May 19, 2025 Work Session Meeting Minutes

 MINUTES OF THE SCHOOL BOARD OF DISTRICT NO. 40,
YAMHILL COUNTY, McMINNVILLE, OREGON

The Work Session was held May 19, 2025 both in person and via Zoom at the
McMinnville School District Office, 800 NE Lafayette Ave., McMinnville, OR 97128 

The link was https://msd40.zoom.us/j/97721628814

Provisional Minutes-Not Board Approved

At 6:30 p.m. the Board of Directors of McMinnville School District opened the work session meeting.  The meeting was called to order by Chair Jason Bizon.  Roll call indicated the following:

BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT
Chair Mr. Jason Bizon
Ms. Lu Ann Anderson
Ms. Christine Bader
Mr. Gerardo Partida
Ms. Doris Towery
Mr. Larry Vollmer

BOARD MEMBERS ABSENT
Vice-Chair Ms. Abbie Warmbier

ADMINISTRATION
Steffanie Frost, Director
Cherice Bowden, Board Secretary

AUDIENCE
Kourtney Ferrua, Jason Hall, Shelly Simonyi, Brian Crain, Hiran Amerasinghe, Davey Altree, Heidi Vollmer and Scott Murphy. 

• After School Programs for 2025-26
  Davey Altree and Principal Murphy shared an update on the after school programs.  Davey shared the current enrollment at Buel ES and Willamette ES.  There are 46 students enrolled but there is an average of 35 students per day.  At Memorial ES and Grandhaven ES together there are a total of 69 students enrolled with an average of 47 students attending per day.  At Newby ES there are 22 students with an average of 14 students per day.  She commented that this is unique right now as they heard some interest in some programming before school, and they wanted to explore that, so they opened that up at Newby ES to see how it’s going. They only have a few students enrolled and according to the principals, there are only one or two students that attend on a regular basis. The summer programming is ready to go and will be using Willamette ES.  It is open to students  June 16 through August 28 and is open to all students in the District.

  Principal Murphy gave an update on the Zone program at Wascher ES.  The Zone is run by NCC(North West Christian Church).  They serve about 45 students with 58 students registered.  The students begin after school with a snack and then recess time, then more structured times with read alouds, games, arts and crafts, stem activities by using various places in the building.  The program is grant funded through the church and Austin Foundation and there is no cost for the program to the students. The program plans to return next year. 

  Director Anderson commented that she is not against support from outside community support. She is concerned about equity. She thinks that the issue of cost and families in one community.  having free after school care  and we are providing the program, but  at a cost. That concerns her about the equity, because it is one of our schools.  She also asked if the  YMCA has the capacity to provide a similar program there or have we asked them about that?

  Davey Altree answered, “We have asked about that and at the time they did not have the capacity, but it would definitely be worth asking”.

  Chair Bizon asked, “To the best of your knowledge, have you had any community complaints about the program?” “Has anybody said anything about equity?”

  Director Towery commented that she doesn’t think it is a matter of complaint, she thinks that if we are looking across the board for equity and saying that the YMCA is doing it, we can show data that they are accessing programs that offset that.  

  2025 Graduation Celebration Overview
  Principal Furman gave an update on some of the senior year end activities and to invite the Board members to the graduation.  Senior Week is May 27 through May 30, 2025.  

  • Tuesday, May 27 is senior send off at lunch and the Success Center
  • Wednesday, May 28 is grad cap decorating and desserts at 6:30 pm in the library and senior decision day in the gym at 10:00 am – 2:00 pm.
  • Thursday, May 29 is Senior Sunset and yearbook distribution at 7:30 pm at baker field
  • Friday, May 30 is Bun Voyage senior BBQ at lunch in the courtyard
  • Monday, June 2 is Power Buff at 5:00 pm in the lower gym and Powder Puff at 7:00 p. at Wortman Stadium
  • June 4 is Senior Scholarship Night at 6:00 pm in the gym.
  • June 5 is graduation practice at 8:30 am in the gym
    • Senior lunch is 11:15 – 11:45 am
    • Parade of Graduates is at 12:00 pm
    • Baccalaureate is at 7:00 pm at the Grand
  • June 6 is graduation ceremony at 7:00 pm in the Wortman Stadium

