Last Updated on April 12, 2021, 6:08 PM | Published: April 12, 2021
OKLAHOMA CITY (Free Press) — New Oklahoma City Public Schools Board of Education members were installed following the runoff elections Tuesday.
Newly-elected board members who are at the beginning of their service on the board are District 1 member Carole Thompson serving 2021-2025 and District 2 member Lori Bowman also serving 2021-2025. (Carole Thompson was not able to attend due to a change in the date of the meeting. She is installed anyway.)
Members who have been on the board and were sworn in for another term are the at-large Chair, Paula Lewis serving 2021-2025, and Board District 7 member Meg McElhaney serving 2021-2022 to complete an unexpired term. McElhaney drew no challengers.
Lewis won the district-wide election in the runoff Tuesday against Charles Henry who chose not to run for the District 1 seat again and challenged Lewis for Chair. The election was close with Lewis winning with 4,576 votes, or 51.94% of the vote, and challenger Charles Henry with 4,234 votes, or 48.6% of the vote.
To learn more: Paula Lewis wins in Board Chair race for Oklahoma City Public Schools
Carole Thompson, Board District 1
Thompson takes the seat formerly held by Charles Henry. She went to OKCPS schools, taught in several, and was a principle for others during her long career in the district. Currently, she provides tutoring for students in the metro.
Schools represented in Board District 1 are:
• Britton Elementary
• Quail Creek Elementary
• Ridgeview Elementary
• John Marshall Middle School
• John Marshall High School
Lori Bowman, Board District 2
Bowman takes the Board District 2 seat formerly held by Rebecca Budd who chose not to run again. Bowman comes to the seat with local and national education policy experience and experience as an active parent of elementary children who attend district schools.
Schools represented in Board District 2 are:
• Horace Mann Elementary (Pre-K Center)
• Johnson Elementary (Pre-K Center)
• Monroe Elementary
• Nichols Hills Elementary
• Belle Isle Enterprise Middle School (5&6)
• Belle Isle Enterprise Middle School (7&8)
• Putnam Heights Academy (5-12)
Other officers
The newly-seated board elected other officers of the Board:
- Mark Mann for Vice-Chair (6-abstaining-absent) vote from the Board
- Craig A. Cates to serve as Board Clerk and Minutes Clerk
- Jessica Sherrill and Hayley Jones to serve as Deputy Board Clerks and Deputy Minutes Clerks
- Jean Bostwick to serve as Encumbrance Clerk (thru June 30)
- Shannon Meeks, to serve as Encumbrance Clerk (effective July 1)
- Mark Waldrip to serve as Treasurer
- Angela Smith and Ann Harper to serve as Assistant Treasurers
- Kathy Padilla to serve as Designated Purchasing Agent
Commendations to Henry and Budd
Former District 1 Board Member Charles Henry was honored by a resolution read by member Ruth Veales recalling his accomplishments as a board member, especially for his support of renaming schools in the district named after Confederate generals and other accomplishments in his four years on the board.
Former District 2 Board Member Rebecca Budd was honored by a resolution read by member Mark Mann commenting her for accomplishments in developing the district’s Equity Policy and active participation in the search that led to the hiring of Superintendent Sean McDaniel.
Both former members were commended for their support of the Teacher Walkout in 2018.
Founder, publisher, and editor of Oklahoma City Free Press. Brett continues to contribute reports and photography to this site as he runs the business.
