November 6, 2025 at 7:00 PM - Regular Board Business Meeting

Description: 

Blake Petersen, Chair
Holly Riegelmann, Vice-Chair
Heather Coleman-Cox, Director
Dr. Shawn Farrens, Director
Kris Howatt, Director
David Ligatich, Director
Brenna Puderbaugh, Director
Dr. Tracy Klinger, Superintendent

Description: 

We acknowledge that the land where Gresham-Barlow School District is located rests on the ancestral and unceded lands of the Multnomah, Kathlamet, Clackamas, Tualatin, Kalapuya, Molalla, bands of the Chinook, and many other Tribes who made their homes along the Columbia River. We also acknowledge the systemic policies of genocide, relocation, and assimilation that still impact many Indigenous/Native American families today. As settlers and guests on these lands, we respect the work of Native Nations, leaders and families and make ongoing efforts to center Indigenous knowledge, creativity, resilience, and resistance. We consider the many legacies of violence, displacement, migration, and settlement that bring us here today. 
   
   
Reconocemos que la tierra donde está ubicado el Distrito Escolar Gresham-Barlow descansa sobre las tierras ancestrales y no cedidas de Multnomah, Kathlamet, Clackamas, Tualatin, Kalapuya, Molalla, bandas de Chinook y muchas otras Tribus que establecieron sus hogares a lo largo del río Columbia. También reconocemos las políticas sistémicas de genocidio, reubicación y asimilación que todavía afectan a muchas familias indígenas/nativas americanas en la actualidad. Como colonos e invitados en estas tierras, respetamos el trabajo de las naciones, los líderes y las familias nativas y hacemos esfuerzos continuos para centrar el conocimiento, la creatividad, la resiliencia y la resistencia indígenas. Consideramos los numerosos legados de violencia, desplazamiento, migración y asentamiento que nos traen aquí hoy.

Description: 

3 minutes per guest / 15 minutes total

Time has been set aside on the agenda for Citizens’ Requests of the Board. This is an opportunity for the Board to listen and learn from the community. Board members are not able to respond to public comments during the meeting, but appreciate hearing your input. Public comments can be submitted in writing before the meeting, or given in-person during the meeting. Pursuant to Oregon House Bill 2560(3)(a), the meeting of the Gresham-Barlow School Board will be presented online to allow for virtual public attendance at the meeting. If you are a member of the community and wish to provide a written public comment, please use the Citizens Comments to the Board form and email your comments to the board secretary, Sarah Avery, at avery4@gresham.k12.or.us by 4:00 p.m. the day of the meeting. If anyone in the audience wishes to address the board in-person this evening, there are yellow "Citizens' Requests of the Board" forms on the table in the back of the room; please complete a form and give it to the board secretary, Mrs. Avery. 

Public Comments Submitted Including Topic:
1. NAME - Topic

Description:  September payroll and associated benefits costs have been recorded, and are higher per-month than anticipated. Without another month to compare to, they provide some indicators but are not as robust as a multi-month analysis of payroll trends. If current expenses and revenues remain at the pace of September, the District will end the year with less Ending Fund Balance than was budgeted.

Description: 

ORS 332.075(2)-(3), states that, "All contracts of the school district must be approved by the district school board before an order can be drawn for payment." This includes the provision of labor performed by employees of the district. In addition, Board Policy GB, General Personnel Policies, provides that, "The employment contract of candidates to fill licensed and contracted positions will be approved by the Board upon the superintendent’s recommendation."

Salary placement for licensed and administrator positions will follow the terms of the established collective bargaining agreement with the labor association and memorandum of understanding with the administrator group. These agreements are available on the District website.

Description: 

All items listed are matters considered by the board to be routine and will be enacted by one motion. The motion requires a second and a vote. There will be no separate discussion of items on the consent agenda unless a member of the board requests specific items be removed from the consent agenda and placed on the regular agenda. 

Description: 

Time has been set-aside on this agenda for the superintendent to provide a brief update. District leadership members may also provide an overview of current work and upcoming events taking place in the school district.

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Time has been set-aside on this agenda for the board members to provide brief updates. 

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Chartwells Nutrition Services Manager, Mazen Najjar, will review the highlights of last year's Nutrition Services Program. The food service management company's (Chartwells) main responsibility is preparing and serving meals and meal supplements (snacks) to students and participants in the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs. The program runs in a cost-effective basis. The total of all direct operating costs (including cost of food, supplies, wages, benefits, and other direct costs) must not exceed total program revenues. 

