§ 6-13-604 - School districts with five or more directors -- Increase in number. - Arkansas Statutes

6-13-604. School districts with five or more directors -- Increase in number.

(a) The board of directors of any school district in this state that now has authorized or which is authorized to have five (5) or more directors may file a petition with the State Board of Education requesting an increase in the number of directors for the school district to seven (7). However, in any school district in the state having an average daily attendance of twenty-four thousand (24,000) or more, the petition may request that the board of directors for the school district be increased to nine (9).

(b) Notice of the filing of the petition shall be published within ten (10) days thereafter for one (1) insertion in some newspaper having a general circulation in the school district.

(c) Upon a showing that the increase will be for the benefit of the school district petitioning for it, the State Board of Education is authorized to increase the number of directors for the school district to seven (7) or to increase the number of directors for the school district to nine (9) in the case of a school district having an average daily attendance of twenty-four thousand (24,000) or more.

(d) The order directing such increase shall be entered not more than sixty (60) days after the publication of notice.

(e) The additional directors shall be appointed in the manner prescribed by law to serve until the next regular school election.

(f) All directors so appointed shall serve until their successors are elected and qualified.

(g) The additional directors authorized by this section shall be elected for the same term as other directors on the respective boards.

(h) All boards of directors shall be made up of five (5), seven (7), or nine (9) members as allowed by law.

(i) No board of directors shall have an even number of directors whether or not the number of directors of a school district's board of directors was established by an agreement between or among the former school districts that comprise the school district incident to a consolidation or annexation of the former school districts.

(j) Any change in the number of directors serving on the local school board of directors required under this section shall be effective upon the directors taking office following the 2005 annual school election.

(k) (1) Except as otherwise provided by law, any school district that elects its board members from single-member zones shall be subject to the requirements of this section.

(2) For those school districts that are subject to this subsection, "next regular school election" as used in subsection (e) of this section means the 2005 annual school election.