June 20, 2026 Summer Board Retreat
MINUTES OF THE SCHOOL BOARD OF DISTRICT NO. 40,
YAMHILL COUNTY, McMINNVILLE, OREGON
The Mid-Year Retreat was held June 20, 2026 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
At 9:01 a.m. the Board of Directors of McMinnville School District opened the mid-year retreat meeting. The meeting was called to order by Chair Larry Vollmer. Roll call indicated the following:
BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT
Chair Larry Vollmer
Director Lu Ann Anderson
Director Christine Bader
Director Jason Bizon
Director Brielle Houston
Director Jasmin Juarez
BOARD MEMBERS ABSENT
Vice-Chair Gerardo Partida
ADMINISTRATION
Kourtney Ferrua, Superintendent
Cherice Bowden, Board Secretary
Mike Scott, Right Time Educational Coaching
CABINET
Hiran Amerasinghe, Director
Lauren Berg, Director
Brian Crain, Director
Autumn Foster, Communications Manager
Jason Hall, Director
Kellie Clay, Director
Emily Linnertz, Director
PRESS
Starla Pointer
Oath of Office
Board Chair Larry Vollmer administered the Oath of Office to newly appointed Board Member Brielle Houston. Ms. Houston affirmed that she would support the Constitution of the United States, the Constitution and laws of the State of Oregon, and the policies of McMinnville School District No. 40, and that she would faithfully and impartially discharge the duties of a school board member to the best of her ability. Chair Vollmer welcomed Ms. Houston to the Board.
The Power of this Team
Board Chair Larry Vollmer welcomed board members, staff, and consultant Mike Scott to the board retreat. Superintendent Ferrua reviewed the day’s agenda, which included team-building activities, discussions on board engagement and working agreements, governance processes, district goals, school improvement efforts, evaluation processes, and reflections on themes from the recent COSA Conference.
As part of a team-building activity, board members and staff shared childhood school photographs and reflected on their educational experiences. Participants discussed influential teachers, memorable school activities, family circumstances, transitions between schools, and the impact educators had on their personal growth and success. Several members shared stories about overcoming challenges, building lasting friendships, learning in diverse environments, and finding support and belonging through their school experiences. The conversation highlighted the important role schools and educators play in shaping students’ lives and creating opportunities for future success.
Chair Vollmer also acknowledged Starla Pointer from the News-Register, who was present during the retreat.
Team Building and Roles
Mike Scott reviewed the importance of regularly revisiting the board-superintendent team’s roles, responsibilities, and working agreements. He emphasized that while individual members have limited influence, the board-superintendent team has significant collective power. Regular review helps maintain focus and prevents the team from drifting away from established practices, particularly as new members join the board.
He discussed the importance of team cohesion, noting that community members often view the school district as a whole rather than distinguishing between the work of the board, superintendent, and staff. He stated that a cohesive leadership team builds public confidence in the district, which supports student success, community partnerships, and future initiatives such as bond measures and local option levies. He also noted that trust among board members and district leadership allows teams to move forward more effectively and reduces unnecessary conflict and suspicion.
Mike Scott explained that a lack of cohesion among district leadership can have a direct impact on staff and organizational culture. He shared research demonstrating a connection between effective board governance, strong board-superintendent relationships, and improved student outcomes. He emphasized the importance of board members understanding and maintaining their governance role while allowing district staff to manage operations.
The discussion included a review of characteristics of effective boards, including maintaining a focus on student achievement, monitoring data regularly, practicing unified governance, and concentrating on board-wide priorities rather than individual interests. Scott also discussed the importance of meaningful board engagement and creating opportunities for board members to contribute constructively within their governance role.
Mike Scott led a discussion regarding the roles of the board chair and vice chair. He encouraged the board to clearly define expectations for both positions to ensure continuity, consistency, and smooth leadership transitions regardless of who holds the positions. The conversation focused on communication responsibilities, agenda development, facilitation of board processes, and supporting effective board operations.
Board members discussed public meeting law considerations related to communications among board members. Scott clarified the distinction between sharing information and discussing matters that could influence board decisions outside of a public meeting. He noted that board members may communicate and seek clarification on issues, provided those conversations do not constitute deliberation toward a decision that should occur in public.
Mike Scott also discussed the role of the vice chair in supporting board operations, helping monitor adherence to board processes and working agreements, facilitating difficult conversations when necessary, and assisting with follow-up on board actions and priorities. He emphasized that maintaining a positive board culture and addressing concerns respectfully are shared responsibilities of all board members, not solely the responsibility of board leadership.
Break
10:23 – 10:30 a.m.
Systems for Collaboration
Board Engagement
Mike Scott facilitated a discussion on board engagement and the various ways board members can remain informed and connected to district work. Topics included attending community events, supporting student activities, visiting schools and classrooms, participating in district programs, understanding budget and operational processes, and monitoring student achievement data.
He emphasized that while board members are not responsible for managing district operations, it is important for them to understand how operational processes work. He noted the distinction between operational information and operational decision-making, explaining that board members should be knowledgeable about areas such as finance, facilities, transportation, human resources, and instructional programs in order to effectively fulfill their governance responsibilities.
The group discussed the value of structured school visits, opportunities to hear directly from staff, and creating consistent processes that allow board members to gain knowledge while maintaining appropriate governance boundaries. He encouraged the board to find meaningful engagement opportunities that match each member’s availability and interests while recognizing that board members have differing levels of time and capacity to participate.
