After months of discussion and a missed candidate filing deadline, the Tulsa Public Schools Board of Education voted Monday to adopt its zoning map for the next decade.
The new map was drawn from input from the district, people in the district and Indian Nations Council of Governments (INCOG) up from 2020 Census data. It moves Emerson, Hoover and Patrick Henry elementary schools and Unity Learning Academy out of their current school board districts.
The board voted 5-2, with board members E'Lena Ashley and Jerry Griffin voting against.
It was one of two final maps presented to the board, which waited past the Dec. 5-7 filing period for school board elections statewide. Oklahoma law requires school districts to adopt their new maps before Dec. 31 of the year after census data is submitted.
The school board tabled their vote on the maps in November. District 3 board member Jennettie Marshall said the board was “nowhere near ready” to complete the process at that time, Tulsa World reported.
INCOG did not put he two maps that were before the board for a vote Monday until Dec. 8. Marshall aired concerns about a lack of citizen input in the drafting process that evening.
Before casting their votes, the school board was met with frustration from a handful of residents about how the process extended past the filing deadline.
“What we do here should be to preserve democracy, and I have real questions about the dedication to this process,” said Kelsey Royce, who has previously run for the District 5 school board seat.
The first plan, which was adopted, includes Precinct 333 north of Pine Street between Yale and Harvard avenues in Board District 2. It also It also moves parts of the district near Sand Springs and downtown into District 3. The second proposed map does not do this.
Royce said both maps would put her in District 1, which is represented by Stacey Woolley.
While Royce aired concerns about the election period, state Rep. Regina Goodwin said she was concerned about if the second map presented was equitable to students. She claimed the second map would deplete the Black representation in Zone 2.
“There seems to be a packing, if you will, in certain districts, and a detriment, if you will, to District 3, which Dr. Marshall represents,” said Goodwin, who did not speak favorably of either map.
Marshall moved to adopt the first map after public comment.
