November 4, 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. Jeff Martinich - Caseloads and service delivery

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: 

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 on 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. 

Description: 

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

Description: 

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

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 2025-26 school year. The analyzed data is provided in the attached report. 

Description: 

At their September 2, 2026 Business Meeting, the board declared positions 4 and 5 on the Gresham-Barlow Budget Committee vacant. Positions are filled by appointment of the board. 

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 board approved 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 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.

Applications were accepted and the board chair and vice-chair have screened and interviewed applicants. They will bring forward recommendations for appointment. While there are currently two vacant positions on the Budget Committee, ORS 328.542 states that a school district must include at least one member of the educational equity advisory committee of the school district on the budget committee. Position 5 will be filled by a member of that committee. 

Description: 

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

OSBA Board of Directors, Position 17
Katrina Doughty, Multnomah ESD
Kris Howatt, Gresham-Barlow School District 

OSBA Board of Directors, Position 19
José Gamero-Georgeson, David Douglas School District

Member school boards have also been asked to vote on Resolution 1, which would amend the OSBA Bylaws. 

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 opened on October 15, 2026 this year. Additional candidate information for the board of directors and the proposed resolution 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, 2026. 

Description:  All students in kindergarten through eighth grade are assessed using state approved interim assessments during benchmark windows, including fall, winter, and spring. The fall 2026 iReady and STAR reading and math assessment results will be reviewed. SB 141, the Oregon Education Accountability Act, requires the school board to review interim assessment data at a public session. 

Description: 

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

Review Matters pertaining to the Confidential Records of a Student, pursuant to ORS 332.061(1)(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 pertaining to the confidential records of a student. The board may take action on how to proceed at this time. 

Description: 

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

November 12-14, 2026: OSBA Annual Convention
                                       Portland Marriott Downtown Waterfront
                                       Portland, OR

November 18, 2026:      Regular Board Work Session - 6 p.m.
                                       Council Chambers Conference Room
                                       Public Safety and Schools Building

December 9, 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.