April 14, 2025 Business Board Meeting Minutes
MINUTES OF THE SCHOOL BOARD OF DISTRICT NO. 40,
YAMHILL COUNTY, McMINNVILLE, OREGON
The Board Business Meeting was held April 14, 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/215496199
Provisional Minutes-Not Board Approved
At 6:30 p.m., the Board of Directors of McMinnville School District opened the board business meeting in Regular Session. The meeting was called to order by Chair Jason Bizon.
Board Members Present
Chair Jason Bizon
Vice-Chair Abbie Warmbier
Director Lu Ann Anderson
Director Christine Bader
Director Gerardo Partida
Director Doris Towery
Director Larry Vollmer
Board Members Absent
None
Administration
Steffanie Frost, Director
Cherice Bowden, Board Secretary
Pledge of Allegiance
The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Cristo Baltierrez Alaniz.
Audience
Kourtney Ferrua, Brian Crain, Shelly Simonyi, Laurie Fry, Erin Caldwell, Jason Hall, Hiran Amerasinghe, Scott Murphy, Kim Price, Lauren Berg, Vicky Brown, Kathi Fowler, Dave Furman, Allison Eitzen, Stephanie Murdock, Cielo Tahmaseb, Martha Biggs, and Hilary Brittan Lack. See attached
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1.4 Introductions and Communications
Director Steffanie Frost introduced Principal Vicki Brown. Ms. Brown would introduce the rest of her team.1.4.1 School Volunteer Week Proclamation
The following School Volunteer Week Proclamation was read by Director Lu Ann Anderson:PROCLAMATION
2025 School Volunteer Week
WHEREAS public school volunteers contribute unselfishly to the
success of Oregon’s students, teaching and support staff and the goals
of American public education;WHEREAS school volunteers ensure that every student gets help
and encouragement according to need;WHEREAS school volunteers support students and teachers inside and
beyond the classroom in myriad ways regardless of the hour and without monetary gain;WHEREAS school volunteers act dependably, creatively and
collaboratively to accomplish whatever tasks they are assigned or commit themselves to;WHEREAS school volunteers stretch school-district resources to ensure
that all students achieve a complete and well-rounded education;WHEREAS, school volunteer exhibit care, model the best in citizenship
and create a climate that fosters learning and a love of education;We declare our everlasting appreciation to public-school volunteers of
the McMinnville School District, who, regardless of situation, age, race, orcreed, step forward to help, thus widening horizons for others as well as themselves.
THEREFORE, the School Board of McMinnville School District proclaims
April 21 to April 25, 2025, School Volunteer Recognition Week, and we
urge all citizens to join us in recognizing the dedication and hard work of
local volunteers in preparing today’s students for tomorrow’s world.1.6 Review of Agenda
There were no changes to the agenda.2.0 Consent Agenda
2.1 Gifts to the District: The Board accepted with gratitude, gifts to the District:
Kathy Behring donated $400.00 to MHS for the Thespian Club and $400.00 to Twilighters, Lum’s donated to MHS $315.00 for warmer ovens for cheer and dance, Mac D-Bros Corp #3 donated to MHS$300.00 the Equestrian Team, Yamhill County Sheriff’s Posse donated to MHS $1100.00 for the Equestrian Club, GEM Equipment of Oregon, Inc. donated to MHS $25,000.00 of stainless steel sheets for the welding & fabrication class, Stephen Cooper donated to MHS $100.00 for FTC Robotics, Sara Tucholsky donated to MHS $100.00 for FTC Robotics, V Environmental, LLC donated to MHS $500.00 for FTC Robotics, Taste of India 3 donated to MHS $100.00 for FTC Robotics, Jay & Suzanne Teller donated to MHS $100.00 for FTC Robotics, Ramona Guzman donated to MHS $200.00 for FTC Robotics, Joe Miglioretto donated to MHS $100.00 for the track team, Carlton Veterinary Hospital donated to MHS $185.00 for the Equestrian Club, Honey Pie Pizza donated to MHS $250.00 for the Model UN Club and V Environmental, LLC donated to MHS $2000.00 for FTC Robotics.2.2 Approval of minutes of the March 10, 2025 Business Board Meeting and March 31, 2025 Joint Work Session Meeting approved.
2.3 Personnel Actions approved.
On motion by Director Christine Bader, seconded by Director Gerardo Partida, the Consent Agenda was approved on a unanimous vote. Directors: Larry Vollmer – aye, Gerardo Partida – aye, Lu Ann Anderson – aye, Christine Bader – aye, Vice-Chair Abbie Warmbier – aye, Director Doris Towery – aye and Chair Jason Bizon -aye. There were 0 nays.
3.0 REPORTS
The Board heard Monthly Reports.3.1 Student Reports
Principal Victoria Brown talked about attendance. They have been focusing on attendance really hard at Newby. She had students who worked really hard on attendance this year to tell a little bit about themselves. She states that the reason why we’re focusing so hard on elementary school and attendance is that really chronic absences do impact us even in the early grades, and so it’s really important that we’re hitting attendance and the importance every day. So what I have is celebrating the positive. So we’ve done donuts at drop off for any student that had 90% or above in attendance. They got to come and have donuts with their families this quarter. We’re going to do a movie night, then at the end of the year we’re going to have a party on the playground for all students that were 90% or above in their attendance.The Newby students shared why it is important to come to school:
London Munoz Alcala shared that he comes to school to learn and coming to school makes him feel happy because he gets to see his friends. He said, “Something I have done this year that I am proud of is coming here to present”.
Cristo Baltierrez Alaniz said, “One reason I come to school every day is I get to come see my friends while still learning more. Coming to school helps me feel good because I get to learn more and be a good student. Something I’ve done this year that I am proud of is coming to school every day and learning more”.
Allister Crouse said, “I come to school every day because I want to get good grades and to see my friends. Coming to school helps me feel happy because I get to see my friends. Something I’ve done this year that I’m proud of is staying with my friends, even though we’re not in the same class and getting to school on time, even though we live farther away than last year”.
