The Oxford School Board welcomed its recently elected members and selected a new leadership team during the reorganization meeting held at the district’s Administration Building on Dec. 5.

The meeting began with District Judge Scott Massey officially swearing in the newly elected members—Jenifer Warren, Debbie Vendrick, Tenile Dewees, Kaitlin Bell and Mark Patterson.

They then joined the returning school board members—William Kloss, Kristen Dean, Michael Blessington, Jennifer Kehs—at the table (Patterson, a longtime member of the school board, took part in the meeting remotely).

Dean was selected to serve as the temporary president so that the full board could then elect a new leadership team.

Kloss nominated Warren for president, while Kehs nominated herself, and then nominated both Dean and Patterson. Dean and Patterson both declined the nomination, leaving the board to choose between Warren and Kehs.

When the vote was held for each candidate, Warren secured seven “yes” votes to become the new Oxford School Board president.

Next, the board opened up nominations for vice president. Kehs nominated herself and then Kloss.

Kloss, meanwhile, nominated Vendrick for the position.

After he was nominated for this position, Kloss said that he’d spent the last few months working closely with the school district’s business manager Brian Cooney to learn about the detailed finances of the school district. Kloss said that he’d prefer serving as the school board treasurer rather than as its vice president. 

When the vote was taken for the two remaining candidates, Vendrick earned the support of a wide majority of her colleagues and was selected as vice president with seven total “yes” votes.

The next piece of business for the school board was establishing meeting dates and times for 2024. The board members decided to continue to hold work session meetings on the second Tuesday of each month and the regular meetings on the third Tuesday of each month.

Kehs was tapped to be the Oxford School Board’s representative on the Chester County School Board Legislative Council.

Warren nominated Bell, Blessington, and Dewees to serve on the Policy Review Committee. 

The Oxford School Board will hold its first public meetings in 2024 on Tuesday, Jan. 9 and Tuesday, Jan. 16. Both meetings will start at 7 p.m. at the Administration Building.