Correction: This story originally contained two area school district races that will not be on the ballot Tuesday. Those races will be decided on April 7. The story has been corrected.
The Tulsa Public Schools Board of Education could receive two new members this month depending on how constituents vote Tuesday.
Five candidates will appear on the ballot for the school board’s District 5 seat in the upcoming election.
However, one of those candidates — Ben Croff — told the Tulsa World he no longer wants to be a part of the race but missed the deadline to remove his name.
The winner will replace Brian Hosmer, who was appointed to the board last spring after his predecessor’s resignation and decided against running for a full term.
People are also reading…
Meanwhile, longtime District 6 representative Ruth Ann Fate will square off against two opponents in the upcoming election. Jerry Griffin and Stephen Remington are the first candidates to contest Fate’s seat in two decades.
If a candidate in either race secures at least 50% of the votes Tuesday, that person will be sworn in at the board’s next regular meeting on Feb. 17. If that doesn’t happen, the top two candidates will appear in a runoff election April 7.
Here are the District 5 candidates, listed in alphabetical order:
John Croisant, an Allstate agent and former teacher at Edison High School for 12 years, says he is uniquely qualified to understand what’s happening in the district and wants to create a long-term plan to attract students back to TPS.
Scott Pendleton, an independent software and database developer, seeks to transform TPS into America’s best school district by improving academic performance with his multiyear plan.
Kelsey Royce, a volunteer who previously worked for the Tulsa City-County Library System, believes “something’s not right” with TPS and is running to stand up for the city’s schools and communities.
Shane Saunders, president of Trident Energy Inc., thinks the board “desperately” needs the skill set of a businessman who has experience with governance and oversight roles in other organizations.
Here are the District 6 candidates, listed in alphabetical order:
Ruth Ann Fate, who was first elected to the board in 1996, hopes to serve a seventh term to continue overseeing successful programs she helped support.
Jerry Griffin, who teaches online business and criminal justice classes at the University of Oklahoma and the for-profit University of Phoenix, believes he has the know-how and the answers to help TPS through its current budget crisis.
Stephen Remington, a former Dish Network Call Center employee and the father of five kids who either attend or graduated from TPS, said his primary goals are to increase transparency and accountability for the administration.
Meanwhile, three candidates — Tristy Fryer, Todd Hagopian and Jason Prideaux — are running for Bixby’s District 5 seat after board member Lisa Kramer apparently chose to not seek another term.
Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday. Lines are possible at peak voting times, according to the Tulsa County Election Board, while wait times likely will be shorter at midmorning and midafternoon. Anyone in line to vote at 7 p.m. will be allowed to cast a ballot.Gallery: Meet the four candidates vying for the District 5 board seat for Tulsa Public Schools
Meet the four candidates vying for the District 5 board seat for Tulsa Public Schools
John Croisant
Age: 43
Occupation: Allstate agent
Lived in District 5 for: About three years
Education: Bachelor's degrees in secondary education and political science from University of Tulsa
Campaign website: www.johncroisant.com
Why are you running for the Tulsa Public Schools Board of Education District 5 seat?
As a former teacher and soccer coach at Edison for 12 years and a parent of an Edison student, I am uniquely qualified to understand what is going on in TPS and will work to help fix not only the current budget shortfalls, but also help our schools create a long-term plan to attract students back into the district by offering the best educational opportunities to all of our students in Tulsa.
Click here to read more about Croisant
Scott Pendleton
Age: 64
Occupation: Independent software/database developer
Lived in District 5 for: 20 years
Education: Bachelor's degree in journalism from Texas A&M
Campaign website: ScottPendleton.us and Facebook.com/PendletonTPS
Why are you running for the Tulsa Public Schools Board of Education District 5 seat?
This election is nothing less than a referendum on Tulsa’s future. Shall we thrive or dwindle? Tulsa cannot thrive unless Tulsa Public Schools does. Therefore, we will make it our mission to transform TPS into America’s best school district, as measured by academic performance.
First step: Elect a leader who embraces this exciting challenge. I have the desire, energy and vision to rally Tulsa behind this unprecedented but achievable goal.
Our “TPS Transformation” will happen over several years. We’ll see conspicuous improvement immediately, and steady progress thereafter.
On Feb. 11 Tulsa will choose its future. I urge all 29,000 District 5 voters to select success for our kids and community. Vote in person or request an absentee ballot at okvoterportal.okelections.us.
Click here to read more about Pendleton
Kelsey Royce
Age: 38
Occupation: Volunteer
Lived in District 5 for: About three years as adult
Education: Bachelor's degree in studio art
Campaign website: facebook.com//TPSDistrict5
Why are you running for the Tulsa Public Schools Board of Education District 5 seat?
Something’s not right with Tulsa Public Schools. We all know this. Listen to parents and they’ll tell you something’s not right. Listen to our teachers and our support staff and our children — they’ll tell you the same. For me, when something’s not right, a moral imperative exists to stand up for what is. This is why I’m running: to stand up for our schools and our communities.
As a legacy graduate of Tulsa Public Schools with our family’s fourth generation currently attending school in the district, I recognize we are at a crossroads here in Tulsa. What happens now will determine if there will even be a TPS intact for a fifth generation to attend.
Click here to read more about Royce
Shane Saunders
Age: 39
Occupation: President of Trident Energy Inc.
Lived in District 5 for: 14 years
Education: Bachelor's in politics and bachelor's in classics from Washington and Lee University; master's in business administration from University of Tulsa
Campaign website: ShaneSaunders.org
Why are you running for the Tulsa Public Schools Board of Education District 5 seat?
The current school board is comprised almost exclusively of educators and former educators. The board desperately needs the skillset of a businessman and MBA who has experience with governance and oversight roles in other organizations.
Additionally, there are no fathers of TPS children on the board and I believe that a dad’s perspective is an important viewpoint to share with the other members. Additionally, TPS needs board members who are well-versed in the legislative process and who have extensive relationships within the legislative and executive branches of state government and I’m looking forward to bringing my experience and contacts to work on behalf of TPS.
Click here to read more about Saunders
FEATURED VIDEO
