A Norman Public Schools Board of Education member walked out during the board’s Monday evening meeting following the appointment of next school year’s president and vice president.
Board of education election
The news: The board elected a new president and vice president from among its five members to serve a one-year term, following the conclusion of President Dirk O’Hara and Vice President Alex Ruggiers’ terms.
What they’re saying: O’Hara nominated Dawn Brockman, office 4 board member, for president.
Annette Price, office 3 board member, said board tradition is to rotate the presidency chronologically by office number. Price asked O’Hara, the office 1 board member, why he didn’t nominate Ruggiers, the office 2 board member.
“I nominated the person who’s best suited for the position,” O’Hara said.
In February, the board voted to renew Superintendent Nick Migliorino’s contract in a 3-2 vote. Ruggiers and Price voted against the renewal.
Brockman told OU Daily after the meeting that the change in tradition occurred to elect a president who would work collaboratively with Migliorino.
“I want to emphasize that the school board president is the person who works with the superintendent hand in glove,” Brockman said. “We had two people who voted against extending his contract, and so it was probably appropriate, or we felt it was appropriate, that we have the right people in the positions so that what happens in our district isn’t disrupted and that we take care of the district.”
Ruggiers told the Daily he was surprised by the nominations.
“I was as shocked as anybody else,” Ruggiers said. “I was expecting to be nominated to be president.”
The president vote: The motion to elect Brockman as president passed with a 3-2 vote. O’Hara, Brockman and Tori Collier, office 5 board member, voted for the motion and Ruggiers and Price voted against it. Brockman was elected president effective immediately.
Brockman made a motion to elect O’Hara for vice president.
Price said it is important to represent all offices fairly and asked Brockman why this year’s elections are different from previous years’.
“We are open to elect whoever is appropriate for the office,” Brockman said.
Price asked if she was implying that any board member was inappropriate for office.
Brockman said she is not implying anyone is inappropriate, and said there is someone best suited for the office.
The vice president vote: The motion to elect O’Hara as vice president passed with a 3-2 vote. Brockman, O’Hara and Collier voted for the motion and Ruggiers and Price voted against it. O’Hara was elected vice president effective immediately.
Immediately following the vote, as board members moved to change seats, Price gathered her things and walked out of the meeting. The board did not acknowledge Price’s absence during the meeting and proceeded with the agenda.
Following the meeting, Price told the Daily in a phone call she was surprised and discouraged by the nominations.
“I have to believe that they put themselves into these positions because they disagree with the votes that Mr. Ruggiers and I have cast recently,” Price said.
Price said it’s important for the board to have a range of perspectives.
“It was very disappointing to counteract tradition, it seemed very personal to me,” Price said. “I don't know if that's the way it was intended. I haven't gotten a call from anyone who was part of the nominating and seconding of those positions.”
Price said she walked out of the meeting because the board was making decisions for personal reasons, not in the best interest of children and the city. She said she did not want to be in that environment.
The staff vote: The board also unanimously re-elected its district staff, including its clerks and treasurers.
School meal price increase
The news: Tyler Jones, the district’s chief financial officer, said the proposal would increase elementary meal prices from $3.30 to $3.40 and secondary meal prices from $3.45 to $3.55.
In accordance with the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, a federal law passed in 2010, school lunch prices must be equal to the difference between free meal reimbursement and paid meal reimbursement. The target meal price is $4.16, so the district has increased meal prices by $0.10 annually to reach that threshold, Kim Putman, child nutrition director and the general manager of Sodexo, wrote in a letter to the board.
The vote: The present four board members unanimously approved the motion. Price was absent from the vote.
Approving teachers, staff for next year
The news: The board considered the continued employment of all certified teachers and staff who have not been recommended for dismissal or non-renewal for the next school year.
The vote: The present four board members unanimously approved the motion. Price was absent from the vote.
Principal appointments
The news: The board met in executive session to discuss candidates for principal at Kennedy Elementary and Adams Elementary for the 2026-27 school year.
Jenny Crow was named principal of Kennedy Elementary. Crow has over 20 years of experience in public education, according to an email sent to the Daily by Courtney Scott, NPS chief communications officer. Crow began her teaching career with NPS at Madison Elementary School in 2005, the email reads. According to the email, Crow has worked in a number of schools in the Norman and Shawnee area. She has served as principal of Cleveland Elementary since the fall of 2024.
Miranda Steward was named principal of Adams Elementary. Steward has over 12 years of experience in Norman Public Schools, according to the email. Steward began her career at Eisenhower Elementary School as an elementary teacher from 2014 to 2021. In 2022, Steward moved into school administration as Kennedy Elementary’s assistant principal. Steward transitioned to Adams Elementary in 2025 and will assume her new position in the 2026-27 academic year.
The vote: The present four board members unanimously approved the motion. Price was absent from the vote.
Educator awards
The board also presented “Years of Service” awards to 72 teachers and staff who have served for 15, 20, 25, 30 or 35 years. Janine Warren, who works in the administrative offices, Lori Masters, who teaches at Irving Middle School and Dondi Thompson, who teaches math at Whittier Middle School, have worked for the district for 35 years.
Audrey McClour and Anusha Fathepure edited this story.
