TULSA, Okla. — Tulsa Public Schools Board of Education is re-opening the application process for its District 2 seat.
It comes as the anticipated vote over the vacant position remains delayed. Interested new candidates have until noon Wednesday to apply, and interviews begin on Thursday.
The board agreed Monday night that any decision for appointing a new member would have been premature, but some in attendance are upset the process has taken so long.
“It’s crazy," one speaker said during the public comments portion of the March 6 meeting. "You want to celebrate the wins of our students during Black History Month as they deserve, but the 13% of this district that is Black is being literally left behind by people who are playing politics.”
Despite the outcry, Monday’s school board meeting resulted in a unanimous agreement that the TPS Board of Education will allow more District 2 residents to apply to fill the open seat. However, constituents like TPS employee Hannah Fernandez told 2 News Oklahoma that residents shouldn’t have to wait to be represented.
“It’s really frustrating and upsetting to see the school board choose not to have these conversations when we as educators are in positions every day where we have to have hard conversations," Fernandez said. "We have to have the uncomfortable conversations, and so it’s time the school board shows up and does the work.”
Fernandez said she’d prefer any good candidate be appointed to the chair as long as it gives a voice back to District 2.
“Our voices are being silenced. Our voices aren’t being heard," she said. "And we need someone who is going to represent not just one particular group of individuals in our community but has the best interest of all of us at heart.”
So far there are six candidates vying for the position. The vote set for March 20 is four days shy of the state-mandated deadline.
If there’s still a deadlock, a special election would have to take place no earlier than June.
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