Adelyn Rivas Rosales said, “One reason I come to school every day is because I love to learn a lot. Coming to school helped me feel happy because my teacher is fun and loving. Something I’ve done this year that I am proud of is working on multiplication”.
Principal Brown shared one of the challenges that Newby has is they are on 2nd street and the traffic is really busy and walking to school for most of our students is not safe. She has worked with Director Brian Crain to get a bus for some of the students so they could get to school.
Emma Rogers shared why the bus makes a difference for her. Emma said, “Now that I have the bus, I feel happy and it is easier to get to school in the mornings. I want to keep coming to school because I love my bus driver”.
Principal Brown shared that the new project that has been started within the last three weeks is focusing on making sure each student is connected to an adult at school. It is called Attendance Buddies. They looked at the data and their attendance and students who have an attendance buddy, their attendance has increased on average about 2%.
Kristy Turner said, “ I’m the counselor at Newby. I have a few attendance buddies as well, and what has really made a difference for me, I think, and for them is just building that connection with them. When I see them in the hallways or in their classrooms, I stop by every day, so they can fill in the little box on their calendar to show that they’ve been there. Their eyes just kind of light up, you can tell that they like having that personal connection. They know that somebody has noticed them and they all seem to really enjoy being a part of something. That means a lot to me as well.
Anna Stahl said, “I’m a reading specialist at Newby and I have 4 attendance buddies. I check in with them every morning, and one thing I’ve noticed, too, is I have other students from their rooms coming up to me now also to let me know that they’re at school. We have lots of high fives going on. I would also say for me, this has been, maybe because we’re 3 quarters of the way through the school year, this is and it gets me to school, too. I think I have pretty good attendance, but after a long or hard weekend I feel like, oh, but I’m like, oh, my buddies, I gotta go see my buddies, and it’s really been a pleasure to get to know them better”.
Director Vollmer asked, “Do you guys all participate in the donuts and drop off thing? Would you be offended if we adopted that here so that we could have donuts when we come to do our work?” He thinks that would be a fabulous idea.
One of the Newby students answered, “Yeah, that would be great, that would be awesome.”
Director Partida asked, “What is a 90% attendance rate right now?”
“Are any of you guys on a 100% attendance?” There was one student that had 100% attendance.
Director Partida asked, “What do you get?” The students answered, “I get certificates and slime.”
3.2 Student Envoy Report
Student Envoy Viviana Garibay presented the student report for MHS. She gave an update on the School-Wide Spirit Week. The dress up theme for the week was a Spring Scrapbook. Opposed to ABS Students planning and facilitating activities, ABS Representatives communicated with clubs, athletics and performing arts to plan or highlight pre-existing events. She shared what the theme was for each day of the week. She also gave an update on academics, athletics, and arts/pathways. See presentation.Chair Jason Bizon commented that, when the three of you come in here and you rattle that out, that’s always impressive, but for you to do it by yourself tonight, hats off to you. You did a great job. I’m so proud of you.
3.3 Superintendent Report
Direct Frost shared the Superintendent’s report on behalf of Superintendent Brockett.Addressing the Budget Deficit:
As previously shared, our school district is facing an almost $3 million deficit in general funds for the 2025–2026 school year. From the moment this deficit was identified, we have been committed to protecting classroom experiences as much as possible. This approach reflects the priorities shared by staff and families, who emphasized the importance of mental wellness supports, smaller class sizes, and block scheduling. Using input from staff and the broader community, principals and district administrators have carefully considered where reductions can be made based on that feedback. We are addressing the deficit in several ways.First, we’re taking reductions at the district level of approximately 1.6 5 million dollars, at the elementary school, the amount of $320,000, at the middle school, the amount of $330,000, and at the high school, the amount of $632,000. We understand that any reductions are difficult, especially for the staff members, students, and families directly affected. However, with approximately 85% of our budget allocated to staffing, it is not possible to address the deficit without impacting staff positions. We are truly grateful to our staff and community for sharing their input and partnering with the District as we work to make the most responsible and thoughtful decisions in light of our current budget challenges.
Director Bader commented that she would like some help understanding the Board’s role. She asked, “Do we ask questions?” Do we give feedback??
Director Frost answered, “The job of the district leadership team led by Director Hall’s budget is to present a balanced budget to the Board. The plan that the leadership team has come up with is to present that balanced budget to the Board and the Budget Committee. So the time for feedback, my understanding would be in the Budget Committee process”.
3.4 Director of Fiscal Services’ Report
Director Hall shared the current student enrollment as of April 1, 2025. “Our enrollment is under projection at 6,182”. He gave a breakdown by grade. He also gave an update on student withdrawals and some of the reasons why students may have withdrawn. He gave a financial update as of February 28, 2025. As of the end of period 8, eighty-two percent of the budgeted revenues of the General Fund had been received and forty-eight percent of expenditures had been expended.Director Anderson made a comment that we had a conversation last month about the ADMW and the numbers that in May or June we would end up balancing with the State on our enrollment numbers. She asked, “Where are we at with that process?:
Director Hall answered, “The State will do the reconciliation in the May payment.”
Director Anderson asked, “Do you anticipate we will have to pay or be flat?.
Director Hall answered, “I anticipate we will receive a positive adjustment for that May payment.”
He informed the board that he received notice this week that we received our Certificate of Excellence for ASBO for our 2023-24 audit. It is our 15th straight year. We are waiting for the GFOA Award.
Director Bader thanked Director Hall for his openness to fielding emails and questions. She suggested that if other people are having email exchanges with questions, we should probably compile them and distribute them to the board.
Chair Bizon stated that the standard practice is just to bcc the rest of the board.
