When the Washington Parish School Board is sworn in next month for the 2023-2027 term, there will be three new faces.
Incoming board members for the new terms will be District 1: Keith Giles; District 2: John Wyble; District 3: Bruce Brown; District 4: Kendall McKenzie; District 5: Robert Boone; District 6: Scott Breland; District 7: David Pettit; District 8: Frankie Crosby Sr.; and District 9: Lesley McKinley.
Giles, Breland, and Pettit are the new incoming members. Breland defeated longtime District 6 member Dewitt Perry in November. Giles and Pettit won their seats in last Saturday’s run-off election. Crosby was re-elected to his seat in the run-off election.
The run-off elections in Districts 1, 7, and 8 were very low-turnout affairs. In District 7, only 20.8% of voters turned out as incumbent Lee Alan McCain went down to defeat. In District 1, where Giles was victorious, only 27.6% of voters turned out. And in District 8, turnout was only marginally better as 28.5% of voters cast ballots.
In Saturday’s election, a parishwide vote to renew the Criminal Justice 1/3 cent sales tax attracted only 13.1% of voters. The renewal passed easily, 59% to 41%.
Parish voters also voted strongly for all three of the Constitutional Amendments on the ballot. The amendments easily passed statewide.
Saturday’s Election Results:
DISTRICT 1 SCHOOL BOARD
Keith Giles 344 60%
Justin Brown 233 40%
Voter Turnout 27.6%
DISTRICT 7 SCHOOL BOARD
Lee Alan McCain 175 45%
David Pettit 218 55%
Voter Turnout 20.8%
DISTRICT 8 SCHOOL BOARD
Frankie Crosby Sr. 336 59%
Sarah Burris 238 41%
Voter Turnout 28.5%
WASHINGTON PARISH
SALES TAX RENEWAL
FOR 2,031 59%
AGAINST 1,390 41%
Voter Turnout 13.1%
