Baker election puts school leadership and judicial experience in the spotlight

BAKER, La. — The future of public education and the leadership of Baker City Court will be among the issues facing voters Nov. 3, when 14 candidates compete for six local offices.

The election includes a race for City Court judge and five seats on the Baker City School Board. The field includes current board members, longtime educators, an attorney, a former judge, a law enforcement professional, and candidates with backgrounds in municipal government and community service.

While the judicial contest will determine who occupies the city's court bench, the School Board races could shape decisions involving academic performance, school safety, teacher retention, district finances and educational opportunities for Baker students.

The City Court race features attorney Shona Boxie and Kirk A. Williams, who previously served as Baker's elected judge. Williams was elected in 2008 and re-elected in 2014. His professional background also includes serving as the city's general counsel and teaching business-related courses at Southern University.

Boxie earned her law degree from Southern University Law Center and was admitted to practice law in Louisiana in 1999. Her listed areas of practice include personal injury, automobile accidents, and nursing home negligence.

The five School Board contests feature 12 candidates, with several bringing direct experience in education and public administration.

In District 1, Elaine G. Davis faces Myra Victor Harris. Harris has about 14 years of education experience and holds a Master of Public Administration and an Education Specialist degree in Curriculum and Instruction. She is also a Baker High School graduate and business owner. Publicly available information reviewed for this report provided limited details about Davis' professional background and campaign priorities.

District 2 features Willie Brooks III and Alteen Profit. Brooks brings 20 years of law enforcement experience and holds an executive master's degree in criminal justice from Southern University and a doctorate in psychology. He also works as a school resource officer instructor. His campaign priorities include improving school safety, strengthening academic achievement, supporting teachers and increasing parent involvement.

Profit is a current School Board member who has participated in community discussions about the direction of Baker's public schools.

Three candidates are competing in District 3: Joyce Burges, Gerald "Gee" Collins II and KeeMichael Comena.

Burges is an incumbent board member, educator, and longtime community advocate. She reports nearly 40 years of experience working with families and children. In her candidate statement, she cites involvement in efforts to rebuild Baker High School, strengthen curriculum and improve student performance. Her priorities include school safety, academic achievement, teacher support, and greater parental involvement.

Collins has experience in education, literacy development, and youth mentoring. His background includes teaching in Texas and Baton Rouge and working as a literacy mentor with the East Baton Rouge Parish School System. He has also participated in youth sports and community organizations.

Comena is a middle school teacher whose previous experience includes working as a school bus driver and paraprofessional. He holds a bachelor's degree in business from the University of Phoenix. His stated priorities include student achievement, teacher retention, school safety, and stronger family engagement.

In District 4, School Board President Monique Butler faces Shaderick Emery.

Butler, a Baker native and graduate of the local school system, cites four years of experience working with school administration on governance, policymaking, budgeting, and accountability. She has emphasized improving educational opportunities for Baker students.

Emery has previously participated in Baker municipal politics. However, detailed information about her professional qualifications and specific education priorities was limited in the public materials reviewed.

The District 5 contest features Sherri Hill Collins, Brenda G. Jackson, and Reatha Wright.

Jackson is a retired educator with 29 years of public education experience. She also served eight years on the Baker City Council and has been involved in community leadership, including serving as president of the Future Seed Board of Directors.

Her stated priorities include improving academic achievement, recruiting and retaining teachers, strengthening school safety, increasing parental involvement, and maintaining financial accountability.

Publicly available candidate information provided less detail about the professional backgrounds and campaign priorities of Collins and Wright.

The School Board's responsibilities extend beyond individual school concerns. Members help establish district policies, approve budgets, oversee school system administration, and monitor academic performance. Their decisions can affect staffing, student services, school facilities, and the financial resources available to classrooms.

The experience represented in this year's field places particular attention on how candidates would approach those responsibilities. Several have identified academic growth, school safety and teacher retention as priorities, while others have provided limited public information about their plans.

The official candidate records list 14 active candidates across the six Baker contests. Janice Jones, who initially qualified for the District 1 School Board race, was disqualified. Denise Williams, who qualified for District 4, withdrew and is not an active candidate.

Baker voters will have an opportunity to decide who will serve in the judicial and educational leadership positions when polls open Tuesday, Nov. 3, from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The official candidate roster and election information are available through the Louisiana Secretary of State's Voter Portal.