |
| Sebastian County, Arkansas | |
| Election date: | September 20, 2016 |
| Candidates: | At-large: Greg Murray • Talicia Richardson Zone 2: Incumbent, Susan McFerran • Brian Means • Marc Werschem |
| Important information: | What was at stake? |