3.4.1 Grandhaven ES Fire Alarm Replacement Cost
Director Crain gave an update on the fire alarm system at Grandhaven ES. The fire alarm system needs to be replaced. Grandhaven, Duniway and Willamette were all built around the same time and we have replaced the fire alarm system at Duniway and Willamette, but we have not replaced one at Grandhaven. What we’re finding is you cannot get replacement smoke detectors when they go bad, you cannot get replacement HVAC sensors for the HVAC ducting to see if there is any smoke in there. We cannot get these replacement parts and the panel is not functioning as it should all of the time. We have some problems with the communications. We have a cost of over $25,000. Oregon Procurement law says we need to get three bids. We have received three bids, and we are planning to select the bid that we felt represented the best financial decision for the district. The money for this project would come from the construction excise tax dollar, those are for building improvements. -
4.0 Public Forum
We received 16 public comments:Melanie Martinoff’s public comment:
“Good evening, Board Chair Bizon, Vice-Chair Warmbier, Interim Superintendent Frost, members of the Board, Miss Hungerford and Cherice Bowden. Thank you for your volunteer service to the students and the staff of this district, as well as for the community outreach that you do. My name is Melanie Martinoff, and I am a member of the McMinnville community. I was the board secretary to the McMinnville School District, and the Executive Assistant to the superintendent for eight and a half years prior to Cherice Bowden. Like many, I read a Facebook post and a news article this weekend in the McMinnville News Register. I was surprised at the information that I read, but my main concern is that, regardless of the cost. I support a change of leadership for this school district. Also stated in the Facebook post, and verbally stated by a board member. It was said that the executive leader has never received a written complaint before under policy KL and KLAR. In December of 2021, I filed a written complaint against the executive leader who is currently in office. I submitted that packet to the Director of Human Resources to the executive leader, and I mailed a hard copy packet to every board member who was on the board at the time. That means that was everyone here, with the exception of Doris Towery, Luanne Anderson and Christine Bader. So for the record, the Board has received a written complaint against the executive leader and many verbal ones. I also love the quote in the Facebook post. It is always darkest just before the day dawneth by Thomas Fuller, an English theologian, in 1650. I believe we are in the dark right now, and the dawn would be bringing in new leadership for the McMinnville School District for the students, the staff and the community. Thank you for your time”.Jill Long’s public comment via Zoom:
“My name is Jill Long. I am a retired MSD staff member. Initially I was a language arts teacher at MHS, but due to my prior experience in school reform and grant writing, I became a. K12 district administrator responsible for all grant writing and support of our K12 programs. In the decade or so that I wrote K12 grants, I was able to bring more than 16 million grant dollars into the district for initiatives like high school reform into smaller learning communities and career pathways, K12 after school programs, homeless student services, professional development, technology and other district priorities. My Grant writing was never about chasing money, it was about procuring funds to support the work the district was already doing and the work that we greatly aspire to do. The grant projects I brought to the district, all of which persisted well beyond the period of funding, became fundamental to our district identity and key to our great success in increasing student achievement. After I secured a 6.7 million Teacher Incentive Fund Grant, years before the current superintendent’s tenure, various building administrators came to me personally and urged me to continue in my position writing grants for the district. However, when the current superintendent was selected by the board, the one and only thing she said to me was, I don’t believe in grants, the money goes away, you will not be writing grants for the district anymore. Her utter lack of knowledge or even curiosity regarding our grant funding initiatives and the positive impact the project projects had on our student achievement absolutely confounded me. It became clear to me that student outcomes were not her priority. My contribution to the district was not of value to her, and I resigned immediately within the first few days of her tenure. Over the period of our reinvention as a district under Dr. Russell’s superintendency, our student achievement grew exponentially, above State average, and above that of comparison districts, including Forest Grove, Newberg and Canby. In fact, among all student subgroups, our student achievement grew to double digits above average, often as much as 25% above average. That changed within the first year of the current superintendent’s tenure the student achievement data has declined in the last several years. I urge the Board to consider analyzing student achievement data such as assessment data, attendance, dropout rate, college enrollment persistent rate before agreeing to extend the tenure of the current superintendent”.Karleen Booth’s public comment:
“Good evening, Board Chair Bizon, Vice-Chair Warmbier, Interim Superintendent Frost and members of the Board. Thank you for the opportunity to speak this evening regarding items 6.6 and 6.7 on the agenda. As a longtime member of this community, and someone who has spent over four decades in education across 3 countries, including many years right here. I come before you, not in anger, but with deep concern and even deeper hope. When evaluating leadership, comprehensive feedback from the district is essential. This includes not only staff, but also students, parents and community partners, it must be gathered with discretion, integrity, and safety. Without this, honest voices are silenced by fear. Let me speak plainly about several areas where our current leadership has fallen short. Communication, true leadership invites dialogue, it does not dismantle entire programs without consulting those most affected. The sudden removal of our bilingual program which serves students from kindergarten through 3rd grade was done without transparent discussion. Hardly the mark of collaborative culture. To the board members who visit classrooms and engage with staff and students, thank you. You are modeling the visibility and connection that should start at the very top. Relationships. Strong leaders build bridges, they don’t guard turf or sideline those with gifts to contribute. Our district has lost a staggering number of talented educators, principals, and staff in just the past few years, not to just to ignore those working at the district either. Staff were people who were not only highly skilled but deeply respected. This is not a coincidence. It is a pattern, and patterns all tell stories. Empathy. It is often called a soft skill, but empathy is actually one of the hardest and most essential qualities of any leader or teacher. Sadly, many in our community now refer to our district office as the morgue. That nickname came from a culture that feels cold, closed off and disconnected. Yes, we measure results. Consider this between 2,016 and 19, 80% of our EL students were on track for proficiency. Today without a bilingual foundation at the elementary level, that number has plummeted to 62%. That’s an 18% drop. Behind every percentage point is a child’s future. Education is not just about test scores, it’s about people and creating partnerships among teachers, families, support staff and students, so we move forward together. McMinnville is an extraordinary community. Our school district once attracted some of the best and brightest that didn’t happen by chance. It happened because we had a reputation for excellence, heart, and vision. So tonight I respectfully urge the Board to consider this decision, not through the lens of loyalty or status quo, but with openness, courage, and curiosity, listen carefully, ask tough questions. The future of our students begins with the tone set by top leadership”.Vice-Chair Warmbier asked those making public comment to address Steffanie Frost as Director Frost.
