People who reside within the boundaries of Putnam City’s board election District 2 are invited to apply for a vacant seat on the district’s board of education, Superintendent Paul Hurst says.
The new board member will replace Mark Bledsoe, who passed away in late December following a sudden illness.
Plans are for the spot on the board to be filled on or before March 5. Once someone is appointed to fill the vacant seat, he or she will serve on the board until an election is held in February 2013. Whoever is elected at that time will serve four years before facing election again.
Applications for the District 2 Seat
Applications for the vacant board seat will be accepted until 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 1.
Applications for the vacant District 2 board seat may be obtained from the district’s board clerk at 495-5200, ext. 1238, or dbaldwin@putnamcityschools.org. Applications may also be found on the district website.
Applications may be submitted in one of three ways:
1. Applicants may submit their application in person to the district’s board clerk in the district’s Administration Building at 5401 N.W. 40th.
2. Applicants may fax their application to the board clerk at 491-7515.
3. Applicants may mail their application to Board Clerk, Putnam City Schools, 5401 N.W. 40th, Oklahoma City, OK, 73122.
At an upcoming meeting, board members will decide the date and time for applicants to be interviewed. The board will interview all applicants before appointing a new board member.
District 2 Boundaries
District 2 is an irregularly shaped district that stretches as far north as Wilshire, as far south as N.W. 46th, as far west as Rockwell and as far east as May Avenue. People interested in applying for the board vacancy should make sure they reside inside District 2 boundaries by checking a detailed map of election districts on the district website.
In addition, a legal description of District 2 may be obtained by calling the district’s board clerk at 495-5200, ext. 1238.
Qualifications of Board Members
Requirements for board members are set forth in state law. In order to qualify for appointment to Putnam City’s District 2 board seat, an individual:
• Must have resided within the geographical boundaries of District 2 for at least six months prior to
Jan. 10, 2012.
• Must have been a registered voter with the county election board at an address within the geographical
boundaries of District 2 for six months prior to Jan. 10, 2012.
• Must hold a high school diploma or certificate of high school equivalency
• Cannot have been convicted or entered a plea of guilty or nolo contendere to a misdemeanor involving
embezzlement or a felony under the laws of Oklahoma or the United States
• Cannot have been convicted of a crime in another state which would have been a misdemeanor
involving embezzlement or a felony under the laws of Oklahoma and cannot have entered a plea of
guilty or nolo contendere to such crime
• Cannot be related within second degree by affinity or consanguinity to any other member of the Putnam
City Board of Education or to any employee of Putnam City Schools. The second degree of relationship
includes a spouse, child, child’s spouse, parent, parent’s spouse, grandchild, grandchild’s spouse,
grandparent, grandparent’s spouse, brother, brother’s spouse, sister, sister’s spouse, spouse’s child,
spouse’s parent, spouse’s grandchild, spouse’s grandparent, spouse’s brother, and spouse’s sister.
• Cannot be currently employed by Putnam City Schools
• Must agree and pledge in writing to attend 12 hours of instruction school board member training within
15 months of appointment to the school board, as required by state law
What the Job Entails
While serving on the board, Putnam City board members make decisions on complex educational and social issues and bear responsibility for a $131 million general fund budget, more than 19,000 students, more than 2,000 employees and 27 school buildings. School board members provide leadership, hire administrators, evaluate the superintendent, develop and approve district policies, listen to community concerns, attend board meetings (usually scheduled on the first and third Mondays the month), participate in subcommittees and task forces and attend school and community programs and events throughout the year.
Nationally, school board members report spending an average of about 25 hours a month on board business.