Narrowly avoiding a runoff, Kate Williams unseated Broken Arrow Public Schools Board Vice President Jerry Denton on Tuesday night. While Williams celebrates her outright victory win in the suburbs, Kyra Carby and Dorie Simmons advanced to an April Fools’ Day showdown to represent District 3 of the Tulsa Public Schools Board of Education.
Williams, an adjunct English professor at the University of Tulsa and Tulsa Community College, lead the three-candidate race with 680 votes (50.4 percent), just enough to avoid a runoff election. Denton, who placed second with 457 votes (33.9 percent), served on the board since February 2010. Bruce Allen Lamont also campaigned and received 213 votes (15.8 percent).
In Owasso, Chad Balthrop, the chairman-elect of the Owasso Chamber of Commerce, won the city council’s open Ward 5 seat left vacant by Doug Bonebrake, who was first elected in May 2007 and served as the city’s mayor from 2010 to 2014. Balthrop received 1,576 votes (64.4 percent), defeating Brandon Shreffler who received 870 votes (35.6 percent).
Owasso Public Schools voters narrowly rejected a $193 million bond proposal that would have funded improvements to district facilities, while narrowly approving a $4.45 million bond proposal for purchasing new transportation equipment. In Jenks Public Schools, voters overwhelmingly approved two bond issues totaling about $19.6 million in order to improve school facilities and purchase new transportation equipment.
Results are unofficial until certified by the State Election Board.
Carby, Simmons advance to TPS District 3 runoff
Incumbent Jennettie Marshall, who has served on the Tulsa Public Schools Board of Education representing District 3 since 2016, did not run for reelection.
Carby lead in the four-candidate race with 331 votes (46.8 percent), while Simmons finished second with 208 votes (29.4 percent). Brandi Joseph placed third with 91 votes (12.9 percent), and Eartha McAlester trailed with 78 votes (11 percent).
While voters in TPS District 3 will finalize their choice between newcomers Carby and Simmons on April 1, the District 2 election was cancelled after Khadija Goz withdrew from the race on Monday. With Goz’s withdrawal, incumbent board member Calvin Moniz was reelected to a full term by default.
Jenks voters approve pair of bonds, Owasso voters split
Public school district voters in Jenks and Owasso each had two separate bond votes scheduled for Tuesday, which required a 60 percent approval rate to pass.
In Jenks, voters approved their two bond proposals aimed at improving or expanding school facilities — including the freshman academy, tennis facility, performing arts center and aquatic center — as well as purchasing new transportation equipment. The two proposals were split between a transportation equipment bond and a facilities bond with both being overwhelmingly approved.
The first proposition, nearly $19 million for expanding school facilities, passed with 81.4 percent of the vote (1,461 votes in favor to 334 against). The second proposition, $650,000 for transportation equipment, passed with 81.8 percent of the vote (1,467 votes in favor to 327 against).
In Owasso, voters split on their two bond proposals totaling about $197.5 million for facilities updates and purchasing new transportation equipment. Like Jenks, Owasso divided the transportation equipment proposal and the facilities updates proposal into to separate bonds.
The first proposition, more than $193 million for improving school facilities, failed with 58.5 percent of the vote (2,266 votes in favor to 1,608 against). The second proposition, over $4 million for transportation equipment, passed with 61.6 percent of the vote (2,392 votes in favor to 1,489 against).
(Update: This article was updated at 12:48 p.m. Wednesday, February 12, to reflect that Khadija Goz withdrew her candidacy for the Tulsa Public Schools District 2 election on February 10.)
