TULSA, Okla. — Some Tulsa parents say the Board of Education for Tulsa Public Schools needs to decide quickly on a representative for District 2.
Time is running out for the board to appoint that position before they’re forced to call a special election.
“The problems caused by that deadlock are hurting students,” said Shane Bevel. “They are crippling schools.”
Bevel is a parent who lives in Tulsa Public Schools District 2.
“It’s time to appoint someone and move on,” he said.
Bevel said he’s been to every single school board meeting since this summer, and he says he’s upset by the lack of progress on appointing a District 2 representative.
“I’m absolutely frustrated with it,” he said.
District 5 parent Ashley Daly agrees.
“I think we all deserve to have it settled so we can focus on real business,” Daly said.
The seat has been open since Jan. 23 when Judith Barba Perez resigned.
The district encompasses 13 schools whose parents are now without representation.
“I am definitely frustrated by the process,” Daly said. “I think they deserve representation.”
Board of Education President Stacey Woolley says normally in this situation they’re able to quickly appoint a person to fill the seat. This time, though, they’ve been deadlocked.
At their latest meeting Monday night, it was a 3-3 split.
“This board has developed a pattern of by any means necessary,” said Dr. Jennettie Marshall, who represents Tulsa Public Schools Board of Education District 3. “We will go past process, past procedure, past input from the board as a whole.”
Dr. Jennettie Marshall, E’lena Ashley, and Dr. Jerry Griffin voted no on two proposed candidates Monday night. Stacey Woolley, John Croisant, and Susan Lamkin voted yes.
“We need a whole board and District 2 deserves that representation and we’ve heard that very loudly specifically from District 2 parents,” Woolley said.
Woolley says time is running out. They only have until March 24th to appoint someone, or they’ll be forced to call a special election. That special election wouldn’t happen until June, and it could be September before someone is seated.
“That means the board would be making huge decisions like an annual budget decision without representation from District 2,” Woolley said.
Woolley says during the special called meeting on Friday, they’ll go back to the drawing board. They’ll interview people from the original pool of candidates. She hopes the board can narrow that down to a few choices that they can vote on during Monday’s school board meeting.
Parents say they just want this stalemate to end.
“I need them, for my daughter, to work together and make decisions that are best for our kids,” Daly said.
In an email Thursday, board member Dr. Jerry Griffin suggested the board accept applications until March 13, interview candidates, then vote on March 20.
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