PRIA Logo™
ArkansasHB17242025 Regular SessionHouse

TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING LOCAL SCHOOL BOARDS OF DIRECTORS AND SCHOOL BOARD ELECTIONS; AND TO AMEND THE DATE ON WHICH AN ELECTION OF A SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD OF DIRECTORS IS HELD.

Sponsored By: Brit McKenzie (Republican), Jane English (Republican)

Enacted

Personalized for You

How does this bill affect your finances?

Personalize government policy and PRIA will tell you what this bill means for your household, plus every other piece of legislation we track. PRIA reads each provision against your financial profile to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.

Free to download

Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

3 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 0 costs, 3 mixed.

New terms and transitions for school boards

Arkansas school board directors serve four-year or six-year terms, with roughly equal numbers of seats filled at each election. Whole-board elections follow changes to board zones or district boundaries, census rezoning, or a return from state control. They also follow a district falling below the required enrollment level or losing its court-ordered exemption. Initial terms are drawn by lot: two or four years in four-year districts; two, four, or six in six-year districts. Seats must be balanced within two elections for four-year districts or three elections for six-year districts. The 2025 transition sets four-year term expirations in 2028 and six-year expirations in 2030, with adjustments for balanced elections. Board-size changes take effect after directors take office following the next regular school board election. Appointed directors serve until elected successors take the oath, except directors appointed under the separate vacancy rule. During runoffs, current directors stay until the winner's oath is certified. Directors cannot serve more than one full holdover term; an unfilled seat then follows vacancy procedures.

School board candidates get new filing rules

School board candidates file a petition, eligibility affidavit, and political practices pledge during the party filing period. Filing opens at noon on its first day and closes at noon on its last day. Candidates file with the county clerk where the district is based for administrative purposes. Unopposed candidates do not appear on ballots when school elections run alongside the preferential primary. That ballot restriction no longer applies to school elections held with a general election.

School election dates and voting options change

School elections use the preferential primary date in even-numbered years and the first Tuesday after March's first Monday in odd-numbered years. Elections that fill only part of a school board must use the preferential primary date. For elections held apart from a primary or general election, boards can request fewer polling places or absentee-and-early-voting-only elections. They can also request an election by candidate, with no polling places. These requests require a board resolution and no other ballot issues, except a local tax rate that stays unchanged and unrestructured. The former limit based on having no more than one candidate is removed. In an election by candidate, the candidate votes for themselves at a set place and time on election day or during early voting.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsors

  • Brit McKenzie

    Republican • House

  • Jane English

    Republican • Senate

Cosponsors

There are no cosponsors for this bill.

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 176 • No: 22

House vote • 4/8/2025

House Vote - Tuesday, April 8, 2025 2:18:28 PM

Yes: 81 • No: 3 • Other: 1

Senate vote • 4/3/2025

Senate Vote - Thursday, April 3, 2025 1:59:51 PM

Yes: 30 • No: 0 • Other: 3

House vote • 3/20/2025

House Vote - Thursday, March 20, 2025 2:06:11 PM

Yes: 65 • No: 19 • Other: 1

Actions Timeline

  1. Notification that HB1724 is now Act 503

    4/10/2025House

  2. Correctly enrolled and ordered transmitted to the Governor's Office.

    4/8/2025House

  3. TO BE ENROLLED

    4/8/2025House

  4. Senate amendment # 1 read and concurred in.

    4/8/2025House

  5. Returned by the Committee with the recommendation that it do pass, concur in Senate Amendment No. 1

    4/7/2025House

  6. Re-referred to the Committee on EDUCATION COMMITTEE- HOUSE

    4/3/2025House

  7. Returned from Senate as passed, as amended # 1

    4/3/2025House

  8. Returned to the House as passed as amended # 1 .

    4/3/2025Senate

  9. Read the third time and passed.

    4/3/2025Senate

  10. REPORTED CORRECTLY ENGROSSED

    4/1/2025Senate

  11. Amendment # 1 read the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and adopted, ordered engrossed.

    4/1/2025Senate

  12. Placed on second reading for purpose of amendment.

    4/1/2025Senate

  13. Returned by the Committee with the recommendation that it Do Pass as amended, Amendment # 1

    3/31/2025Senate

  14. Read first time, rules suspended, read second time, referred to EDUCATION COMMITTEE - SENATE

    3/20/2025Senate

  15. Received from the House.

    3/20/2025Senate

  16. Read the third time and passed and ordered transmitted to the Senate.

    3/20/2025House

  17. REPORTED CORRECTLY ENGROSSED

    3/19/2025House

  18. Amendment No. 1 read and adopted and the bill ordered engrossed.

    3/19/2025House

  19. Placed on second reading for the purpose of amendment.

    3/19/2025House

  20. Returned by the Committee with the recommendation that it do pass as amended 1

    3/18/2025House

  21. Read the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and referred to the Committee on EDUCATION COMMITTEE- HOUSE

    3/10/2025House

  22. Filed

    3/10/2025House

Bill Text

  • HB1724 - Introduced

    3/10/2025

    PDF

  • Act Version

    PDF

Related Bills

Back to State Legislation