Flo gears up for upcoming school bond and school board election

The members of the Oakwood School Board are not easily deterred from their goal of building a new school for the children of the Oakwood district. A bond proposal was defeated in 2008, 2009 and will be back on the ballot May 2010. Voters in the Oakwood City box voted heavily for the bond on the last election but OISD tax- payers in outlying areas were overwhelmingly against the proposal.

Three spots are up for election on the Board and five candidates are running for those spots: Incumbents Winnie Hodges and Larry Lipsey; and challengers Derrek Lancaster, Arthur Koym and Leon Moore.

In recent years there has been no representative from the Flo Community on the school board and Flo residents complain that they have no voice in school matters. The upcoming election will not only give voters the opportunity to approve or deny the school bond but will also provide voters the chance to elect a board member who represents Flo.

Moore grew up in Flo and attended Lone Star School through the 8th grade. After graduating from Buffalo High School he moved to Ft Worth and had a successful career as a fireman before moving back to his home in Flo. Moore has roots that run deep in the community with his father Evan Moore and his mother Opal Lathrop Moore both being third and fourth generation Flo residents. As the only candidate from the Flo Community he is hoping to be the voice of Flo that has been lacking. Moore acknowledges the need for better facilities at the Oakwood schools but preferred more study go into the proposal before it was brought to a vote again.

Arthur Koym lives outside Oakwood and has a child who attends the Oakwood schools. Koym grew up in Centerville and graduated from Centerville High School. He is currently employed by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice where he is a guard at the Guerney Unit. Koym has ties to Flo through his father who attented school at Lone Star during his elementary school years.

A meeting to discuss election strategies will be held at the Lone Star Community Center on Thursday, March 25, at 7:00 p.m. and is open to community participation.