The only two members of the Fort Smith School District board of education up for re-election in the fall have announced their intentions for the fall school elections and one is opting out after what has been a controversial two cycles as the board president.
Deanie Mehl, an At-Large member who has been a school board members since 2005, has decided to not seek the post she has held for the past 12 years.
She told one local news outlet that she had set a self-imposed limit of 12 years on the board when she first sought election to the body.
Mehl has been one of the the subjects in ongoing legal battles and social media commentary over the past few years.
Attorney Joey McCutchen filed a lawsuit on behalf of a citizen plaintiff when the board did away with the Southside Rebel mascot in 2015 and another when the she and other board members conducted official board business outside the view of the public in a series of emails.
Board member Jeannie Cole, Zone III, has announced she will seek re-election in the fall. In announcing her decision Cole, who is in her 20th year as a board members, cited her experience and knowledge of the workings of the body as a reason to seek re-election.
Board members Bill Hanesworth (At-Large) , Wade Gilkey (Zone 1) and Yvonne Keaton-Martin (Zone IV) are all up for re-election in 2018 while current vice-president Susan McFerran (Zone II) and Talicia Richardson (At-Large) do not reach the end of their current terms until 2019.
Dennis W. McCaslin
Dennis McCaslin has been a longtime news and sports reporter for several media outlets in the Fort Smith area. He has also been a well known radio personality and play-by-play announcer for several years prior to joining InsideFortSmith.Com. He is the voice of the ArklahomaSports High School Game of the Week. E-mail: dennis@greatplainsdigital.com
