Important school board and city council selections await voters

WHEN Lynne Hardin won her race in 2013 to become chairwoman of the Oklahoma City School Board, she did so by amassing 3,376 votes out of 6,583 cast. The total represented fewer than 5 percent of the registered voters in the district at that time.

Unfortunately, low turnout is the norm when school board seats and municipal positions are on the ballot, as they are Tuesday. Our hope is that this time, more of the city’s voters will decide to weigh in on these elections, because they’re important.

Hardin chose not to seek re-election after serving one four-year term marked by continued churn in the superintendent’s job and by concerns about student discipline and teacher morale. Our belief is that former Integris CEO Stan Hupfeld is the best of the five candidates seeking to succeed Hardin.

Hupfeld’s long career as a manager should serve him well as he works to build consensus on the board and guide policy decisions. His experience as former chairman of the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber, and in leading fundraising campaigns for Allied Arts and United Way, give him the sort of access to the business community that is needed to help improve the city’s schools.

Hupfeld, 72, is familiar with the workings of the school board due to his efforts to create a charter school that now bears his name. This charter school experience has opponents concerned that as chairman he would favor charter growth over improving traditional public schools, something he dismisses as unfounded. “Charters are an answer; they aren’t the answer,” he says.

Hupfeld supports Superintendent Aurora Lora, who took over last summer after Rob Neu was let go following two bumpy years. He wants to improve the district’s discipline policies and work to increase parental involvement in schools.

Two individual board seats are being contested. District 2 incumbent Justin Ellis merits re-election to a second term. In District 1, we recommend voters select attorney Charles Henry in the three-person race to replace Bob Hammack, who chose not to run again.

Tuesday’s elections also include four city council seats. Three of those are held by incumbents who merit re-election: James Greiner in Ward 1, Larry McAtee in Ward 3 and John Pettis in Ward 7.

Four solid candidates are vying for the Ward 4 seat held for many years by Pete White, who is retiring. The best pick is homebuilder Todd Stone, who is running against a former state House member, a medical researcher and an ROTC aerospace science teacher.

Stone, 53, is a third-generation south Oklahoma City resident who says public safety and infrastructure will be among his priorities if elected. He also wants to see the MAPS 3 projects completed on time and on budget, and supports continued growth in his ward and across the city.

Polls are open Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Please vote!