By: Barry Mangold
OKLAHOMA CITY -
The board of education at Western Heights Public Schools voted to appoint an interim superintendent Thursday, days after the state appointed their own interim superintendent for the embattled school district.
“Now we have essentially two superintendents,” said Briana Flatley, the sole board member to vote ‘no’ on the measure.
The board, led by President Robert Everman, voted 3-1 to appoint Kimberly Race, the district’s assistant superintendent, as interim superintendent after Mannix Barnes was forced out of the position by the Oklahoma State Board of Education last month.
Everman, Linda Farley, and Rosalind Cravens voted for Race’s appointment. Board member Robert Sharp was not present for Thursday’s meeting.
Western Heights spurns Oklahoma authority, appoints own superintendent
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State officials take over troubled OKC Western Heights school district
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By: Barry Mangold
The Oklahoma State Board of Education unanimously agreed to put Western Heights Public Schools on probation, the precursor to removing the district’s accreditation.
Board legal counsel Brad Clark presented several complaints from parents and others against the district along with alleged violations of state law.
Western Heights Superintendent Mannix Barnes did not provide a comment after News 9 denied his request for a live interview.
WHPS Board of Education president Robert Everman did not respond to a request for comment Friday.
No one from WHPS was present to represent the district at Friday’s meeting despite multiple requests from the state board.