Mary Dressel’s public comment:
“Chair Bizon, Vice-Chair Warmbier, Director Frost, and members of the Board. My name is Mary Dressel and I’m a current parent in McMinnville School District. As a parent and loyal 35 year veteran of McMinnville school district, I support a no confidence vote in the executive leadership. Executive leadership has been disrespectful to employees and the lack of support for administration is astounding to see what has been done to the district’s morale. Lack of support for administrators, teachers, staff, and students is devastating. The district administration staff, teachers, parents, students and esteemed board have been carrying this burden too long. People are afraid to speak up, they are afraid of retaliation, which is very real. Please consider or reconsider your position. This is a time to make change. This is a time to stand with the district students and community. Respectfully, thank you for your time”.Antonieta Jimenez’s comment:
“Good evening. Thank you Chair Bizon, Vice-Chair Warmbier, Interim Superintendent. Chair Bizon corrected the speaker, and said, “No Director Frost, please”. Director Frost and members of the board. Excuse me. Thank you for allowing me to speak publicly on topic number 6.7. My name is Antonieta Jimenez. I’m a parent of a student at McMinnville High School. I am here today to address growing concerns and confusion after reading the public Facebook post and the recent News Register article regarding the executive leadership. It is concerning to hear the executive leadership is at the point of receiving an extraordinary amount of money should they separate from McMinnville public schools. How on earth would McMinnville public schools afford more budget cycles at this huge amount of money from what was stated in the public Facebook post? Should the executive leadership stay? Why did the Board Chair and the Board approve so many increases to the executive leadership? We have known for some time that student enrollment has decreased, and the district is facing deficit for licensed, classified, and confidential positions for the next year. It does not make sense that McMinnville public schools could even afford the executive leadership salary. I am confused and do not understand why we need 26 months to search for a new executive leader when the previous superintendent search only took 6 months. The district is equipped and has a well-qualified MSD leadership who can step in for this role. It is also concerning to hear that the executive leadership chose to take a leave of absence in this time of concern rather than face questions and students from parents, students, and community members who are McMinnville taxpayers. I’m confused as to why tax dollars are paying for the executive leadership to continue receiving compensation while facing scrutiny. It appears that the executive leader is only thinking of themselves and benefiting their own pocket at the expense of McMinnville. taxpayers. Actions speak louder than words. I support the Board in terminating the contract for executive leadership, when it is obvious that the school district cannot afford our executive leader for 2 more years. Thank you”.Jasmin Juarez’s public comment:
“Good evening Chair Bizon, Vice-Chair Warmbier, Director Frost and members of the board. My name is Jasmine Juarez, I am the Vice President of the Hispanic PTA of McMinnville, as well as a concerned parent. I’m here tonight to share some of my concerns and frustrations with you. One of the Latinx’s biggest concerns was the removal of the dual language program from our schools in 2022, and the misconception that it was going to be replaced by a program that would be better for our students, which has not happened. Several parents of the school district have made complaints regarding our executive leader and their actions regarding not only our Hispanic community, but our students in general. Many parents have come publicly to provide their comments and complaints to the Board members and those have been ignored. Board members have failed to listen to our parents, and all the concerns that we have had regarding our executive leader and their decisions not only regarding our students, our Hispanic students, but the students in general. Now, our district does not only have dual language programs and our ELD programs are barely staffed. The Inclusion Department that was set up to assist in creating a new program is now gone as well. Our parents deserve answers to all questions, concerns, and complaints we have made over the years since the executive leaders’ arrival in our district. The Hispanic community has felt neglected over the years with the lack of involvement from the executive leaders as well as the Board. Thank you”.Jon Behrends: No show.
Jerry Hart’s public comment via Zoom:
“Good evening, and thank you for listening to me and to the other people who will be making comment tonight. My current relationship with the school district is that I’m on the Budget Committee and fyi, the budget doesn’t get revealed until the last minute, and this is pursuant to Oregon’s law. It’s kind of a crazy system, but it’s what we have, and we work through very hard to make sure that we all understand the budget and make sure that the budget reflects the community allocation of the resources that we have. When I first saw or heard information that there may be a termination without cause, it caused red flags to go up, because a termination without cause is going to be expensive and with unknown liabilities and without any certainty for the most part. But I believe that you members of the Board are going to be relying upon legal counsel. The Hungerford Law firm is well known as being the you know, the Premier’s School Law law firm in the State of Oregon, and so I think that there will be guidance, and you know my experience tells me that there will be a quick resolution, and part of that resolution will be the willingness of the current superintendent to reach an agreement and I anticipate that will happen, and I want to thank the superintendent, Debbie Brockett for the work that she has done for McMinnville School District and for what I see and expect will be a willingness to get this resolved so that the school district as a whole and the community as a whole, can put this behind us, and we can move forward for the benefit of the children of our community. We do have a budget coming up, and I would take exception there can’t be anything done without regard to cost, because cost money is what really drives the ability of a school district to do what it needs to do for the children. We heard a little bit, you got a little bit of a teaser about the deficit that we’re going to have to be working with. I hope the resolution of the superintendent’s position will not unnecessarily add to that financial problem, especially given the uncertainty that we all know of the potential for a decrease in Federal funding, so there may be a double whammy from both the State and from the Federal Government. and that will make this year’s budget cycle truly a challenge for all of us, the Board and the and the non board members of the Budget Committee. I want to thank you in advance for using your best judgment in resolving this matter and making sure that your decision reflects the community values, and that is good for the community. So thank you very much”.Aleena Stephen’s public comment:
