Editors note: this story was updated at 10:15 p.m. April 23 to reflect Office 4 Board Member Dawn Brockman also spoke in support of Edmond Public Schools' lawsuit against State Superintend of Public Instruction Ryan Walters, reflecting a majority of the board spoke in favor of the lawsuit.
The Norman Public Schools Board of Education swore in its new District 4 board member, heard updates on the Oklahoma Aviation Academy and approved an increase for school lunches in its Monday meeting.
Swearing of Dawn Brockman for Office 4 seat and reorganization of the board
The board swore in former Norman High School teacher Dawn Brockman, who defeated Prosperity Bank vice president Scott Christian, for the Office 4 seat on April 2.
Of the 2,753 total votes, 54.23% voted for Brockman and 45.77% for Christian, according to the Oklahoma State Election Board official results.
The seat was previously held by Chad Vice, who served in the position for 10 years.
After swearing in Brockman, Alex Ruggiers, a board member, made a motion to reorganize the board. According to the meeting’s agenda, the board's reorganization is discussed during the first meeting following the annual election, and the people elected will hold their positions for a one-year term and until a successor is elected and qualified.
The board nominated and elected Dirk O’Hara and Tina Floyd as vice president and president.
The board also nominated and elected Cathy Sasser as clerk of the board, Natalie Eckert as deputy clerk, Jill Eidson as second deputy clerk, Cameron Cox as encumbrance clerk, Shannon Benda as deputy encumbrance clerk, Tyler Jones as treasurer and Janine Warren as deputy treasurer.
NPS’s response to Edmond Public Schools' lawsuit against Ryan Walters
Three of five members of the board showed support to Edmond Public Schools on the lawsuit it took against the Oklahoma State Department of Education in regards to book banning.
In January, Edmond Public Schools received a letter from the State Department of Education demanding to remove two books from its libraries.
The books in question were “The Kite Runner” by Khaled Hosseini and “The Glass Castle” by Jeannette Walls.
"The Kite Runner" is about a kid from Afghanistan living in the U.S. reflecting on his time in Kabul before his life is tragically changed. "The Glass Castle" is a memoir where Walls reminisces about her childhood experiences.
The letter said the books qualify as “sexualized content” and are not appropriate for people under 18. Although it didn’t show any specific quotes from the books that could show a violation of OSDE rules, the letter said both books have explicit sexual content.
The letter states they had 14 days to request a hearing in front of the State Board and threatened the district’s accreditation.
On Feb. 20, Edmond Public Schools voted unanimously to file the petition for the Supreme Court to determine if these rules are valid under Oklahoma law.
As a former English teacher, Ruggiers said he’s concerned about the blatant attacks toward school districts across Oklahoma in regards to what book should be appropriate for students. He said local leaders, administrators and teachers are best placed to decide what books and educational materials are best appropriate for students.
“I truly believe that freedom to read is one of our most fundamental rights. Is a cornerstone of our democracy, enabling us to explore diverse perspectives, challenge our assumptions and broaden our understanding of the world,” Ruggiers said.
Ruggiers expressed his “wholehearted and unequivocal” support for Edmond Public Schools and said State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters’ attempt to interfere with local decision-making is a direct assault on the principles of local and democratic governance. He also urged others to voice their concerns and defend the autonomy of a strong public education system.
“Edmond Public Schools, like all local educational institutions, including this one, should have the right to determine the curriculum and educational materials without undue interference from a power-hungry bully who has overstepped his authority,” Ruggiers said.
Brockman and Annette Price, Office 3 board member, also showed their support for Edmond Public Schools. Price said she believes in the teachers' criteria on what books are age-appropriate for students.
“I trust our educators and our certified librarians and their practiced expertise in selecting challenging reading material, and ones that will help our students grow,” Price said.
Oklahoma Aviation Academy updates
Gary Armbruster, architect and partner of MA+ Architecture, showed the board a schematic design of the Oklahoma Aviation Academy.
The Aviation Academy is part of the 2023 bond issue. The board approved the academy’s facility in its November meeting.
According to the NPS website, students at the aviation academy will engage in a STEAM-focused curriculum, emphasizing on aviation and aerospace, while having opportunities for hands-on career and industry experiences.
According to a presentation made by Armbruster, the facility will have three buildings. The main Oklahoma Aviation Academy building, a college and career center and a third building that will be an expansion of the main building, Armbruster said.
For safety and security, the bus parking space will be in the northern part of the space, separate from the parent drop-off area and parking lot.
The main building will have two floors. The first floor will have office spaces, conference rooms and classroom spaces, a cafeteria and a multipurpose space. The second floor will have classrooms, multipurpose areas and flight simulator rooms.
It will also have a “learning stair,” which, Armbruster said, people can walk or sit on and will have technology capability.
“I’ve already heard it being talked about on a statewide level. This is going to be talked about on a national level,” Armbruster said.
The facility will also have a tango flight, a class that teaches high schoolers how to build and fly a two-seat airplane. Armbruster said the Oklahoma Aviation Academy is going to be the only aviation academy in the nation building two airplanes simultaneously.
Armbruster said the building can hold over 700 people and plans to have 150 students per grade level.
Increase in school meal prices
To stay in compliance with the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, the board is required to look into the lunch prices every year and work towards meeting rate adjustment standards.
Tyler Jones, chief financial officer, said the act requires schools to gradually increase their prices over time or choose to cover the difference with non-Federal funds.
The board approved the increase of $0.10 in lunch prices for the 2024-25 school year. Elementary school lunches will be $3.20 while middle and high school lunches will be $3.35.
This story was edited by Anusha Fathepure, Ismael Lele and Peggy Dodd. Ryan Little and Avery Avery copy edited this story
