Okla. Stat. tit. 70, § 70-5-107A

Election procedure.

The following provisions and the provisions of Section 13A-101

et seq. of Title 26 of the Oklahoma Statutes shall govern the

election of members of the board of education for a school district:

A. For purposes of this section, temporary positions added to a

board of education pursuant to Section 7-101 or 7-105 of this title

and the chair of the board of education elected pursuant to Section

1 of this act shall not be considered in determining the size of the

board. The number and term of each board of education shall be as

follows:

District Members Term (Years)

Elementary 3 3

Independent

1. Districts having a five-member

board 5 5

2. Districts having a seven-

member board unless an

election is conducted

pursuant to subsection C of

this section 7 4

B. In all school districts, the members of the board of

education shall be elected as follows:

1. a. Between August 1 and December 31 of the year following

the submission by the United States Department of

Commerce to the President of the United States of the

official Federal Decennial Census, the board of

education shall reapportion the territory of the

school district into board districts. Beginning with

the reapportionment following the 1990 Federal

Decennial Census, all boundaries of board districts

shall follow clearly visible, definable and observable

physical boundaries which are based upon criteria

established and recognized by the Bureau of the Census

of the United States Department of Commerce for

purposes of defining census blocks for its decennial

census and shall follow, as much as is possible,

precinct boundaries. Board districts shall be

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 70. Schools Page 245

compact, contiguous and shall be as equal in

population as practical with not more than a ten

percent (10%) variance between the most populous and

least populous board districts.

b. School districts having fewer than one thousand eight

hundred (1,800) students in average daily membership

during the preceding school year may choose not to

establish board districts and may nominate and elect

all board members at large.

c. Elementary school districts shall have board members

elected at large.

d. A city located in an independent school district

having four or more wards and an outlying area with

such outlying area comprising no more than twenty

percent (20%) of the population of such independent

school district, then such independent school district

may adopt such wards and outlying area in lieu of the

board districts provided for in subparagraph a of this

paragraph, and at least one member of the board of

education of such independent school district shall be

a member of each ward; and

2. One member of the board of education shall be elected by the

electors of the school district to represent each such board

district. Provided, however, that in any school district where the

electors of each board district, rather than the electors of the

entire school district, elect board members to represent that board

district, that district shall elect board members in that manner.

If during the term of office to which a person was elected, that

member ceases to be a resident of the board district for which the

person was elected, the office shall become vacant and such vacancy

shall be filled as provided in Section 13A-110 of Title 26 of the

Oklahoma Statutes; and

3. In a school district having more than ten thousand (10,000)

children in average daily membership, the following provision and

the provisions of Section 13A-101 et seq. of Title 26 of the

Oklahoma Statutes shall control as to election of the members of the

school district's board of education:

a. There shall be held an election in which the electors

of each board district in which a term is expiring or

in which a vacancy exists shall select two candidates

from among the candidates for board member to

represent the board district,
of Section 13A-101 et seq. of Title 26 of the

Oklahoma Statutes shall control as to election of the members of the

school district's board of education:

a. There shall be held an election in which the electors

of each board district in which a term is expiring or

in which a vacancy exists shall select two candidates

from among the candidates for board member to

represent the board district,

b. If, in the election, one candidate has a majority of

all votes cast, then a run-off election is not

required. If no candidate receives a majority of all

votes cast, then the two candidates receiving the

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 70. Schools Page 246

greatest number of votes shall become the candidates

for the board district in the general election, and

c. At the run-off election, all of the electors of the

board district shall select one of the two candidates

as the member of the board of education representing

the board district.

C. Any seven-member board shall have the option of reducing its

board to a five-member board either after approval of a board

resolution or a vote of the electors of the school district to take

such action pursuant to Section 13A-109 of Title 26 of the Oklahoma

Statutes. The election pursuant to a vote of the electors of the

school district shall be called upon the submission of a petition

requesting the election signed by ten percent (10%) of the school

district electors in the school district, the percentage being

applied to the highest number of voters voting in a regular school

district election in the district in the preceding five (5) years as

determined by the secretary of the county election board, who shall

certify the adequacy of the number of signatures on the petition.

If the question is put before the voters of the district, such

election shall be held along with and at the same time and place as

the next school election if all requirements of Section 13A-101 et

seq. of Title 26 of the Oklahoma Statutes for such election are met.

After such resolution or election, the board shall reapportion

the district, determining by resolution or by lot which board member

offices shall be abolished at the end of the current board member's

term and which shall become one of the offices of the new board.

Election of the resulting board members shall be carried out

according to procedures stated in this section and Section 13A-101

et seq. of Title 26 of the Oklahoma Statutes.

School board members currently serving in offices abolished

pursuant to this subsection shall continue serving until the end of

their current terms as at-large members.

D. Except for the chair of the board of education elected

pursuant to Section 1 of this act, offices of members of the board

of education shall be designated by consecutive numbers and shall

correspond with board districts when applicable.

E. Except for those members elected prior to July 1, 1992, the

terms of office of the members of a five-member board of education

shall commence on the first regular, special or emergency school

board meeting after the date of the annual school election and after

the member has been certified as elected:

Office No. 1 1991

Office No. 2 1992

Office No. 3 1993

Office No. 4 1994

Office No. 5 1995

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 70. Schools Page 247

The terms of office of the members of a seven-member board of

education shall be staggered, with one member being elected in 1991,

two members being elected in 1992, two members being elected in 1993

and two members being elected in 1994 and shall commence on the

first regular, special or emergency school board meeting after the

date of the annual school election and after the member has been

certified as elected; provided, in districts needing to elect two

members in 1991 to maintain a full complement of board members, two

members shall be elected in 1991, one for a full term and one for a
d two members being elected in 1994 and shall commence on the

first regular, special or emergency school board meeting after the

date of the annual school election and after the member has been

certified as elected; provided, in districts needing to elect two

members in 1991 to maintain a full complement of board members, two

members shall be elected in 1991, one for a full term and one for a

one-year term, as determined by the local board. If a seven-member

board is formed upon consolidation pursuant to Section 7-105 of this

title, or upon annexation pursuant to Section 7-101 of this title,

the formation agreement shall specify initial short terms as

necessary to extend until the beginning of the regular terms for

seven-member boards established herein.

Upon reduction of a seven-member board pursuant to subsection C

of this section, the terms of the five-member board shall be

staggered pursuant to this subsection.

One member of a three-member board of education shall be elected

each year, and the terms of office shall commence on the first

regular, special or emergency school board meeting after the member

has been certified as elected.

F. The term of office of each board member elected after July

1, 1992, shall commence on the first regular, special or emergency

school board meeting after the date of the annual school election

and after the member has been certified as elected. Board members

elected prior to July 1, 1992, may remain in office until their

successor is elected and seated pursuant to Sections 13A-101 through

13A-111 of Title 26 of the Oklahoma Statutes. The remaining term of

any member who completes the term for which the member was elected

but not wishing to serve until the successor of the member takes

office on the first regular, special or emergency school board

meeting after the successor has been certified as elected, shall be

filled by appointment by the remaining members of the board of

education.