  Financial Update
  Director Hall and Director Frost gave an update on financials.  The May revenue forecast came out last Wednesday and does not look promising at all.  The State is saying 11.4, which is rounded up. The state school fund estimates are based on 11.36 billion state school funds, which is what our budget is based on.  Final amounts will not be released by ODE until the end of this month for preliminary allocations.  Any additional funds received above the initially proposed would be directed towards the high cost of stability reimbursement.  Right now the projected reimbursement rate is about 25 cents on the dollar next year, they are hoping that if any additional funds are there that it would help bolster up to 50 cents on the dollar.

  Director Frost shared that there were two meetings last week with COSA and Director Ferrua also had a meeting that talked about it.  The only common thing that all stakeholders need is something that impacts all districts, that everybody is getting some benefit.  They do not have the funding to increase the special education cap, even a 1% increase is out of reach of the money they think they will have available.  What COSA and OSBA is throwing all their advocacy behind is the high cost disability reimbursement and getting that up to 50%.  

  Director Hall gave explanation to the questions he received from board members regarding the funds saved from contracts that have been terminated and the PERS reduction. Director Hall will add the questions and answers to the May 21 Budget Committee meeting.

  Public Meeting Law Updates
  Director Frost gave an update on where the State is at with the changes to public meeting laws that caused the subcommittee meetings to be on hold.

  SB 1109 passed the Senate and is scheduled for a public hearing in the House Education Committee, it is expected to pass. Until the bill passes and becomes law, we cannot have the subcommittee meetings unless they are posted, recorded and made available to the public.  

  HB 2463 is specific to equity, advisory committees or district equity committees.  There was a state law passed that said every district had to have one based on the size of your district.  This is an advisory committee to the superintendent.  This is not the same as we’ve had a District Equity Committee which we now are changing the name.  We have had that for a while.  The people get together and look at what is the work we need to do? What is the professional development? How do we apply the decision making lens, which is sitting right up here? That’s work out of our district Equity Committee, led by Director Ferrua. This committee  consists of community members, not just school employees and board members.  This committee would get together and look at the effect of decisions on our focal populations and this committee would report directly to the superintendent, who would then make recommendations to the Board based on what the committee has come up with. When the Equity District Equity Committee law was put out, it said that this would be a public meeting and had to report directly to the School Board, that everything’s public, you post a link, everybody has to be able to attend and that was not the intent of the law when it was put into place. The intent was that everybody has one, and they report to the superintendent about the way it was written. Now it’s very clear it is reporting to the superintendent, and is not a public meeting or a meeting of the Board.  They do expect it to pass and be signed into law. A discussion on the process was discussed.  

  Review Year-End Events
  Year End Events were discussed and reviewed by the Board.  See attached.

  Directors’ Comments
  Director Vollmer shared that he had the parking lot information on his computer on Google map if anybody wanted to look exactly at the parking lot and where they are supposed to be parking for the graduation.

  Director Partida commented that he appreciates bringing back the subcommittee meetings because that is the best way to keep updated and informed.  

  Director Anderson complimented the Stalwart Grandhaven students at Miller woods in the pouring rain that morning, chasing bugs in the meadow.  She is looking forward to graduation.

  Director Towery commented that she is also looking forward to graduation.  She believes that there are eight kids traveling to Nationals for Speech and Debate. It is an extraordinary experience for the kids and usually opens up scholarship opportunities for them.

  Chair Bizon announced that May 21 is the last Budget Committee meeting.  There is a Work Session meeting followed by an Executive Session meeting scheduled for June 2, with McPherson & Jacobson.  June 9 is another Business Board meeting.  A title to the June 23 meeting was shared with the board that the meeting will be a regular work session and not a joint work session meeting.

  Meeting Video

    Upcoming dates:

  • Second Formal Budget Committee meeting: May 21, 2025 
  • Board Business meetings:  June 9, 2025
  • Work Session meeting: June 23, 2025

  The Session adjourned at 7:11 p.m.