OKLAHOMA CITY — Mike Shelton, a well-known community leader on Oklahoma City’s Eastside, accepted the appointment to and took the oath of office for the Oklahoma City Public Schools Board of Education Monday.
Shelton takes the Board District 5 seat recently left vacant by the resignation of Adrian Anderson who was elected to the seat in 2022.
He will complete the rest of the term for that seat which ends in 2026.
Schools Represented by District 5
• Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary
• Thelma R. Parks Elementary
• Rogers Middle School
• Spencer Elementary
• Willow Brook Elementary
• FD Moon Middle School
• Classen School of Advanced Studies High School at Northeast
• Douglass High School
• Star Spencer Middle School
• Star Spencer High School
• Extended Educational Services (EES) Pre-K through 12
“I just want to thank Adrian Anderson publicly,” said Shelton once seated on the horseshoe. “I never thought in a million years that I would have the opportunity to be here. I just want to not only honor him but those of that have served in the seat.”
Shelton currently serves as Metro Technology Centers’ Inter-Governmental and Community Liaison.
From 2004 to 2016, Shelton served as the state Representative for Oklahoma’s House District 97.
He received his bachelor’s degree in agricultural economics from Langston University and received his master’s from Webster University in St. Louis, Missouri.
‘Honored’
“I’m really honored to have the opportunity to serve community again,” said Shelton to Free Press after his first board meeting adjourned. “This is a community that I’m very familiar with.”
“I know from my past elected role that there’s no more important role than this school board and there’s no more important role than schools being healthy in our communities.”
Shelton told us that he has watched families move out of communities in search of good schools for their kids and he understands that.
“We need to ensure that that doesn’t happen,” he said. “And so whatever we can do to strengthen and be that school of choice, as Dr. Polk said it today. We want to be that school of choice and it’s going to take a lot of dedication.”
Full complement of Board members
With Shelton’s appointment, the Board of Education has filled every seat.
The OKCPS — https://www.okcps.org/Page/251 — Board of Education is now made up of:
Paula Lewis — elected chair
Lori Bowman — Vice-Chair and District 2
Carole Thompson — District 1
Jessica Cifuentes — District 3
Dana Meister — District 4
Mike Shelton — District 5
Juan Lecona — District 6
Meg McElhaney — District 7
The next Board meeting will be on Monday, June 24, at 5:30 PM, Great Room, Clara Luper Center, 615 N. Classen, OKC, OK 73106.
Founder, publisher, and editor of Oklahoma City Free Press. Brett continues to contribute reports and photography to this site as he runs the business.
