Four candidates have filed for the Norman Public Schools Board of Education Office 3 seat following the closure of the filing period Wednesday evening.
During the regular school board meeting on Monday, Cindy Nashert, NPS Board of Education president, announced she will not seek reelection.
Gary Barksdale, OU math professor, is seeking the seat for a second time after losing to Nashert in 2013. He also ran for Norman mayor in 2016, an election he lost to former Mayor Lynne Miller.
Barksdale is listed as the primary contact on the OU chapter of Turning Point USA’s ENGAGE website.
He was photographed by The Norman Transcript dropping off petition signatures in August 2020 to recall former Mayor Breea Clark on behalf of Unite Norman, a grassroots organization founded in 2020 in response to the Norman City Council’s decision to decrease the police department’s proposed budget increase by $865,000.
Kathleen Kennedy, former executive director of communications and public relations at Oklahoma City Public Schools, also filed paperwork for her candidacy.
Currently, Kennedy is the president and CEO of the Center for Communication and Engagement, a public relations firm catering to schools.
Annette Price, public relations and outreach coordinator for OU, announced her candidacy in November. She also has experience at the Oklahoma State Department of Education and has served as Norman Parent Teacher Association Council president.
Her campaign issues include transparency, respect for teachers, access to technology and classroom materials, and making education that is designed for all students, according to her campaign website.
Kini Vaughn, a student at the Moore Norman Technology Center and graduate of Norman High School, also filed for this election. They attended the recent protests against the alleged punishment of a Norman Public Schools transgender student who used the restroom of the gender they identify with.
Norman residents will vote for the NPS Office 3 seat on Feb. 14.
