Board of Ed races in Okla City and Putnam City Public Schools take shape

Last Updated on December 16, 2020, 9:50 PM | Published: December 16, 2020

Four seats for Oklahoma City Public Schools and two in Putnam City Schools are up for election February 9, 2021. Only one has a single candidate walking in without a race. The others have two or more running.

Oklahoma City Public Schools

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Oklahoma City Public Schools Board of Education has four seats up for grabs in the 2021 election.

Office No. 7, for the southwestern corner of the district, showed Meg McElhaney the only contestant, thus walking into another term without a contest. Because of a resignation, McElhaney will be completing an unexpired term for one year and then the seat will be open for election again for a four-year term in 2022.

By the end of the filing period Wednesday, December 9, three have filed for the at-large Board Chair seat. It’s the only seat where anyone living in the district can vote for one of the candidates. All other seats are limited to voters who live in those particular voting districts.

Incumbent Board Chair Paula Lewis is running again. Current Office No. 1 Board Member Charles Henry as well as Wilfredo Santos Rivera will be challenging her for the office.

For Office No. 1 on that covers the entire north end of the sprawling district, Brett Lee Hayes and Carole A. Thompson will vie for the seat. Neither are currently on the Board.

For Office No. 2 that represents the near north side of the district, Lori Bowman and James McHenry will face off. Neither are currently on the board.

Putnam City Public Schools

Putnam City Public Schools is the other large public school district that is responsible for the bulk of the west side of the metro to the Canadian County Line. And like OKCPS, the district educates students who come to it from a broad spectrum of races, cultures, and economic levels.

Of the five Board of Education seats, Office No. 1 and No. 3 are up for election in the February 9 vote.

Both election districts are on the north end of the district and west of Lake Hefner.

Board Clerk Sandy Lemaster told Free Press that normally only Office No. 1 would have been up but Office No. 3 is an unexpired term that needs filling.

For Office No. 1 Steve Burger faces Cynthia Gibbs for that seat.

For Office No. 3, a three-way race is brewing between Sky Collins, Judy Mullen Hopper, and Phillip P. Owens II.

Free Press will cover board of education races in both of these districts. Watch for our coverage by following us on Twitter @FreePressOKC or by liking our Facebook Page @OklahomaCityFreePress.