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Jaronek -
Jones
Jeff Jaronek and Levi Jones will face off in the only contested race in the upcoming Cordell Schools Board of Education spring election.
Jaronek and Jones were the lone applicants who filed for the Office No. 1 seat on the school board, which Ronnie McKee is vacating. Incumbent Nocona Cook was the lone applicant who filed for Office No. 5 seat, according to the Washita County elections office.
“It’s an opportunity to serve the community, to serve the school,” Jaronek said.
Jones said: “I want to be a person on that school board that will vote for the best interest of the school, the students, every time without question.”
Jaronek attended Cordell schools and his daughter just started pre-K this year.
His father also served on the school board when Jaronek was in school.
“I kind of know what it’s about, what it entails,” Jaronek said. “It’s something (his father) got a lot of satisfaction out of that you were doing something good for the schools and the community.”
Jones also went to Cordell schools as did his wife. His children are also Cordell students.
Jones sees no major issues on the board, but he still desires to serve.
“I would say with the pandemic stuff that we’ve got going on right now, they’ve done an excellent job with that.”
Jaronek and Jones know each other well.
“Levi is a good guy,” Jaronek said. “If he wins, great and if I win, great. Either way, I see it being a win-win for Cordell schools with two good candidates running.”
Added Jones: “I’ve known Jeff my whole life. He’s a great guy, and I can’t say one single bad thing about him. I would say that whoever wins the race, Cordell schools will get a good person in there with either contestant.”
Neither Jaronek nor Jones see any big issues on the board, they said, and both look forward to a nice, clean race.
According to the Oklahoma State School Boards Association, Jaronek and Jones will face off in the April 6 election.
The candidate who receives a majority of the vote (50 % plus 1 vote) is elected and can be seated at the next regular or special meeting following certification of the results.
Cook in Office No. 5 will be considered a “new” board member who will be seated at the first meeting following the April election date, according to the association. The current office holder serves until the date of the election passes and the election results are certified.
The only other contested race in Washita County is for a seat on the board of Western Tech Center.
Dennis Baxter, of Arapaho, will face Ray Challis of Clinton and Eugene Jefferson of Clinton to represent Office No. 1.
The Western Tech Center candidates will be in a runoff on Tuesday, Feb. 9. If no candidate receives more than 50 percent of the total votes cast in the primary election, the two candidates receiving the highest number of votes will meet in the General Election.