Voters living in the Allen School District will be going to the polls this Tuesday, April 5, to decide if Brooke Baber will be on the local Board of Education.

The other candidate on the ballot, Jami Rinehart, has moved out of the district and has resigned her seat and will be unable to serve if re-elected.

Since her name is on the ballot, should Ms. Rinehart receive the majority of votes Tuesday the current Board would appoint someone to fill her vacated seat for the remainder of the year and Seat #2 will be again on the ballot next year.

Please remember to vote on Tuesday. Polling places will be open from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm.

The Advocate asked the two candidates for comments and received the following:

Jami Rinehart

My husband and I have moved out of the school district and I have resigned my seat on the school board. The election will still take place with my name on the ballot. The deadline to drop out of the election was in December 2021. So if I do win the election, the board members will appoint a community member who wants to be on the board and who they agree upon.

I felt I should explain the steps as to what might happen if I should win. I will not tell the community members who they are to vote for. What I will say is that I have appreciated being on the board and having the support of the community to do what is right for the school district. And I hope that I have done exactly that. The Allen school district has a lot of great teachers and staff who believe in our children and their futures. My family and I will always support the Mustangs! Thank you for the opportunity to serve the district.

Brooke Baber

I was born and raised in Allen Oklahoma by my parents, Bradley and Debbie Prentice. I grew up with an older brother, Derek, and an older sister ,Amber. I graduated from Allen High in 2003 and began attending college at East Central University that same year. While attending ECU I majored in Biology/Chemistry and graduated in 2008, I received my graduate degree in Human Resources Management in 2012. This past year I began work on completing my doctorate degree in Educational Leadership with Capella University.

I worked several years with Chickasaw Nation Nutrition Services and Human Resources directly after college. My recent employment was with Chickasaw Nation Education Administration Division. I spent the past seven years working with the Chickasaw Nation Head Start, Tribal Preschool, and Early Childhood Development Centers.

My husband Caleb Baber and I married in 2008 and make our home in Allen. We are parents to three beautiful girls, Lauren 9, Claire 7, and Chesney 7 months. Caleb and I enjoy serving in our faith and watching our daughters, nieces and nephews participate in their extra curriculars. Our family loves to spend time together at the lake and taking trips to Branson Missouri.

As a graduate of Allen Public Schools and a longtime member of this community I have every intention of making sure this school and community continue to be a place that serves both the employees of the school and our children with the vision of continued improvement and success. I have a lot of years and experience in several different areas that I hope to bring to the school as a resource. I strongly feel that a united community and school is what makes the difference between school systems that merely exist and those that thrive and continue to exceed standards.