In the September 21, 2010 school elections, of 224,109 registered voters in Pulaski County, 3,651 voted - a shocking 1.6% of registered voters.
By contrast, of 226,754 registered for the November 2, 2010 general election, 111,411 votes were cast - a more respectable 49%.
With a general election following just two months after school elections, it makes no representational or financial sense to run two elections, particularly when the earlier one draws such anemic numbers. This deliberate or apathetic inattention is destroying the Little Rock School District.
The reason this dysfunctional, unrepresentative system continues is because of a strong, statewide public school leaders' lobby (board, administrators), which believes (I think mistakenly) that the best way to pass millage increases is in a low voter turnout environment.
Consider what this disenfranchising approach has done to the Little Rock School District over the past three years. Four of our seven elected school board members were elected by a total of 1,492 votes out of a possible 2,121. The lowest votes any candidate received was 57, while the highest was 581.
Literally hundreds of people are determining the present and future of public education in Little Rock and thus the global competitiveness of our community.
In Zone 4 of the Little Rock School District, Greg Adams ran unopposed and was elected with just 57 votes.
In Zone 2, a contested race with an incumbent, 644 total votes were cast - 373 for Michael Nellums and 271 for Mike Daugherty.
In the September 16, 2008 school elections, 857 votes were cast in Zone 1 - 581 for Katherine Mitchell and 276 for Lee Nayles.
In Zone 5, 563 votes were cast - 481 for Jody Carreiro and 82 for Barry Vuletich.
Immediate, radical change requires sunshine on absurdity. Just as it is morally indefensible for a student to languish waiting for improving teachers, principals and/or administrators, the citizens of the Little Rock School District can no longer wait for student-centered leadership from its elected officials. We must recruit or run, and if required, recall. Then repeat.
Note: 2009 election results for Zones 3, 6 and 7 are not posted on the Pulaski County Election Commission website. I have inquired and will post upon receipt.
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