Voters in three of the four school districts in Jefferson County will go to the polls to elect school board members, including four contested positions in the Dollarway district, which had been under state control for two years.
During a meeting of the Jefferson County Election Commission on Thursday night, ballot positions were drawn for all the races, which will also include two open positions in the Pine Bluff District and two in the Watson Chapel District. The White Hall District has only one board position open and that seat is uncontested.
The candidates for each school district and their ballot positions if required are as follows:
Dollarway School District
Zone 1
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
• Pearly Stepps, Independent, position one
• Sammie Smith Jr., Independent, position two
• Fred Toney, Independent, position three
• Charles Girley, Independent, position four
Zone 2
• Irene Murphy, Independent
Zone 3
• Cathy Hunt, Independent, position one
• Billy Sanders Langford, Independent, position two
Zone 4
• Nelson Kimble, Independent, position one
• Ruth W. Bogy, Independent, position two
• O.C. Remley, Independent, position three
Zone 5
• Gene Stewart, Independent
Zone 6
• Dorothy A. Singleton, Independent
Zone 7
• Donald Bruce Robinson, Independent, position one
• Cleollia W. Robinson, Independent, position two
• R .P. Bifford, Independent, position three
Pine Bluff School District
Zone 3
• Herman Horace, Independent, position one
• Piccola Washington, Independent, position two
Zone 4
• LaTasha R. Savage, Independent, position one
• Henry Dabner Jr., Independent, position two
Watson Chapel School District
Zone 2
• Mack L. Milner Jr., Independent, position one
• Shade Culclager Jr., Independent, position two
Zone 5
• Guy G. Oaks Jr., Independent, position one
• Goldie Whitaker, Independent, position two
In the White Hall School District, Doug Coleman is unopposed for the Zone 2 position, and because there are no contested races, patrons in the district will cast their ballots only early at the or absentee. There will be no polling site set up in the White Hall District, Elections Coordinator Will Fox said.
Also on the ballot will be school millage taxes for each of the four districts, and there will be no change to the rates currently in effect.
Early voting will be conducted at the Jefferson County Courthouse on Sept. 9, 10, 11, 12 and 15 during regular office hours. There will be no Saturday voting. The election will be on Tuesday, Sept. 16, and the polls will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
A runoff, if necessary, will be held Tuesday, Oct. 7, with early voting for that runoff held on Sept. 30, Oct. 1, 2, 3 and 6 at the county courthouse.