Board vacancy on agenda for special Fort Smith school board meeting

Fort Smith Public Schools Board of Education will have a special called board meeting Tuesday (Feb. 18) to decide how to fill the vacancy on the board, but the person in that position must also run for the seat in May 13’s election.

The filing period for those wanting to run for a seat of the Fort Smith Public Schools Board of Education begins on March 3.

Seats up for election in the annual school board elections include the At-Large Position VI held by Matt Blaylock and the At Large Position VII held by Davin Chitwood. The Zone IV seat previously held by Talicia Richardson was left vacant when she resigned Jan. 27 amid the controversy regarding the reassignment of Felix Curry, former head football coach for Northside High School. Her term, representing Zone IV, was set to expire in 2026.

The board has 30 days to fill the position left vacant since Jan. 27, or the position can be filled by the Sebastian County Quorum Court.

The board called a special meeting for Tuesday to review applications and determine what the board would like to do regarding filling the vacancy.

“By state law, the board has 30 days to appoint a qualified individual living in Zone IV to the seat,” the posting states. “Candidates should be aware that interviews could be scheduled immediately afterward, and candidates should plan to be available for a possible interview.”

As of Friday afternoon (Feb. 14), six had applied for the seat: Ashante Arnaud, Gregory Carthon, Daniel Williams, Yuri Richardson, Maria Martinez, and Eric Toran.

On Friday, the school district posted that applicants for the FSPS Board of Education Zone IV position will be included in the May election, and the appointed individual must file and run for the seat even after their appointment.

Candidate packets are available at the Sebastian County Clerk’s Office. The filing period for the election is Feb. 24 through noon March 3.