The Forest Hills Schools Board of Education announced Saturday it selected accountant and University of Cincinnati professor Mark Bell as its newest member.
Board President Bob Bibb says Bell has been an involved parent and volunteer who previously served as the treasurer of Turpin Athletics Boosters while his three kids were enrolled in the district. He's expected to be officially sworn in next month.
Bell was selected from a pool of 29 candidates to replace former board vice president Katie Stewart who resigned earlier this month after moving out of the district.
Stewart was a controversial member who gained notoriety during her 2021 election campaign. She along with three other conservative candidates won seats on the Forest Hills Board of Education running on an anti-Critical Race Theory platform.
While on the Board, Stewart frequently brought attention to politically charged issues. She attempted to pass a transgender bathroom policy that would've banned transgender students from using the bathroom that aligned with their gender identity.
Her exit was also controversial. At what ended up being her final school board meeting, Stewart had several heated exchanges with community members in attendance over a social studies book critical of President Donald Trump and her decision to vote against renewing the contract of Forest Hills' current treasurer Alana Cropper with seemingly no explanation.
The Board voted 3-2 to not renew Cropper's contract, a move some are calling into question.
During a meeting last week, board member Jason Simmons who voted to keep Cropper claimed Stewart did not disclose her plans to move out of the district to any fellow members before the important vote. Stewart announced her resignation three weeks after the vote. Simmons says while he believes it was still legal, he called Stewart's actions unethical.
The Board is scheduled to meet again April 16.
