OKC VeloCity | Learn more about Oklahoma City School Board candidates on the Feb. 9 ballot
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Learn more about Oklahoma City School Board candidates on the Feb. 9 ballot

By Sommer Terry and Kaylee McDaniel / Inside OKC / February 4, 2021

(Editor's note: This article was originally erroneously published without the responses of District 1 candidate Brett Hayes. We have amended the article to include them and sincerely regret the error.)

Oklahoma City residents have an opportunity to impact the success of Oklahoma City’s students on Feb. 9 when they vote in Oklahoma City School Board Chair election.

The nonpartisan election and April 6 runoff will decide the board chair and representatives of Districts 1, 2 and 7 for the next four-year term, which begins in April 2021. Seven candidates filed to run for the school board seats, including incumbent Paula Lewis, board chairperson. Other candidates include Charles Henry and Wilfredo Santos Rivera for board chairperson, Brett Hayes and Carole Thompson for District 1, and Lori Bowman and James McHenry for District 2. Incumbent Meg McElhaney also ran unopposed for the District 7 seat. 

While the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber does not endorse candidates for any school board seat, the Chamber asked all candidates to complete a survey that would ascertain their stance on charter schools, the use of TIF funds and more. Learn more about each candidate and their responses below.

Chairperson seat candidates

Chairperson candidates who responded to the Chamber’s survey include Paula Lewis (incumbent), Charles Henry and Wilfredo Santos Rivera.

Read the full responses of Henry, Lewis (incumbent) and Rivera.

District 1 candidates

District 1 candidates Carole Thompson and Brett Hayes each responded to the Chamber’s survey.  They will face each other in the April 6 runoff.

Read the full responses of Hayes and Thompson.

District 2 candidates

Lori Bowman and James McHenry will face each other at the polls on April 6. Both candidates completed the Chamber survey, and their responses are summarized below.

Read the full responses of Bowman and McHenry.

Election information

All registered voters in the Oklahoma City Public School District are eligible to vote in the Feb. 9 primary election for board chair. If a candidate earns more than half of the votes on Feb. 9, he or she is elected to office. No runoff is necessary.

If no candidate earns more than half of the votes on Feb. 9, the two candidates with the most votes advance to the April 6 runoff. The runoff winner is elected to office.

Learn more about the Feb. 9 OKC city council elections. 

To check or update your registration status, visit the Oklahoma State Election Board’s website at ok.gov/elections. Find your polling place on your voter ID card or use the online voter tool. You can also apply for an absentee ballot online before the deadline of 5 p.m. on Feb. 2. Please note that the special provisions for absentee ballots have expired. Absentee ballots must now be notarized to count. Read more. 

Early voting is 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Feb. 4-5 at your local county election board:

Regular voting is 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Feb. 9 at your usual polling location. Find your polling location on your voter ID card, or using the voter portal at oklahoma.gov/elections/ovp.