William Bailey sworn in as Dayton Board of Education president; vice-presidency tabled

William Bailey was sworn in as president of the Dayton Board of Education during the board’s Jan. 13 organizational meeting at Belmont High School.

Treasurer McManus administered the oath to Bailey, who then took the gavel and presided over the remainder of the meeting. The board also completed a series of ceremonial oaths for newly seated members: Dr. Cassandra Goodwin, Joseph Lacey, Jocelyn Spencer Reinhardt and Jamika Garrison, each of whom repeated the standard oath to support the constitutions of the United States and the state of Ohio and to faithfully discharge the duties of board membership.

The board opened nominations for vice president and received multiple nominations, including Will Smith, Jamika Garrison and Chrisondra Goodwin. After a round of votes, no nominee reached the required threshold of four votes. President Bailey announced the vice-presidential selection would be tabled and revisited at the next meeting.

Bailey appointed Eric Walker to serve as the board’s parliamentarian for 2026.

The ceremonial portion of the meeting also included a presentation of colors by Belmont High School’s ROTC and public acknowledgment of Belmont’s work hosting the meeting; board members noted upcoming district events, including a DPS science fair scheduled for Feb. 7. The board moved to regular business after completing organizational actions and appointments.