Parents keep kids from class in protest over election system

MARIANNA, Ark. -- Schools were open and teachers held classes. Most kids, though, didn't attend.

Their parents wouldn't let them.

For a fourth day Thursday, most parents in the Lee County School District kept their children at home to protest what they see as an unfair school board election system.

"This is a painful situation," said Carolyn Elliott, a spokeswoman for the organizers, who have sued the district to put all the board's seven seats -- instead of just two -- up for a vote at next month's elections.

Only 465 of the district's 1,750 students attended classes on Thursday. On Monday, the first day of school, 181 showed up.

Marianna, population 5,181, is one of the poorest communities in the state. Census figures last year showed per-capita income at $10,253 -- ranking the town 108th out of Arkansas' 110 communities with 1,000 or more households.

Organizers of the boycott argue that state law requires all school districts with a 10 percent or greater population of minorities to redraw boards and hold elections for all board seats after every census.

Board members redrew the districts according to the 2000 census, but said only two seats that were already up for election on Sept. 17 should be contested -- not all seven.

Opponents allege school officials violated federal law regarding zoning for school board positions and violated the civil rights of those who filed to run for the five other board positions.

There also have been accusations of racial bias. Although 90 percent of the school district's students are black, five of the seven board members are white.

Board member Phylista Stanley, who is black, said the race of board members is not the root of the discord, though organizers complain of race-based preferential treatment.

A circuit judge delayed a hearing Wednesday after a temporary order declaring all seven seats open was issued a day before. Community members said the boycott would likely continue until the election issue is resolved.

Late Wednesday, Gov. Mike Huckabee urged parents not to put children in the middle.

"Holding children out of school is not helpful to the children," Huckabee said. "We are urging parents to get their children back in school and let the process of the courts determine the direction of the school board."

The community failed to resolve the dispute in an acrimonious school board meeting Tuesday night. About 450 residents packed the aisles and lined the walls of the meeting.

Assistant Superintendent Betty McGruder said she would meet with a representative of the state education department Thursday to decide what to do about the unexcused absences accumulated by students.

"We don't want to penalize the kids, but we can only have 178 days of school," she said. "I don't know how long this group is contemplating on using children as ploys."