Description:  The board will take a brief recess from the meeting. 

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This portion of the board meeting agenda has been provided for the presentation of advisory committee minutes. No action or discussion is required by the board; however, there may be occasional reports or discussion regarding work being completed by the committee(s).

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A representative from the Gresham-Barlow Education Association (GBEA) will provide a report to the board. 

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A representative from the Oregon School Employees Association (OSEA) Chapter 8 employees will provide a report to the board. 

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In the Multnomah County region, there is one board of directors position open, and member school boards are asked to vote on the candidates who have filed for that position. Following is a slate of candidates representing Multnomah County school districts:

OSBA Board of Directors, Position 18
Kris Howatt, Gresham-Barlow School District 
Brenda Rivas, Parkrose School District

Member school boards have also been asked to vote on the three representative positions open for the Legislative Policy Committee (LPC). Following is a slate of candidates running for the LPC Representative Positions: 

LPC Position 17
Heather Coleman-Cox, Gresham-Barlow School District
Uncontested

LPC Position 18
Althea Ender, David Douglas School District
Uncontested

LPC Position 19
Christy Splitt, Portland Public Schools
Uncontested

Under OSBA's governance structure, member school boards are required to take official action on the slate of candidates by casting one vote (meaning this is a board vote, not an individual vote). 

The voting period opens in mid-November each year, following the fall regional dinner meetings and the annual OSBA Convention where more information about candidates can be acquired. Additional candidate information for the board of directors and LPC candidates can be found on the OSBA Elections webpage: https://www.osba.org/osba-elections-information-3/

This information is now being presented for first reading and board action. The board secretary must submit the completed ballot online no later than December 15, 2025. 

Description: 

As required by state law, each summer the district reviews, analyzes, and makes public reporting of the number of physical restraints and seclusions. This is the district's report on physical restraints and seclusion for the 2024-25 school year. The analyzed data is provided in the attached report. 

Description: 

Pursuant to Board Policy DBEA - Budget Committee, "The Board will identify vacant budget committee positions which must be filled by appointment of the Board." The district currently has two positions open on the budget committee. The intent is to appoint members early so those that are interested can take part in budget, financial, and audit discussions much earlier in the school year.

The open positions are as follows:

Position 6......Previously held by Erin Meechan
Position 7......Previously held by Garrett Wood

Eligibility requirements for budget committee members are as follows:      

1. The candidate must live in the district.
2. The candidate must not be an officer or employee of the district.
3. The candidate must be a registered voter in the district.

The administration recommends board approval of the following process for filling the budget committee vacancies:

1. The board announces the budget committee vacancy as noted above;
2. The director of finance advertises the open positions (positions 6 & 7) and contacts the previous budget committee members to determine their willingness to continue service on the budget committee;
3. If previous budget committee members are willing to serve, those names are brought to the board for appointment;
4. If previous budget committee members are not willing to serve, the district accepts applications from interested persons over the next month;
5. The board chair and vice-chair conducts interviews, if desired, and provide a recommendation to the board;
6. The board appoints successful candidates to fill the vacancy at its regular meeting in December.

Description: 

All students in kindergarten through eighth grade are assessed during benchmark windows, including fall, winter, and spring. The fall 2025 iReady and STAR reading and math assessment results will be reviewed.

Description:  September payroll and associated benefits costs have been recorded, and are higher per-month than anticipated. Without another month to compare to, they provide some indicators but are not as robust as a multi-month analysis of payroll trends. If current expenses and revenues remain at the pace of September, the District will end the year with less Ending Fund Balance than was budgeted.

Description: 

At the Strategic Planning Retreat in August, board members generated a list of topics they would like to discuss at board meetings throughout the year. Board leadership, along with the Superintendent, are working through this list of topics. Some topics need additional clarification on what type of report or information needs to be presented. These include:

• Co-Use IGA with the City and County
• Grants Overview
• High or Low Performing Schools; program cuts and adds
• Special Education Curriculum
• Textbook Adoption Follow-Up (Implementation Update)

Description: 

The board will review announcements. A Zoom link for virtual meeting attendance will be provided for upcoming meetings.

November 20, 2025: Board Work Session - 6 p.m.
                                  Library 
                                  North Gresham Elementary

December 11, 2025:  Regular Board Business Meeting - 7 p.m.
                                   Council Chambers
                                   Public Safety and Schools Building

 

Description:  Estimated time for adjournment: No later than 9 p.m.