Two positions are up for grabs on the Conway School Board and a total of five candidates are on the ballot.
Incumbents Bill Milburn and Jennifer Cunningham will face the three challengers.
Milburn represents District 5 and is being challenged by Trey Geier, who cites the “current school board’s hyperfocus on divisiveness and not on the education of our kids” as his reason for running.
The current school board has made headlines for policies such as removing LGBT books from the library, instituting bathroom rules for trans students and prohibiting Conway High coaches from wearing Black History Month T-shirts.
Milburn was appointed to the school board in October 2022 by the Conway Public Schools Board of Education following the resignation of the seat’s previous holder, Scott Champlin.
Milburn does not have a campaign website, but billboards promoting his campaign say “conservative.”
During a candidate meet and greet on March 6, Geier said that the current board is running talent out of the district. Cunningham and Milburn did not attend.
“All of our teachers are important to us. You’re seeing administrators, teachers, staff and all of our intellectual knowledge going to other school districts based on the current school district’s board.”
“The school board has done a wonderful job at pushing stuff,” Geier said. “I think it’s more important that we listen to teachers.
School board member at-large Jennifer Cunningham is facing two candidates: Sheila Franklin and Jessica Disney.
Franklin said she has faith in the school district, but, “I know that we are a long way from where we need to be, where we have been, but I know that we can get back there.”
She cited the community’s support in her campaign and promised to be a “loud voice” for the city.
At the root of her campaign, Franklin said, “I believe that the school board should focus mainly on educating our kids, all of our kids. I want that to be our main focus — we are giving each and every one of our students the best quality education that we can afford them. We are making sure all of our children feel safe and loved in our school district. I’m not the type of person to draw a line in the sand — I want to serve everyone. I want to make sure that we are hiring and keeping good educators.”
Jessica Disney, also challenging Cunningham, built her campaign around three things: “Education first, being your voice, and teachers matter.”
Disney said she will foster education first by “creating an inclusive learning environment through policies that support and nurture every child in our school district regardless of their background or identity.”
Disney also cited transparency as a key factor and promised to “make sure information is readily available for the public and accessible to all members of the community.”
Election Day for the positions is Tuesday, May 9, with early voting beginning Tuesday, May 2.
Early voting location is at the Faulkner County Courthouse from Tuesday May 02, 2023 to Friday May 05, 2023 and Monday May 08, 2023. 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Voting on Election Day, May 9, will take place at the McGee Center at 2800 College Ave and Agape ACTS Church at 1423 Ingram St. Hours are 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Voters can check their registration at https://www.voterview.ar-nova.org/VoterView. Photo identification is required to vote. The last day to register is April 10.