Lightle Wins Zone 3 School Board Seat in Bentonville Election Runoff
By: Cassidy Hodges
Updated: November 2, 2012
Grant Lightle has been elected to the Bentonville School Board Tuesday after a runoff election against Kim Mertes in Zone 3.
Lightle defeated Kim Mertes with 61% of the votes. Mertes received 39%.
Out of the 6, 484 voters living in zone three, only 562 cast a ballot in the runoff.
"You know I'm really excited about this and I want to thank the voters who got out there and supported me. I want to thank my family for letting me spend so much time on this for months," says Lightle.
At the forefront of his campaign, the idea of a second high school and he's ready to start working.
"Winning the election is great, but the process of talking to people in the community is a really really important step in making some of these decisions realities."
And Bentonville Superintendent Mike Poore knows the rising enrollment will be one of the first problems this school board tackles.
"They now have an obligation once they're selected, to work with 6 other people and try and take in the context of this entire community to come up with an appropriate growth solution," says Poore.
And Lightle doesn't forsee a lot of conflict in his new position.
"I feel like the board has a very similar outlook with regard for the need for a fiscally responsible solution and the need for better opportunities for our kids."
Now, with the race behind him, he's ready to join the board and start brainstorming ideas.
"This is not about any one person, it's about the board as a whole, the district leadership, faculty the community working together to try and solve some of these problems," says Lightle.
Grant Lightle will be sworn in on October 22.
Lightle defeated Kim Mertes with 61% of the votes. Mertes received 39%.
Out of the 6, 484 voters living in zone three, only 562 cast a ballot in the runoff.
"You know I'm really excited about this and I want to thank the voters who got out there and supported me. I want to thank my family for letting me spend so much time on this for months," says Lightle.
At the forefront of his campaign, the idea of a second high school and he's ready to start working.
"Winning the election is great, but the process of talking to people in the community is a really really important step in making some of these decisions realities."
And Bentonville Superintendent Mike Poore knows the rising enrollment will be one of the first problems this school board tackles.
"They now have an obligation once they're selected, to work with 6 other people and try and take in the context of this entire community to come up with an appropriate growth solution," says Poore.
And Lightle doesn't forsee a lot of conflict in his new position.
"I feel like the board has a very similar outlook with regard for the need for a fiscally responsible solution and the need for better opportunities for our kids."
Now, with the race behind him, he's ready to join the board and start brainstorming ideas.
"This is not about any one person, it's about the board as a whole, the district leadership, faculty the community working together to try and solve some of these problems," says Lightle.
Grant Lightle will be sworn in on October 22.