“Hello Chair Bizon, Vice-Chair Warmbier and Director Frost. I’m speaking tonight on behalf of several educators I have spoken with who have concerns about the decision before you today. We are fearful that the fiscal implications created by the removal of the superintendent needed for an interim as well as a committee to seek another superintendent are too much for the district to bear in this economic climate. It seems certain that this will directly impact students programs and staff across the district even more than our budget shortfall is already slated to do. We would like to understand more about the drivers behind what seems to be a sudden decision, yet, understand, we may not be privy to such information. So instead, we ask, what steps has the board taken to work with the superintendent to make her aware of concerns and to facilitate change, have face-to-face meetings been held, have steps to improve been identified? These are all steps we would expect, but do not always see at the building level when a staff member is deemed to be struggling, taking such actions would ensure this separation is truly necessary before putting the district in an even deeper financial hole and it would model from the top down that transparency and support are at the forefront of our district when conflict and struggle exist, and are the expectation at every level. Thank you for your time and consideration with this crucial and far reaching matter”.Polly Dunkley’s public comment:
“Good evening Chair Bizon, board members, Director Frost. My name is Polly Dunkley. I’m a staff member as well as the McMinnville Education Association President. Tonight I need to make it clear that I am not speaking for the union, I’m speaking on behalf of myself, my own personal experience with our superintendent, so let Michelle take over just a real quick”.Michelle Formway’s public comment:
“My name is Michelle Formway, I am speaking tonight as a proud staff member. I’m also a parent of a child in the school district and a deeply invested community member as well as a I don’t know, I’ve lived here my entire life, so lifelong McMinnvillian. We are here to voice our support for our executive leader. Throughout our interactions with our executive leader she has consistently demonstrated professionalism and a deep commitment to students, support to staff and open communication with families. We believe that leadership is not about avoiding conflict, but it is about navigating it with honesty and courage and clarity, and she has done that many times within our experiences working with her, in our experiences with our executive leader. During our contract bargaining and liaison meetings, we have witnessed her to be a strong advocate for teachers, willing to listen to our voices supporting our work and recognizing the realities we face in classrooms every single day. That kind of support creates better environments for our students and builds trust between leadership and staff, something not easily earned, and not something that we can right now afford to lose. We are concerned that we are on the verge of dismissing a capable and committed leader without cause. This kind of decision sends an unsettling message to staff, to families and to community members who value stability, transparency, and respect in leadership. It is not just about one person, it is about the kind of culture that we are choosing to build in this district, especially in these uncertain financial times, and as we experience a country engulfed in societal unrest. We urge you to consider what message this action will send and to remember that leadership is not always comfortable, but it is essential and I must speak to something that has been repeated here. Personally, I have been in this district for a very long time, and this is the first time that I feel that I can speak my mind honestly and not be retaliated against. Thank you very much for your time and for your service to our schools”.John Olson’s public comment:
“Good evening Chair and board. My name is John Olson, McMinnville resident with four children in the McMinnville School District. I serve as President and CEO of the McMinnville Area Chamber of Commerce, which represents over 450 businesses across Yamhill County, from large employers to family-run enterprises. I am here tonight to speak on behalf of the Chamber in support of the executive leader and to share our appreciation for her leadership, partnership and service to the McMinnville community. The executive leader has been more than a school administrator, she has been a true community leader over the past 5 years. She has served on the McMinnville Chamber’s Board of Directors, working alongside business owners, nonprofit leaders, and civic partners. Her voice at the table has been thoughtful, informed, and always focused on how education could better serve our young people, and by extension the future of our workforce and community. She has consistently showed up, not just in meetings, but in real partnership from helping shape our local workforce integration network to supporting the development of strong career and technical education programs. The executive leader played a pivotal role in connecting the classroom to career. She understood that preparing students for life after graduation doesn’t just benefit the students, it strengthens our entire local economy. These kinds of partnerships do not happen by accident. They take time, trust, and a leader who sees the value in collaboration. The executive, the executive leader, brought all of that to her work with the Chamber, and I know many others in the community would say the same as the business community. We are also concerned about the broader implications of executive transitions, particularly when they come with financial costs or risks to the district’s reputation, stability, and confidence in our schools are critical factors for families deciding where to live and for employers choosing where to invest. We’ve seen in neighboring communities how quickly public trust can erode when decisions appear disconnected from shared values or long-term planning. We understand that personnel matters are hard and often confidential, and we are not here to challenge the Board’s legal authority, but we do feel it is important and responsible to publicly acknowledge the executive leaders’ contributions to our schools and to our community. Thank you for the opportunity to speak and thank you for your continued service to McMinnville”.John Linder’s public comment:
“Good evening Chair Bizon. My name is John Linder and I’m a member of the Budget Committee for the School Board and have been volunteering in that committee for a number of years. I know how hard the School Board members work. It’s a job that requires a lot of time and a lot of commitment and so I want to thank you for your service. I’m concerned that we don’t consume our own in the McMinnville School district. The precedent of Newburgh looms quite large in this room as a district that pursued a no-cause termination, and such a termination is unattractive for the future candidates that may want to apply and is often rudderless. So I’m frustrated that we are here, but you can’t put the toothpaste back in the tube at this point. I’m disappointed in the way this body determined it necessary to drum out their chief executive without a public process. It is a bad look, a black eye, and I hope the disruption is worth it and I would like an explanation. However, of course, there is likely a resignation and a settlement, so I doubt we will receive such an explanation, it will be buried under a gag order. I don’t know what can be done, but I’m here to register my concern for our district. Thank you for your time”.Jessica Payne’s public comment:
“Good evening, I’m Jessica Payne, a parent, at least that’s why I’m here today. Thank you all for your commitment to students and the well-being of the district. Money is only part of the issue and I honor that there are limits to what this Board can do. The common element, though, seems to be the executive leader. 340, 59,000, excuse me, is an irrelevant figure when not making a change will cost more in the loss of quality staff, title funded position, students, plus the waste of district funds on over administration, which enables current leadership to over promise, under deliver, overspend, and under supervise. This school year you have seen many of you have seen updates of many policies because of the work I did. This school year you have seen many of you have seen updates of many policies because of the work I did. I reviewed every single one of the 340 plus district policies and personally sent updates needed to those policies to the district office. This is one example of necessary district office work that is not being done under the current executive leadership. Under the current leadership, the relationship with many district employees, certainly not all, has become toxic. I have had several communications with a number of staff who have bravely, bravely shared their horrific experiences with the Do staff. I have had several communications with a number of staff who have bravely shared their horrific experiences with the DO staff, or about the do staff. Many of these employees are also parents with children in McMinnville School District who are not able to access proper supports and services. The current executive leader has interfered with union relations, parent and students rights and even some support of board member functions. Directors and district office staff have a reputation of being poorly, being adversarial toward families and staff, therefore reducing the quality of education available in Mcminnville. My child’s family and support team worked diligently for over 18 months to collaborate with staff, particularly a few in this building to help district office and school staff to support our child. We were consistently met with dishonesty and disrespect. We had offered solutions, trainings, funding and attended over a dozen meetings in the attempts to support the district, and been refused meetings with members of this board. We have also been verbally attacked by District Council and received threats. Change starts at the top. I hope that you will make a change tonight. Thank you”.Carson Benner’s public comment:
“Thank you. As you can imagine, it’s very odd to be on this side of the days. I want to echo some of the other commenters. I know how hard it is to be a School Board member and I’m grateful for your service. That said, I’m just horribly frustrated with what seems to be a train that’s left the station and we can’t get it back. Many community members have reached out to me and asked, what is going on like? There’s some secret, some, some horrible thing that happened, and I keep saying nothing. There’s no there, there’s no reason. We’ve done three evaluations that were overwhelmingly positive, a fourth one that’s in the books, nothing there. And still we’re going to throw our executive director out without acknowledging the great work that has happened, and without acknowledging the incredible harm it’ll affect. I agree with the previous the $358,000 that’s only two teachers, so maybe when the board meets again they can pick those two teachers that don’t get their jobs back next year, but that’s not the cost, the cost is sending this district down a path without leadership, without a superintendent, for no reason at all. You say the thing, it’s without cause, you’re getting rid of the executive director without cause and it just breaks my heart. I have in my key drawer my Id, Don’t tell Stephanie. I save that as a memento because I had so much passion for this board and it just breaks my heart to see it crumble down into dust. It’s shameful, it’s disrespectful for the community and if this ends with no superintendent and no explanation, shame on you, that’s all”.Aesondra Jimenz’s public comment:
“Good evening board members, good evening Chair Bizon. Good evening. I am a senior this year at McMinnville High School. My name is Alessandra Jimenez. I’m a little shaken up right now, so please excuse me, I hope not to cry. am severely frustrated with what is going on right now, and words cannot express how much emotion I am feeling right now, but I will say this. I understand how excruciating, how hard your job is, please make the right decision. Not for your sake, not for your reputation, but for the education of the children, for the education of future high school students, of future students who will be elementary students, . Kindergarten, K through 12. Please make the right decision. I understand everything you’re doing is hard, and I thank you so much, but this is just overwhelming and I love this community, I love my school that I attend and I’m just heartbroken by everything that has been going on and I understand changes will be made, actions will be made, mistakes will be made, and that is okay, but we’ve made multiple mistakes as a community, as a district and we need to learn from these and we need to grow, and we need to be better, I understand that there’s just so much going on, but we really need to come together, make a solution. Please please make this impactful change that will impact this community students for their sake of their education. Thank you”.Janice Neuschwang public comment:
“So I have a couple perspectives to present. My involvement with the Board is, I’ve been on the Budget Committee a few different times. I’m currently on the Budget Committee. So a lot of my experience with the executive director has been in terms of finances, and I think this community anyone that would be voting to throw out the current executive director is oblivious to what goes on in budgeting. Look around us, at the districts our size, and the struggles they’ve had with their budgets and cuts. She has shepherded us through that, through some of the most difficult budgeting times. Look at contract negotiations. I’ve been around this community long enough to remember when we had teacher strikes. Those were divisive, and it took years to heal. We didn’t have that this time. Look around us at all the other communities that did. So from my perspective she’s done an excellent job. It does sound like there’s some people that just don’t like her. The speakers that I’ve heard, I’ve heard some complain about programs that they don’t like that have been cut. Those aren’t typically an executive director alone decision. Those are board decisions. So to say, we’re going to throw out the executive director, because someone’s not happy with the program that was cut is misinformed. As others have said, the damage that this is going to do, now granted, as it was so eloquently put, we can’t put the toothpaste back in the tube, but we can stop squeezing the tube and making it worse than it already is. The other aspect, so obviously, I think getting rid of the current executive director is just a mistake. The second point that really disappoints me even more is the lack of transparency of this Board because I’m on the Budget Committee, because I’ve been involved for so many years. When news broke that there was turmoil, people were contacting me saying, What’s the problem? I have no idea. I called a couple board members to say, What’s the problem? They would not, could not give me anything concrete other than I heard as I spoke to one. Well, she’s a bully. Okay. Well, it sounds like she’s not a bully. It sounds like maybe some people don’t agree with her decisions and take that personally. Also, I heard, you know, when the executive director came, she brought her own secretary. That’s not unheard of. I work for the State, and we’ve been through many administrative changes. There hasn’t been one where the administrator up at that level doesn’t bring someone that’s a confidant to her, that is not unreasonable. So for this board to make a decision to terminate that at the high cost it’s going to cost our community, and the turmoil that it’s going to cost would be, I think, selfish to serve your own personal agendas and those of your friends.”. -
5.0 Unfinished Business
5.1 Policies 2nd Reading
Director Frost presented the following policies for a second reading:5.1.1 AC – Non-Discrimination & Civil Rights
5.1.2 GBN-JBA – Sexual Harassment – Sexual Harassment
5.1.3 GCBDF/GDBDF – Paid Family Medical Leave
5.1.4 JFE – Pregnant and Parenting StudentsOn motion by Vice-Chair Abbie Warmbier, seconded by Director Christine Bader, the motion passed unanimously to approve the policies for final adoption with 7 ayes from Director Larry Vollmer – aye, Director Gerardo Partida – aye, Director Lu Ann Anderson -aye, Director Christine Bader – aye, Vice-Chair Abbie Warmbier – aye, Chair Jason Bizon – aye and Director Doris Towery – aye, There were 0 nays.
