In a 5-2 split, Hough elected SPS board vice president

Five members of Springfield Public Schools’ Board of Education voted to elect Sarah Hough as vice president.

The other two, Gail Smart and Shurita Thomas-Tate, supported Thomas-Tate for the role.

Prior to the split vote, the board voted unanimously for Judy Brunner, a retired SPS educator and administrator, to remain in the president role for a second year.

Hough, human resources manager at Bass Pro Shops, joined the seven-member governing board one year ago.

At the end of the reorganization meeting April 14, Brunner stayed put and Hough moved to the center of the board table, swapping seats with attorney Danielle Kincaid.

Kincaid, first elected in 2021, spent two years as board president and was vice president for the past year.

At the start of the meeting, Thomas-Tate was sworn in for a third, three-year term and Brunner was sworn in for a second term. They ran unopposed.

No election was required in 2026 because the number of candidates who filed was equal to the number of open seats, according to past reporting.

The board develops policy, approves an annual budget, and hires and evaluates the superintendent. Board officers meet with the superintendent to set the agenda for the meeting, which are run by the board president.

Thomas-Tate, the longest-serving member of the current board, previously expressed interest in serving in a leadership role. She has been on the board since 2020.

Smart, a community volunteer, pointed to Thomas-Tate’s expertise in language, literacy development and related disorders. Thomas-Tate, an educator at the college level, also started Ujuma, a nonprofit that provides support to close literacy gaps in Springfield children.

“As the longest-serving member of the board, she brings institutional knowledge, continuity and leadership,” said Smart, who nominated Thomas-Tate. “This combination of experience, professional expertise, and community engagement makes her well suited to serve as vice president and to help guide the district’s efforts in supporting all students.”

At the end of the meeting, Thomas-Tate congratulated Brunner and Hough and said she will continue to “do the work, regardless of the title.” She also offered comments on the election process, not the outcome.

“We have an opportunity moving forward to be more intentional about how we identify and develop leadership within their board,” she said. “Strong governance bodies do not rely on the same individuals to lead over time, they build leadership capacity across all members. That means ensuring that every board member has both access and preparation for leadership roles.”

Only three members of the current board have been officers. They include Brunner, Kincaid and Maryam Mohammadkani, a retired physician who served as vice president for nearly a year before she was ousted from the role through a split board vote in March 2023.