An act TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING A SCHOOL DISTRICT 10 BOARD OF DIRECTORS, the official text

Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.

1 State of Arkansas            As Engrossed: H4/9/25
2 95th General Assembly
                                    A Bill

3 Regular Session, 2025                                         HOUSE BILL 1933

4

5 By: Representative McCollum

6 By: Senator Irvin

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8                              For An Act To Be Entitled

9   AN ACT TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING A SCHOOL DISTRICT

10  BOARD OF DIRECTORS; TO CREATE A RECALL ELECTION AND

11  PETITION FOR REMOVAL FOR A MEMBER OF A SCHOOL

12  DISTRICT BOARD OF DIRECTORS; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.

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14

15                             Subtitle

16                       TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING A SCHOOL

17                       DISTRICT BOARD OF DIRECTORS; AND TO

18                       CREATE A RECALL ELECTION AND PETITION

19                       FOR REMOVAL FOR A MEMBER OF A SCHOOL

20                       DISTRICT BOARD OF DIRECTORS.

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22 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS:

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24  SECTION 1. Arkansas Code � 6-13-611(a), concerning vacancies on a

25 school district board of directors, is amended add an additional subdivision

26 to read as follows:

27  (9) Is subject to a recall petition that is approved by a

28 majority vote of the electors qualified to vote for the office held by the

29 member to be removed.

30

31  SECTION 2. Arkansas Code Title 6, Chapter 13, Subchapter 6, is amended

32 to add an additional section to read as follows:

33  6-13-637. Recall election and petition for removal -- School district

34 boards of directors.

35  (a) A member of a school district board of directors is subject to

36 recall and removal by a majority vote of the electors qualified to vote for

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    As Engrossed: H4/9/25                                                  HB1933

1 the office held by the member to be removed.

2   (b) A member of a school district board of directors is subject to

3 recall and removal for the following reasons, including without limitation:

4              (1) A moral failing leading to pending criminal charges; and

5              (2) The loss of public trust.

6   (c)(1) The petition for removal shall:

7                     (A) State the name of the member of the school district

8 board of directors to be removed;

9                     (B) Identify the office held by the member of the school

10 district board of directors who is to be removed;

11                    (C) State that the petition is to hold a recall election

12 for removal of the member of the school district board of directors from his

13 or her office; and

14                    (D) State the reason for which removal is sought with an

15 affidavit signed by the petitioner affirming the truthfulness of that

16 statement.

17             (2) A signer on the petition for removal shall:

18                    (A) Sign his or her legal name; and

19                    (B) List his or her residential address.

20             (3) If a petition for removal signed by at least thirty-five

21 percent (35%) of the electors who are qualified to vote for the office held

22 by the member who is to be removed is filed with the county clerk, the county

23 clerk shall:

24                    (A) Verify the signatures on the petition for removal

25 within ten (10) days of its filing;

26                    (B) Certify the petition that has been verified to have

27 the requisite number of valid signatures under this section promptly after

28 verification; and

29                    (C) Promptly notify the school district board of directors

30 and the county board of election commissioners of the certification of the

31 petition.

32             (4) The petitioner shall have an additional ten (10) days to

33 circulate the petition for removal if:

34                    (A) At the time the petition for removal is filed, the

35 petition contains a number of signatures equal to at least thirty-five

36 percent (35%) of the electors who are eligible to vote for the office held by

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    As Engrossed: H4/9/25                                                   HB1933

1 the member to be removed; and

2                   (B) The number of signatures that are verified by the

3 county clerk as valid under this section is less than thirty-five percent

4 (35%) of the electors who are eligible to vote for the office held by the

5 member to be removed.

6   (d)(1) Except as provided under subdivision (d)(2) of this section, a

7 recall election under this section shall be held at the next school board

8 election.

9             (2) If the next school board election is less than sixty (60)

10 days after the petition is certified by the county clerk, the recall election

11 shall be held at the next school board election following the next school

12 board election.

13            (3) Except as provided under this section, the recall election

14 shall be held in accordance with the laws governing the school board

15 election.

16  (e)(1) If a person is removed from his or her office under this

17 section, there is a vacancy in office.

18            (2) When a vacancy is created under this section the vacancy

19 shall be filled under the procedure in � 6-13-611.

20            (3) A vacancy in office shall not be filled by an appointee who

21 has been removed from the school district board of directors under this

22 section.

23  (f) A member of a school district board of directors may be subject to

24 no more than (1) recall petition during the member's elected term in office.

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26                               /s/McCollum

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