Rick Wade Jr.
Rick Wade Jr. was the at-large Position 4 incumbent on the Fort Smith Board of Education in Arkansas. He lost to challenger Bill Hanesworth in the general election on September 15, 2015. He was first elected to the board in 1993.[1]
Biography
Wade earned a bachelor's degree from Florida State University. He later received a master's degree in political science from the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville and J.D. from the University of Arkansas. Wade served in the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam War prior to his legal career. He previously served as the city prosecutor for Fort Smith from 1992 to 2007. Wade is an attorney and partner at Daily & Woods PLLC.[1]
Elections
2015
Three of the seven seats on the Fort Smith Board of Education were up for election on September 15, 2015. In the Zone 1, Position 6 race, incumbent Russell Owen lost his re-election bid against challenger Wade Gilkey. In the At-large Position 4 race, Bill Hanesworth defeated incumbent Rick Wade Jr. Zone 4, Position 3 incumbent Yvonne Keaton-Martin won re-election without opposition.
Results
This election was held September 15, 2015.
| Fort Smith Public Schools, At-large Position 4, General Election, 2015 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Rick Wade Jr. Incumbent | 28.5% | 928 |
 Bill Hanesworth |
71.5% | 2,333 |
| Total Votes (100% of precincts reporting) | 3,261 | |
| Source: Sebastian County Clerk, "Sebastian County Election Results," accessed September 15, 2015 | ||
Endorsements
Wade did not receive any official endorsements for this election.
2012
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Rick Wade Jr. |
100% | 158 | |
| Total Votes | 158 | |||
| Source: Sebastian County Election Commission, "September 18, 2012 School Election," accessed August 13, 2015 | ||||
Campaign themes
2015
Wade answered the following questions during an interview with the Times Record:
What do you hope to accomplish if elected/re-elected?
| “ |
I have been fortunate to be part of a very productive and enthusiastic team of seven board members. Collectively, we have a vision for the future of this district. That vision includes advanced technology and innovative education to carry students into a global economy. While the actual or projected growth of our district will dictate real events, I, personally, will strive to move us toward expansion of our existing facilities as well as development of new facilities to handle what many believe will be the growth of our community in the next 20 to 30 years. |
” |
| —Rick Wade Jr. (2015), [3] | ||
What are the challenges ahead for Fort Smith public schools?
| “ |
Thomas Jefferson said, “If a nation expects to be ignorant and free in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be.” As a nation and as a state, we have consciously chosen to educate not just our best and brightest, but all of our children. When those children differ in physical and/or mental ability, differ in spoken language, or differ in homelife opportunities, the challenge to educate is immense. But, if we give the real educators, our teachers, the time and the flexibility to do what teachers do best, i.e., teach, we can meet those challenges. As Christa McAuliffe said, with pride, “ I touch the future, I teach.” Teachers will do their jobs if allowed to do so. [2] |
” |
| —Rick Wade Jr. (2015), [3] | ||
What is your stance on the retirement of Southside High School’s Rebel mascot?
| “ |
The night our Board cast its 7-0 vote to remove the symbols that had been adopted in the midst of the Civil Rights era and only a few years after the U.S. Supreme Court’s order to desegregate school systems, a large crowd presented opinions pro and con. When some who opposed what we were doing heard the emotional input of others, both black and white, about the negative impact of the symbols on them and/or their children or grandchildren, one could only wonder why you would want to continue with such emotionally divisive symbols for a public high school. As the father of a former SHS cheerleader, I am extremely proud of the accomplishments of SHS’s students and will continue to be so — a change in nickname will never diminish those accomplishments or that pride. [2] |
” |
| —Rick Wade Jr. (2015), [3] | ||
Recent news
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See also
- Fort Smith Public Schools, Arkansas
- Fort Smith Public Schools elections (2015)
- Analysis of incumbency advantage in the 2014 school board elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Times Record, "Monday Matters: Attorney Longest-Serving Fort Smith School Board Member," July 8, 2013
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Times Record, "Fort Smith’s Longest-Serving School Board Member Challenged," September 10, 2015
