September 2, 2026 at 6:00 PM - Regular Board Business Meeting

Description: 

Holly Riegelmann, Chair
Dr. Shawn Farrens, Vice-Chair
Heather Coleman-Cox, Director
Kris Howatt, Director
Blake Petersen, Director
Brenna Puderbaugh, Director
Erasto Sedda, 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. Mark Spolitak - Public Comment to Board

Description:  The projected year appears within tolerable margins, but it's too early to tell. The books for fiscal year 2025-2026 are not yet closed, and finalized numbers won't be available for many more months until the Financial Audit is complete. The 25-26 Ending Fund Balance is not finalized, but it is expected to be less than the budgeted Beginning Fund Balance for the 26-27 fiscal year, due in part to increases in transportation costs, summer learning costs, and unexpected insurance costs. July revenues and expenses reflected in this report do not predict enough of the coming year accurately. A fuller, more accurate picture of year-long payroll expenses (the majority of the District's expense), will not be known with acceptable levels of clarity until September's payroll run and encumbrance calculation, after open enrollment choices have been recorded and the first payroll of a full month of open school has been processed.

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 the 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.

Description: 

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

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

Description: 

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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Pursuant to Board Policy DBEA - Budget Committee, "At its first meeting in September, 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 4......Previously held by Dan Corcoran
Position 5......Previously held by Ashley Tuomi (Note: the committee member was appointed to serve the remainder of the term for this vacated position)

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 vacancies as noted above;
2. The director of finance advertises the open positions (positions 4 & 5);
3. If previous budget committee members would like to continue to serve, they will complete the application process in the same manner as new candidates;
4. The district accepts applications from interested persons over the next month;
5. The board chair and vice-chair conduct 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 odd-numbered positions on the Oregon School Boards Association (OSBA) Board of Directors are up for election. Under OSBA’s governance structure, member school boards are required to take official action in September to nominate representatives for their region, if they choose to do so. For Gresham-Barlow, the region is Multnomah County.

In Multnomah County, there are currently two OSBA director seats open, Positions 17 and 19. Position 17 is currently held by Katrina Doughty, and Position 19 is held by José Gamero-Georgeson. 

This evening, the board will be asked to determine if any Gresham-Barlow board members have a desire to serve on the OSBA’s board of directors, or to nominate a candidate for some or all of the positions representing the district’s region. 

Nominations will close at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, September 30, 2026. Official ballots will be distributed to member boards no later than October 15, 2026, and member boards will be asked to vote on the candidates following the conclusion of all OSBA Fall Regional Meetings.

Description:  Safe Routes to School Education Grants help education programs start, sustain, and innovate to help students and families across the state safely walk, bike, and roll to school. These two-year grant projects will support Safe Routes to School program coordination for walking, riding, and rolling safety trainings, encouragement events, and coordinating activities to help make travel safer at and around the school environment.  The district has a long history of successfully working with the Safe Routes to School organization.

The Gresham-Barlow School District was awarded a grant at the Tier 1 (Beginner) level for a total of $150,000. Per board policy DD, it is requested that the Board accept the grant award from the Oregon Department of Transportation.

Description: 

The request for approval to postpone the adoption of the high school social science curriculum, alignment with the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) curriculum adoption schedule. While an informational presentation regarding this postponement was delivered to the Board on April 23, 2026, board approval is required according to Division 22 standards.

The recommendation to adjust the adoption timeline is based on the following:

• During the 2025-2026 school year, high school teams spent significant time on a plan for implementing Senate Bill 3 (SB 3) requirements.
• Postponing the formal adoption allows the district to strategically spread curriculum costs across two fiscal years.

Description: 

The district is required to provide an Annual Report on the Integrated Programs, which includes funding from a variety of grant resources, including Student Investment Account Funds (SIA), High School Success, Perkins, Early Indicator & Intervention System (EIIS), and Targeted Support & Improvement (TSI). In future years, this will also include our Early Literacy funding.

ODE’s Annual Report consists of three narrative questions and is due by September 30, 2026. Throughout the year, grant recipients have been asked to report expenditures, answer reflective narrative questions, and report on progress markers, which will help inform overall progress and the annual report. After being presented to the Board of Directors, the Annual Report questions and responses will be posted on the Gresham-Barlow website and submitted to ODE.

Description:  The projected year appears within tolerable margins, but it's too early to tell. The books for fiscal year 2025-2026 are not yet closed, and finalized numbers won't be available for many more months until the Financial Audit is complete. The 25-26 Ending Fund Balance is not finalized, but it is expected to be less than the budgeted Beginning Fund Balance for the 26-27 fiscal year, due in part to increases in transportation costs, summer learning costs, and unexpected insurance costs. July revenues and expenses reflected in this report do not predict enough of the coming year accurately. A fuller, more accurate picture of year-long payroll expenses (the majority of the District's expense), will not be known with acceptable levels of clarity until September's payroll run and encumbrance calculation, after open enrollment choices have been recorded and the first payroll of a full month of open school has been processed.

Description: 

The Gresham-Barlow School District Board of Directors will now meet in executive session for the purpose of discussing:

Personnel, pursuant to ORS 192.660 (2)(b)

Executive sessions are closed to the public. Representatives of the news media and designated staff shall be allowed to attend. All other members of the audience are asked to leave the room. Representatives of the news media are specifically directed not to report on any of the deliberations during the executive session, except to state the general subject of the session as previously announced. No decision may be made in executive session. 

Description:  Following the executive session, the board will reconvene into the regular board business meeting. 

Description:  During the executive session, the board reviewed information regarding a personnel matter. The board may take action on how to proceed with the matter at this time. 

Description: 

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

September 16, 2026: Regular Board Work Session - 6 p.m.
                                   Council Chambers Conference Room
                                   Public Safety and Schools Building

October 7, 2026:        Regular Board Business Meeting - 6 p.m.
                                   Council Chambers
                                   Public Safety and Schools Building

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