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Jeri Bowen named interim District 8 Caddo Parish School Board member after three‑candidate interview
Summary
After interviewing three candidates for the District 8 vacancy, the Caddo Parish School Board selected Jeri Bowen as interim member and administered the oath; candidates presented 10‑minute statements and the board elected Bowen by majority raise of hands.
The Caddo Parish School Board on Tuesday selected Jeri Bowen as interim member to fill the District 8 vacancy after interviewing three candidates and conducting a board vote by raised hands. Bowen, who previously served as an interim board member during the COVID‑19 period, took the oath of office at the meeting.
Board President Greene called each candidate in alphabetical order and allowed up to 10 minutes for an opening statement. The candidates were Jeri Bowen; Shyanna (Shianna) Newman; and Emma Shepherd. Each described personal ties to District 8 and their reasons for seeking the interim seat.
Bowen, a longtime District 8 resident and executive director of the Northwest Louisiana Family Justice Center, told the board she has served previously as an interim board member during the COVID‑19 period and emphasized community advocacy. “Education matters. Everything starts at home,” Bowen said. She noted family members who attended and work in Caddo Parish schools and said she would serve to “do the right thing” for the whole parish.
Shyanna Newman introduced herself as a parent of three children enrolled in District 8 schools and described professional experience as an independent contractor in the natural gas and oil industry and as a paralegal in family law. Newman said she would advocate for students’ emotional and mental health and for school‑based counseling and social and emotional learning programs. Emma Shepherd, a retired educator who has lived in District 8 for more than 25 years, said she would emphasize collaboration and innovative uses of closed school buildings.
President Greene described the voting procedure: one vote per board member, cast as a raised‑hand “yes” when the president said a candidate’s name; the candidate who received the majority of the quorum’s votes would be elected. After each name was put to the board, the chair announced Jeri Bowen as the winner. The transcript does not provide the vote tally or individual roll‑call votes.
Mr. Abrams administered the oath of office by leading Bowen through the standard oath; Bowen repeated the oath and concluded, “So help me God.” President Greene welcomed Bowen to the board and asked her to take her seat. The board then moved to adjourn.
The agenda packet and the board’s introductory remarks noted statutory eligibility requirements for interim appointment: the candidate must have a high‑school diploma or equivalent, meet the same hiring requirements as school employees, and have lived in the district for at least one year immediately prior and two years in the state of Louisiana. Bowen told the board she has lived in District 8 for nearly 25 years and has prior board experience serving through the COVID‑19 period.
