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Jerry Bowen sworn in as interim Caddo Parish School Board member for District 8
Summary
After interviewing three candidates, the Caddo Parish School Board elected Jerry Bowen as interim District 8 board member and administered the oath of office; the board did not record a roll-call vote tally in the public transcript.
The Caddo Parish School Board selected and sworn in Jerry Bowen as interim board member for District 8 after interviewing three candidates during a special session.
Board members interviewed Jerry Bowen, Cheyenne Newman and Emma Shepherd under a procedure that allowed each candidate up to 10 minutes for opening remarks. The board chair announced that the candidate receiving a majority of the quorum’s votes would be elected; the transcript records the announcement of Bowen as the winner and the public administration of the oath, but it does not include a roll‑call vote tally.
Bowen, who said she has lived in District 8 for nearly 25 years and serves as executive director of the Northwest Louisiana Family Justice Center, emphasized local ties and prior service to the district. “I am Caddo,” Bowen said, describing a long history of volunteer and nonprofit work and past service filling the seat during the COVID‑19 pandemic. She told the board she understands the board’s duties “to set district policies, approve budgets, appoint the superintendent to manage daily operations, oversee curriculum and personnel ensuring compliance with federal and state laws,” and said she would serve the entire parish, not only District 8.
Cheyenne Newman, who said she has lived in District 8 for three years and identified herself as a parent of three school‑age children in the district, described her professional background in title and abstracting and as a paralegal and framed those skills as relevant to policy review and statutory interpretation. Emma Shepherd, a retired educator and longtime District 8 resident, described prior board and school system service and proposed exploring repurposing closed school buildings for recreational and vocational uses.
Meeting officials told candidates that Louisiana law requires school board candidates to hold a high school diploma or equivalent and to meet stated residency requirements; the board chair said the candidate must have lived in the district for at least one year and two years in the state of Louisiana. The transcript contains that advisement but does not give a statutory citation.
After the selection, Bowen was escorted to the front of the dais for an oath of office administered by the board. Bowen recited the oath, concluding, “So help me God,” and board members congratulated her. The board then continued with routine agenda items.
The transcript does not record the numerical vote by each board member, the length of Bowen’s interim term, or whether a written certificate of appointment or order was filed at the time of the meeting. The appointment was described as an interim selection to fill the District 8 vacancy; additional administrative paperwork and any effective dates beyond the swearing‑in were not specified in the public record.
