Former Port Arthur superintendent sworn in as school board trustee

Lofton was reelected for another term, earning 35.19% of the votes -- the most of any of the five candidates running. Brown, who previously served as the district's superintendent, received 20.41% of the votes.

Lofton and Brown defeated longtime board member Lloyd Marie Johnson and challengers Nina Stelly and Regina Drake.

Johnson had been appointed to the board in January after a position was vacated by Joseph L. Guillory, II, who was elected in November as Jefferson County Pct. 2 Justice of the Peace. Johnson was absent from the meeting Tuesday.

Brown and Lofton join other board members Debra Ambroise, Brandon Bartie, Taylor Getwood, Kimberly Wycoff-Johnson and Jacori Narcisse.

After the trustees were sworn in, district Superintendent Mark Porterie announced the reorganization of the board's offices for president, vice president and secretary.

Deciding to select members for the office on a rolling basis, board Vice President Brandon Bartie was elected president and board Secretary Lofton was elected to serve as vice president.

Wycoff-Johnson was nominated to serve as secretary and approved by board members. 

Brown and Lofton were elected to three-year terms.

Other school boards across the region saw a mix of incumbents and new faces elected this year:

RELATED: Voter guide: Vidor ISD school board

Vidor ISD

Vidor voters ousted some incumbents across the five school board races on this year's ballot.

The election produced one runoff election for Position 7 between incumbent Michael Helms and challenger Jeremiah Harrington. In the May 6 election, Helms received 43.23% of the vote while Harrington received 41.39%. Finishing third in the race was Bret Howard who received 15.37% of the vote. With neither candidate crossing the 50% threshold, the district will hold a runoff election June 10.

Early voting runs from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 30 to June 2 and 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. June 5 and June 6. Election day voting will take place from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. June 10.

All voting will take place at the Raymond Gould Community Center, located at 385 Claiborne St. in Vidor.

The other four trustees elected May 6 were sworn in Monday night.

Incumbents Position 1 trustee Gina VanDevender and Position 6 trustee Rollie Burr ran unopposed and were reelected with 663 and 686 votes, respectively.

Natalie Martinez Long defeated incumbent Billy Jordan for the Position 4 seat. Long earned 53.22% of the votes, while Jordan earned 46.78%.

Rodney White defeated incumbent Brooke Hoosier Gilthorpe for the Position 5 seat in a close race. White received 50.18% of the vote, while Gilthorpe received 49.82% -- amounting to a difference of three votes.

West Orange-Cove CISD

A new face will be joining the West Orange-Cove CISD school board. With the ability to vote for two candidates, voters selected newcomer Donny Teate, Jr. and incumbent Tommy Wayne Wilson, Sr., defeating incumbent Ruth Hancock.

Teate received the most votes overall with 39.52% or 562 votes, while Wilson received 36.01% or 512 votes. Hancock received 24.47% or 348 votes.

West Hardin County CISD

A majority of West Hardin County voters rejected two bonds totaling $18 million.

Proposition A, the largest of the two at $16 million, would have funded a new agriculture facility, additions and renovations to the elementary school, additional dining space and safety and security upgrades, according to the district's website. Out of 465 ballots cast, 359 -- or 77.2% of voters -- decided against the proposition.

Proposition B, worth $2 million, was slated to fund a middle school physical education teaching space and gym upgrades, according to the district's website. Out of 467 ballots cast, 370 -- or just under 80% of voters -- decided against the proposition.

In response to the two propositions' failures, the district said on its website, "The community has spoken. It is not the message we had hoped for, but you have our pledge that West Hardin County CISD will continue to provide a high quality education for our students."

The district added that its "facility challenges will not disappear and the board of trustees and administration will reconvene to work on plan to address these issues."