The early voting period for Jefferson County school board elections begins Sept. 11 and runs through Sept. 17.
The early voting will be held at the Jefferson County Courthouse from 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. in the week leading up to the Sept. 18 election, excluding Saturday and Sunday, according to Will Fox, election coordinator with the Jefferson County Board of Election Commissioners.
School districts with contested school board seats include Pine Bluff, Watson Chapel and White Hall.
The Dollarway School Board was dissolved by the state Board of Education in June after the district failed to meet accreditation standards for two consecutive years. The State Board also removed superintendent Bettye Dunn-Wright, who was replaced by Frank Anthony.
Pine Bluff
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
In the Pine Bluff School District, Zone 2 board member Ellen Nichol will face challengers Mark Essex Smith and Phyllis A. Wilkins; Zone 3 board member and board president Herman Horace will face challengers Maurice Culclager and Piccola Washington; Zone 4 board member and board secretary Freddie M. Johnson will face challengers Lee Meadows and Henry Dabner Jr.; Zone 6 board member and board vice president Donna Barnes will face challengers Carvis J. Campbell and Leon Jones, Sr.; Zone 7 Chandra Griffin will face challengers Andrea Little-Roaf and Rev. Johnny Smith.
Zone 1 board member Harold Jackson and Zone 5 board member Kenneth Dickson are running unopposed.
Watson Chapel
Two members of the Watson Chapel School Board are up for re-election in September.
Board vice president and zone 3 and 5 at-large representative Sandra C. Boone will face Harold Clark; board secretary and zone 3 representative Ronnie Reynolds will face Roslynn Moye.
White Hall
In the White Hall School District, all sitting members of the board are running unopposed, including zone 1 representative and board secretary Roy Agee; zone 2 representative and board president Scott Pittillo; zone 3 representative and board vice president Scott Ray; zone 4 representative Raymond F. Jones; zone 5 representative Connie Medsker; at large position 1 representative Stacey Gossage; and at large position 2 representative Dean Dancer.