6.0 New Business
6.1 Policy 1st Reading
Director Frost presented the following policy for first reading.JEC – Student Admission and entrance Requirements
This policy will return for second reading at the next Board Business meeting
6.2 2025-2027 Final Calendar Approval
Director Frost along with Calendar Committee members Dr. Kelly McIntyre and Pam Canady presented and explained to the board the Calendar Committee’s process. An overview was shared on phase 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the process. Parent conferences, winter break, spring break which aligns with Oregon schools, and the five make-up days identified at the end of each year for possible snow days or other school closures were reviewed. The committee looked at surveys for staff as well as parents and combined what would be best. The three year calendar was reviewed with the starting date for school each year and also Thanksgiving Day and Christmas break.Director Anderson asked, “Is there a reason the graduation date is not on there?
Director Frost answered, “We add that later, once the high school has actually given us the date. It will be on the calendar when we put it out”.
On motion by Director Doris Towery, seconded by Director Gerardo Partida, the motion passed unanimously to approve the final 2025-2027 Calendar. Director Larry Vollmer – aye, Director Gerardo Partida – aye, Director Lu Ann Anderson -aye, Director Christine Bader – aye, Vice-Chair Abbie Warmbier – aye, Chair Jason Bizon – aye and Director Doris Towery – aye, There were 0 nays.
6.3 Out of State Overnight Welding Trip 1st & 2nd Reading
Principal Dave Furman stated to the board that he was at the meeting to present an overnight out-of-state travel proposal for welding and fabrication. He also stated that he is in full support of the staff member taking the trip.
Mr. Chip Ford presented and asked for the board to approve the Out of State Overnight Welding Trip. He said, “We’ve had a lot going on in the fabrication world. This semester, we’ve had the Western Welding Academy, they will host an annual welding competition. On May 3rd we would like to attend this competition as well as on the trip out there stop at WyoTech, another trade school that presents opportunities for automotive diesel auto body and their new fabrication welding program.
Another benefit of going to the Western Welling Academy competition is that every student will receive a thousand dollar scholarship applicable to the Western Welding Academy. There’s a lot of opportunities for these guys to go out and learn what it really takes to go, get jobs to work on pipelines and stuff like that”.
Director Vollmer commented that it is wonderful to see girls going on the trip.
On motion by Director Lu Ann Anderson, seconded by Director Doris Towery, the motion passed unanimously to approve the Out of State Overnight Welding Trip. Director Larry Vollmer – aye, Director Gerardo Partida – aye, Director Lu Ann Anderson -aye, Director Christine Bader – aye, Vice-Chair Abbie Warmbier – aye, Chair Jason Bizon – aye and Director Doris Towery – aye, There were 0 nays.
6.4 2025-2026 Admission of Non-Resident Students
Director Ferrua presented on the Admission of Non-Resident Students. She gave an overview of policy JECB & JECB-AR, the timeline and previous data for the 2021-2025 school year. She also gave an overview of the cost vs benefit and the current ANRS projects. She states that some of the things to consider as we set this number is resource allocation. We set our budgets and all of our staffing, all of that based on numbers that we have in place right now. We want to really use those services as well. As we welcome in students from other districts, we are only able to look at space available and if they have been expelled. There are other services that are provided that also we just want to make sure that we have a balance and we’re able to right fit our resources to the need. The current number of students who are on admission as non-resident students that are welcome back next year is 166.On motion by Director Christine Bader, seconded by Director Larry Vollmer, the motion passed unanimously to approve the 2025-2026 Admission of Non-Resident Students. Director Larry Vollmer – aye, Director Gerardo Partida – aye, Director Lu Ann Anderson -aye, Director Christine Bader – aye, Vice-Chair Abbie Warmbier – aye, Chair Jason Bizon – aye and Director Doris Towery – aye, There were 0 nays.
6.5 Integrated Plan 2025-2027
Director Ferrua presented the Integrated Plan to the board. She states that we have followed all of the required planning process, which includes the bullets in the presentation that was reviewed in detail last month. Through this process we have landed on these outcomes which are in line with our Strategic Plan, in line with our student date and our engagement process. The budgeting process aligned to these outcomes will take place in tandem with the budget process that will take place in the next 2 months. She recommended that the board approves the Integrated Plan as presented.On motion by Director Larry Vollmer, seconded by Director Doris Towery, the motion passed unanimously to approve the 2025-2027 Integrated Plan. Director Larry Vollmer – aye, Director Gerardo Partida – aye, Director Lu Ann Anderson -aye, Director Christine Bader – aye, Vice-Chair Abbie Warmbier – aye, Chair Jason Bizon – aye and Director Doris Towery – aye, There were 0 nays.
6.6 2024-25 Superintendent Evaluation
Chair Jason Bizon read the 2024-25 Superintendent Evaluation summary. The Board of Directors of the McMinnville School District completed the annual evaluation of Superintendent Debbie Brockett for 2024 to 25. The framework for this year’s evaluation was the OSBA and Cosa endorsed superintendent performance standards. The evaluation concludes that Superintendent Brockett achieved an overall rating of 4; accomplished in effective financial management; she achieved an overall rating of a 3; effective in visionary district leadership, ethics and professional norms, inclusive district culture, culturally responsive instructional leadership and improvement, effective organizational management, policy, governance and advocacy. She achieved an overall rating of a 2; developing in communication and community relations. We will continue to work closely with Superintendent Brockett to develop superintendent goals that support our district goals. We look forward to working together with her to continue our District successOn motion by Chair Jason Bizon, seconded by Vice-Chair Abbie Warmbier, the motion did not pass to approve the 2024-25 Superintendent Evaluation for Superintendent Debbie Brockett. Director Larry Vollmer – nay, Director Gerardo Partida – aye, Director Lu Ann Anderson -nay, Director Christine Bader – nay, Vice-Chair Abbie Warmbier – aye, Chair Jason Bizon – aye and Director Doris Towery – nay, There motion did not pass with 4 nays and 3 ayes.
