At the August 2022 School Board meeting, the Arcola School Board passed a resolution (by a majority vote) to include a question on the November 8, 2022 election ballot. This question will ask voters their opinion on whether or not there should be a change in how the school board for Arcola is constructed/elected every two years. The question will read:
“Shall members of the Board of Education of Arcola Community Unit School District No. 306, Coles and Douglas Counties, Illinois, be elected in 2023 and thereafter, at large and without restriction by area of residence within the district instead of the current restriction that not more than three (3) members on the board of education may be selected from one (1) congressional township in the school district?”
The actual ballot question can be found here:
Recent History
This is the same question that was on the ballot in April of 2021. During that election, 65.4% of the voters in the school district voted “yes” to the at-large election and 34.6% voted “no.” It takes a 2/3 or 66.67% vote (or it must be approved by majority in every township) in order for the question to Pass. The question failed.
Then during the school board election of April 2021, the district had one school board vacancy because there were no candidates from the available townships. As a result, the question must (required by law) be placed back on the ballot for another vote at the next election, which is November 8, 2022.
Current Board Construction
Currently, the Arcola School District has 9 congressional townships. These townships vary by location in the district, geographical size and voter population. Currently, the school board must be constructed in a manner where no more than 3 of the 7 (42.8%) school board members can come from any one congressional township.
There are many arguments on both sides of this issue. On one hand, the current structure allows for representation to come from various geographical parts of the school district. On the other hand, it can make it challenging to get enough individuals interested in running for the school board from various geographic regions.
Ultimately, the intent of this article is not to sway voter opinion in any direction, it is simply to clarify the meaning of the question and provide factual information.
Registered Voters
In September of 2022, the school district was provided the number of registered voters in the different congressional townships. Those totals are listed below.
Registered Voters as of September 2022
| Township | Registered Voters | Percent of Registered Voters |
| 13N Range 9E | 0 | 0.0% |
| 14N Range 7E | 218 | 10.2% |
| 14N Range 8E | 1621 | 75.4% |
| 14N Range 9E | 70 | 3.3% |
| 14N Range 10E | 9 | 0.4% |
| 15N Range 7E | 45 | 2.1% |
| 15N Range 8E | 67 | 3.1% |
| 15N Range 9E | 95 | 4.4% |
| 15N Range 10E | 13 | 0.6% |
As you can see, Congressional Township 14N Range 8E is the location for the City of Arcola and therefore; where a majority of registered voters reside. The following is the https://5il.co/1glh7
Ballot Questioned Simplified
Even though the question may seem complicated, it can be simplified in the following terms:
- If you feel that it would be better to allow the 7 school board members to be elected (and appointed if needed) from anywhere in the school district (regardless of where they live), vote YES.
- If you feel that the district should continue to elect school board members with the current restrictions on geographical location, vote NO.