Last November, candidates for the Springdale School Board election, began filing to run for two new open positions. Candidates were given a week to register for the two seats were available, Springdales at-large and Zone 5 seat. The at-large position was held by longtime member Mike Luttrell, who opted not to run for reelection this coming spring.

“My youngest children will graduate in May. The timing seemed good for me to step down and really give somebody else an opportunity to step up and lead,” he said. Clinton Bell and Edwin Strickland filed to take his place.

Bell, 44, is chief executive officer of Quadrivium, a Springdale-based company that deals in data storage and protection. He has a 10th-grader and a sixth-grader in the district. He has lived in Springdale since 1998.

Strickland, 47, is a former administrator in the Springdale and Fayetteville school districts. He works for Generation Ready, a company that provides professional development services for schools and teachers. He has an eighth-grader and a ninth-grader enrolled in the district, and two sons who graduated from the district.

While the race is on for these two candidates, Eddie Ramos, an assistant vice president with legacy national bank, was the only person to file for the Zone 5 seat, after he was appointed to the position previously.

“I’ve been in Springdale for a long time, so finding a way to give back is something I’m honored to do,” he said.

Ramos is Springdale’s first Hispanic board member since 2008. About 47 percent of the School District’s students are Hispanic, according to state data.

“I believe the Springdale School Board would greatly benefit from having someone Hispanic on the board to not only represent its diverse population, but also inspire young students to become leaders in their community,” he wrote.

Elections will be held March 3.