6.7 Administrator Contract
Legal Counsel Nancy Hungerford said, “I’m here tonight because of the invitation of the board, and I feel like, before we begin a discussion about the superintendent’s contract, that we need a little bit of background. Our law firm represents over a hundred school districts in the state, which is a majority of those in some capacity or the other and we have for years, we represent only school districts. We don’t take positions on any personnel decisions, but we help to guide school boards. I want to present just a little information about contracts for superintendents. The contract that your current superintendent has is not unusual in this state. It was a 3 year contract when it was initially offered, and it rolls over every year unless there’s specific action taken to make that not happen. The current superintendent’s contract runs through 2027, and that’s a result of having it rolled over last year. In this particular case I have been engaged by the Board to work with the Council for your superintendent to attempt to see whether there is a willingness to sign a separation agreement. We do have an agreement that has just been signed by the superintendent and is up for board adoption or not tonight. That agreement, as most of these do, provides for a year of salary as the consequence of breaking a contract for no cause. See the meeting video for additional information.On motion by Gerardo Partida, seconded by Director Lu Ann Anderson, the motion was pass to approve and accept the Separation Agreement for Superintendent Debbie Brockett Director Larry Vollmer – aye, Director Gerardo Partida – aye, Director Lu Ann Anderson -aye, Director Christine Bader – aye, Vice-Chair Abbie Warmbier – nay, Chair Jason Bizon – nay and Director Doris Towery – aye, There motion passed with 5 ayes and 2 nays.
Chair Jason Bizon read a statement from Superintendent Debbie Brockett:
I have chosen to sign this resignation agreement because I have led for the past 30 years with one guiding principle, always do what’s best for students. Unfortunately, the current tension and mistrust surrounding the Board’s perception of my leadership have created a level of stress and grief within our district and community that is unfair and undeserved. To be clear, I am not leaving because of the students, the staff, or the community, I am leaving because certain board members have made a decision about my superintendency without ever engaging in direct conversation with me. They have not asked questions, sought clarification, or shown a willingness to collaborate that has made it impossible to continue leading effectively. To Abby and Jason, thank you. You consistently stood by me these last 4 years, understanding that not everyone will agree with every decision made, but always trusting me to do the work I was hired to do. As I leave, I do so with integrity. I will not work behind the scenes or sow discord. However, I urge this board, every single member to reject rumors, gossip, and behind the scenes influence, support the next superintendent that you hire, provide them with what I did not receive, unified support and the professional courtesy every leader deserves. Leadership from a board must come from the front, not from the shadows. While this is not the ending I’d hoped for, I am stepping away because I believe the district’s ability to thrive depends on it. I will remain in the community, cheering from the sidelines., proud of what we have all accomplished and hopeful for what lies ahead forever grateful to our amazing staff, Debbie.
See the meeting video for board members’ discussion and comments for making this decision.
7.0 Board Directors Comments
Director Partida said, “Thank you so much to everybody that decided to speak up. When I hear somebody from the community and they have kids, they come in over here for a reason, because they want the best for the kids, and we appreciate that. We’re all here for that reason and you are all here for that reason. We need to hear from you. If we made a mistake, the board, when you come with a comment, we think about it. Don’t think that we are not listening to you, we listen to you and then we make the best decision for you and for the kids”.Director Anderson echoed thank you to everybody who came tonight, online, in person, sent emails, that took a lot of your time and effort and passion to come through to share your thoughts with us. She is very excited to hear about all the pathway opportunities from the Student Envoy.
She said, “Congratulations about the audit report. It is good to see those things happening in our financial department”. She congratulated Director Hall and those that helped. She congratulated the Calendar Committee. She states that she knows it is really hard work and it took a lot of time and effort to put the pieces together. The staff who put the Transition Community Fair together, it was really well done. She thanked every single staff in the district for their patience, tolerance, hard work, and dedication that they bring from our drivers, custodians, maintenance, teachers and our support people. Every single person makes a difference everyday in the lives of our students.
Directory Towery echoed the thank you to our staff and administration. She states that it is incredibly unsettling and we know you show up with your best everyday. She thanked everybody who came to testify, wrote letters. It is important that we keep those conversations going and the feedback happening within our community. She gave a huge ‘thank you’ to the volunteers. She thanked the Newby students and said, “It is so great to hear as we have heard so many things about how we are working hard to get attendance up in our schools, and to hear from our kiddos how they are working on and making that a priority, and it is important to them.
Director Bader said, “As we continue working here, the world continues spinning, and our kids continue to need our help. April is national child abuse, prevention month. She gave a shout out to Juliet’s house and all of our community partners who keep our kids safe. She thanked Director Ferrua for her leadership last week in responding to the ongoing mental health challenges we are facing in our district. She shared that our public library received one of the Oregon Humanities Grant. There are 150 copies of the Anxious Generation for the taking. There are 50 in Spanish and multiple in audio book copies. She echoed the thanks to everyone for showing up tonight, everybody who submitted comments in writing. Everybody who put in the effort. She said, “It is not easy particularly showing up in person when you know that not everybody will agree with you, and it’s even possible that some people won’t believe you. It is so important that this board and the entire community hear first hand testimony so that it can’t be dismissed as hearsay”.
Director Vollmer thanked everyone for showing up, all that decided to speak on this issue or any issues. He thanked the Board Chair and the board as a whole for recognizing that we are going to have more than our typical 30 minute of speaking time and allowing everybody that wanted to or need to speak the time to do that regardless if we went over or not. He gave a shout out to GEM Equipment of Oregon who donated $25,000.00 worth of stainless steel sheets to our fabrication department.
Vice-Chair Warmbier apologized for the distractions that this is causing all of our schools. She said, “Post Covid has been very difficult for education. This has been a difficult year with lack of State funding, with lack of public support, federally for public schools. With all of the district tragedies that we’ve had this year, I’m sorry to add more disappointment or just distraction from the work that we need to be doing without a leader for the next few months”. She offered her support to Director Frost as she steps into the role of acting Superintendent for the next few months. She asked the District office and administrators, however you felt on this issue, to please come together to help carry that load. I know your load is already heavy, please work together with Director Frost and help rebuild relationships with you. She thanked Nancy Hungerford for being there tonight.
8.0 Announcements
No announcements were made.The meeting adjourned at 9:38 p.m.