Stacey Woolley has held onto the District 1 seat on the Tulsa Public Schools Board of Education.
According to unofficial results, Woolley had roughly 68% of the vote with more than 90% reporting around 8:45 p.m. Tuesday night, over challenger Jared Buswell.
Woolley, the current TPS school board president, has led the school board through contentious meetings and attacks from state officials. She ran her campaign on a message of inclusivity, and said the school board has shifted to a student outcomes-focused governance in her time in the District 1 seat.
She overcame Buswell, who was endorsed by numerous conservative state leaders including State Superintendent Ryan Walters and Gov. Kevin Stitt. Buswell criticized TPS’ response to COVID-19 and said he would bring an independent voice to the school board.
“Tulsans sent a mandate to our board and to our State Legislature reinforcing what we believe in Tulsa — that we should teach real history, that individual parents should be able to decide what their children read from our books and that we don’t believe in book banning, and also that we support every single student in our school district as well as our teachers. That includes students and teachers who are part of the 2SLGBTQIA community, and that is what Tulsa Public Schools will continue to do,” she said.
When asked what her vision will be for the next four years, Woolley said she will look to increase mental health support for students, ensure safety and increasing literacy.
Buswell declined to comment because he was “honoring volunteers late” into Tuesday night.
Elizabeth Caldwell contributed to this report.
