ENID, OK - For more than 45 years, Willa Jo Fowler has served on the Enid Board of Education. On Monday night, the district thanked her for her service as she served her last board meeting.
Fowler resigned from the board due to moving out of the district.
“Willa Jo Fowler is one of the finest ladies I have ever met,” said Dr. Darrell Floyd, Superintendent of Enid Public Schools. “Her commitment to the students, parents, employees, community members, and school board members of Enid Public Schools over the past 45 plus years is phenomenal and is one for the record books. We cannot thank her enough for her dedication, time, effort, and energy toward making education better for Enid students over such a long period of time.”
Fowler began her tenure with the board in 1975 and has served with six different superintendents. She has seen the completion of several successful bond programs as well as the successful implementation of numerous positive construction projects across the district, including ensuring that every school has an appropriate gymnasium.
Fowler founded the University Play School in 1966. Then, when its location was later moved to Central Christian Church, it was renamed the Learning Tree. It is now located at the First United Methodist Church in Enid. She has been a leading advocate for early childhood education not only in Enid, but statewide and nationally as well. In 2019, Enid Public Schools opened an early childhood center on the NWOSU-Enid campus and named it the Fowler Early Childhood Center in her honor. With four classrooms, it serves EPS pre-k students as well as NWOSU-Enid higher education students for educational and observational purposes.
“During the last 45 and a half years, the work of this school board has been an important part of my life,” said Fowler. “There have been many challenges, but also many joys. In times of need, our local community has come through admirably with very positive responses to our school bond elections – which will benefit students for decades to come. I am proud of the positive changes that have been achieved in EPS including: facilities improvements, expanded methods of teaching, additional training opportunities, improved communications, and the building of such positive relationships with our community. I would encourage everyone to remember that you will never go wrong if you always base your decisions on what is best for students.”
