Board Home
The Union Public Schools Board of Education is responsible for establishing the policies under which the District operates. The five-member Board must act within the framework of state and federal laws and still be responsible to the unique needs of the Union community.
The Superintendent of Schools is the Chief Executive Officer for the Board and is responsible for administering Board policies and District regulations.
The Board strives to foster an atmosphere of communication and understanding among students, parents, teachers and administrators.
Regular meetings are normally conducted the second Monday of every month at 7 p.m. in the Board Room of the Union Education Service Center, 8506 East 61st Street. Agendas for each meeting are posted on our web site, at the Education Service Center and in schools throughout the district at least 24 hours in advance of each meeting, excluding weekends and holidays.
Patrons may address the Board during regular meetings under two specific areas of the agenda, one addressing items posted on the agenda and the other about any item concerning the district. Speakers must sign in within the 15-minute period before the Board meeting to be heard. The president may establish the order for speakers. During this time, each speaker is given a maximum of three minutes. Members of the Board are not allowed to respond to comments from the floor, and no vote or action may be taken on issues raised.
Board Terms
School Board general elections are conducted on the first Tuesday in April, with one Board position open for election each year. If more than two candidates fle during the December filing period for an open seat or an unexpired term, a primary election will be conducted on the second Tuesday in February. If no candidates receives more than 50 percent of the vote, the top two candidates will proceed to the school board election on the first Tuesday in April. Only those registered voters living within the geographical boundaries of the Board district in which a term is expiring or in which a vacancy exists are eligible to vote for that Board position.
To seek election to a Board seat, candidates must have resided and been a registered voter for at least six months preceding the first day of the filing period in the Board district open for election, and all candidates must hold a high school diploma or a certificate of high school equivalency. The filing period for Board seats is the first Monday through Wednesday in December.
School districts with Average Daily Attendance (ADA) of 10,000 students or more are required to elect members by Board district rather than at-large. Union's Board districts were reapportioned in 1991 and again in 2001, as required by law, to be as equal in population as practical with not more than a 10 percent variance between the most populous and least populous.
The Board of Education is pictured above left to right: (first row) vice president Lisa Ford, Board Clerk Stacey Roemerman, President Heather McAdams; and (back row) Deputy Board Clerk Jeff Bennett, Superintendent Dr. Kirt Hartzler, and Board Member Ken Kinnear.
Board Secretary
Barbara Swinburne - 918-357-6015
The Board Secretary is responsible for assisting Board members and the Superintendent in facilitating all Board of Education and district business. Duties include, but are not limited to the following:
- Maintaining a complete and accurate record of all official Board proceedings;
- Preparing and posting the agenda for all Board meetings, distributing packets to Board members and administrators, complete with all agenda backup and informational items;
- Taking minutes at all Board meetings and transcribing for the next regular meeting;
- Notifying County Clerk of all regular and special meetings;
- Obtaining signatures from Board members as needed;
- Staying abreast of School Board policy and Oklahoma school law;
- Dealing with district patrons regarding School Board policy;
- Maintaining the Board budget and requisitions for Board purchases.
