By LYNETTE SOWELL-STEVENS
Cove Leader-Press
During a special meeting on Monday, June 8, the Copperas Cove ISD board of trustees voted to accept the resignation of Place 5 Trustee Heather Copeland.
Copeland won the November 2025 election for Place 5 as an incumbent and was about six months into a term that ends in November 2028.
Board president Joan Manning stated that Copeland was stepping down from the position due to "private family reasons and health reasons."
The board then took action to appoint former trustee Mike Wilburn to serve in Place 5 until the November 3, 2026 election.
Wilburn most recently came off the board in 2026 after serving for 18 years, and had served on Place 3, which was filled by Samantha Wilson.
On Monday evening in a phone conversation, Wilburn said he was “happy” to be serving in the position until November of this year.
“I told Joan (Manning) that if at any time, my help was needed again, I’d be happy to, I just didn’t think it would be this soon,” Wilburn said. “Copperas Cove means a lot to me, especially the schools.”
He is also glad to be on board during this upcoming season of projects at the district, including the grand reopening of Williams-Ledger Elementary, as he was on the board when the campus – originally two separate campuses – first opened years ago.
Along with Place 5 on the school board, Places 6 and 7 will be open for election.
The winner of the Place 5 election will fill the term to expire in November 2028.
Wilburn did confirm on Monday evening that his intent is to serve in the position only through the November election.
The last time a seated CCISD trustee resigned was back in April 2017, when Doug Cook resigned from Place 6 due to moving out of the district. Then in June 2017, the CCISD board of trustees appointed former trustee Bob Weiss to Place 6. Weiss went on to win the November 2017 election and remained to fill the unexpired term and chose not to run for reelection in 2019.
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