Paula Lewis is stepping down from the Oklahoma City school board after roughly a decade of service, ending one of the longest and most consequential leadership runs in the district’s recent history. Lewis has led the board as its at-large chair since 2017, guiding Oklahoma City Public Schools through major upheaval, big construction plans and the everyday political grind of running a large urban district.
Lewis told the Duncan Banner that she resigned Monday after purchasing a larger Oklahoma City home outside the district’s boundaries. Her departure comes only about 18 months after she won reelection to another four-year term as board chair.
Lewis Led OKCPS Through A Tumultuous Era
Lewis became chair during a period when the district was working to stabilize its leadership and operations. Her tenure included a sweeping school consolidation plan in 2019, the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic and approval of a historic $955 million bond issue in 2022, according to News From The States.
That same coverage described Lewis as running on a record of steady leadership while the district tried to improve student performance and move past years of instability. She also helped oversee the transition from Superintendent Sean McDaniel to Jamie Polk, a change Lewis framed as an effort to preserve continuity while keeping the district focused on academic results.
Resignation Cuts Short A Term She Said Would Be Her Last
Lewis won 53.54% of the vote in the February 2025 chair election, defeating Niah Spriggs and Jan Barrick without a runoff. In an account published by the Journal Record, Lewis said the new term would be her last, citing the perspective she gained as a parent while serving on the board.
Her resignation now brings that final chapter to an earlier close. It also opens a leadership question for the remaining board members at a moment when the district is preparing for a new school year and continuing to manage long-term construction and academic priorities.
The timing is especially notable for Oklahoma City families: school sites for the 2026-27 enrollment cycle opened July 21, according to the district’s OKCPS newsroom. Lewis’s exit adds a major change at the board table just as families are turning their attention back to classrooms.