Mike Scott led a discussion regarding equitable participation in district activities, committees, task forces, and community events. Board members discussed the importance of ensuring that engagement opportunities are shared among members and that no individual board member gains disproportionate influence simply because they have more availability to participate.
The conversation emphasized extending grace to board members with varying schedules while finding ways for all members to remain informed and engaged in district work. He discussed the access board members have to district leadership and encouraged ongoing communication with the superintendent when questions or concerns arise. He noted that board members can seek clarification and information through individual conversations without waiting for formal meetings, helping to avoid misunderstandings and surprises during board discussions.
Mike Scott facilitated a partner activity in which board members reviewed board engagement best practices and identified practices the board should continue, discontinue, or begin implementing. Participants worked in small groups and recorded their ideas on chart paper for further discussion.
The board participated in a discussion regarding the purpose and effectiveness of board committees and subcommittees. Members reflected on previous curriculum, finance, operations, and human resources committee structures and discussed how those groups had provided opportunities for deeper review of district topics before matters came before the full board.
Discussion focused on the purposes of committees, including increasing board understanding, providing opportunities for deeper learning, improving communication, helping prepare information for board consideration, and equipping board members to respond to community questions. Members also discussed concerns regarding equitable participation, information sharing, workload distribution, and maintaining alignment with board governance responsibilities.
Mike encouraged the board to clarify the purpose of any future committees or subcommittees and suggested developing criteria and clear expectations for their work, including how information would be shared with the full board and how committee participation would support informed decision-making by all board members.
Board Engagement Next Steps were discussed and a review of the following:
- Working Agreements
- Working Agreements Take Practice and Constant Review
- “Point of Order”
- The Cost of Fractured Team
- Deliberately Move Toward Cohesion
- Working Agreements Review & Reflect – The Board and Cabinet members took 7 minutes to review, share and debrief.
Meeting Topics
Mike Scott facilitated a discussion regarding the purpose and use of different meeting formats. The board reviewed the role of regular board meetings as the venue for public topics, required action items, and formal board business. Work sessions were discussed as opportunities for focused learning, discussion, and deeper exploration of topics with fewer agenda items and additional time for conversation. Retreats were identified as opportunities for strategic planning, professional learning, team building, and extended discussions on complex topics. The board also discussed individual meetings between board members and the superintendent as a means to address areas of interest, ask questions, and discuss concerns outside of formal meeting settings.
Board and Cabinet members then participated in a small-group activity to identify topics they would like to see included on board meeting agendas during the upcoming year. Groups categorized potential agenda items into “Must Have” and “Nice to Have” topics and prepared to share their recommendations with the full board for further discussion.
The next steps will be that the board leadership and the Superintendent will use the input provided during the retreat to develop board meeting agendas for the upcoming year and ensure future agenda topics align with the board’s identified priorities and areas of interest.
Continued Improvement
Superintendent Ferrua reviewed Oregon’s accountability system under SB 141, which includes graduation rates, completion rates, ninth-grade on-track, third-grade reading, eighth-grade math, attendance, and one local indicator. She explained that some measures are outcome-based while others serve as predictive indicators that help show whether students are on track for long-term success.
She emphasized that improvement is measured over time and compared the process to a community garden, noting that early indicators show whether strategies are taking root before final outcomes are seen. Ferrua explained that district improvement work follows a cycle of identifying a problem, implementing evidence-based strategies, studying results, and adjusting based on data, typically over a three- to five-year period.
As an example, she referenced the district’s science of literacy implementation, including staff training, curriculum adoption, and ongoing professional development, noting that early signs of implementation are emerging and continued work will focus on strengthening practice and monitoring progress.
Aligned goals and next steps were reviewed.
Lunch Break
12:00 – 12:45 p.m.
Evaluation Processes
Mike Scott facilitated a discussion on board and district evaluation processes, including self-assessment and feedback practices. He emphasized that evaluation should focus on continuous improvement rather than compliance, and that the board’s self-assessment is intended to help members reflect on their effectiveness and alignment with governance practices.
He noted that evaluation processes should include structured feedback, data collection, and facilitation support to ensure meaningful reflection. He discussed the importance of using both formal and informal feedback to identify areas for improvement while maintaining a focus on student outcomes and district goals. He also emphasized that evaluation is an ongoing process that requires openness to feedback, even when it is challenging, and that it should be used to strengthen collaboration, clarify roles, and support effective governance over time.
Closing
Superintendent Ferrua shared a reflection on the “science of hope” from a keynote at a host conference, distinguishing hope from wishful thinking. Hope was described as an action-oriented process involving three components: clear goal setting, identifying pathways to achieve those goals through concrete action steps, and building agency, the belief that individuals and the collective can contribute to progress. The discussion emphasized that school culture is closely tied to the overall mental, physical, and social well-being of students and staff, and that cultivating a shared sense of hope strengthens engagement, morale, adaptability during change, and overall performance.
Participants reflected on takeaways from the retreat conversations, noting a shared commitment to improving practice and advancing district goals for students. The importance of maintaining space for differing perspectives, even when challenging or uncomfortable, was highlighted as part of sustaining a healthy organizational culture. The board and superintendent emphasized that while there is already strong shared intent to serve students, the focus moving forward is on strengthening the structures, such as working agreements, evaluation processes, and planning tools, that turn shared goals into actionable pathways for achieving desired outcomes.
Upcoming dates:
- Board Business meeting July 13, 2026 and August 10, 2026.
- Work Session meeting August 24, 2026 and September 28, 2026.
The session adjourned at 3:07 PM.
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Minutes
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Virtual Participants