September 3, 2025 at 7:00 PM - Regular Board Business Meeting

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Blake Petersen, Chair
Holly Riegelmann, Vice-Chair
Heather Coleman-Cox, Director
Dr. Shawn Farrens, Director
Kris Howatt, Director
David Ligatich, Director
Brenna Puderbaugh, Director
Dr. Tracy Klinger, Superintendent

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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.

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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. NAME - Topic

Description:  There has been no significant change in the District’s financial status since the prior month. The books for fiscal year 2024-2025 are closed, but we won't have finalized numbers for many more months until the Financial Audit is complete. While the Ending Fund Balance is not finalized, we do not expect significant changes to Ending Fund Balance for the year ended June 30, 2025. July revenues and expenses reflected in this report do not predict enough of the coming year accurately. A fuller, more accurate picture of year-long payroll expenses (the majority of the District's expense), will not be known with acceptable levels of clarity until September's payroll run and encumbrance calculation, after open enrollment choices have been recorded and the first payroll of a full month of open school has been processed.

Description:  ORS 332.075(2)-(3), states that, "All contracts of the school district must be approved by the district school board before an order can be drawn for payment." This includes the provision of labor performed by employees of the district. In addition, Board Policy GB, General Personnel Policies, provides that, "The employment contract of candidates to fill licensed and contracted positions will be approved by the Board upon the superintendent’s recommendation."

Salary placement for licensed and administrator positions will follow the terms of the established collective bargaining agreement with the labor association and memorandum of understanding with the administrator group. These agreements are available on the District website.

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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:  In an effort to recognize students who achieve highly in school activities and academic programs, tonight we have the opportunity to recognize softball athletes from Sam Barlow High School.

In the spring, the Barlow Softball Team had the following league honors:

• Mt. Hood Conference Player of the Year - Charliann Renner
• Mt. Hood Conference Pitcher of the Year - Kaylee Pokorny
• Mt. Hood Conference Co-Coach of the Year - Coach Rob Gehrke

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In an effort to recognize students who achieve highly in school activities and academic programs, tonight the Board has the opportunity to recognize the conference level achievements of Sam Barlow High School Boys Tennis players.

The Barlow boys doubles teams finished 1st, 2nd, and 4th at the district tournament! Doubles partners Kaden Forrar and Camden Pate were the Mt. Hood Conference League Champions.

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In an effort to recognize students who achieve highly in school activities and academic programs, tonight the Board has the opportunity to recognize the conference level achievements of Sam Barlow High School Girls Tennis players.

The Barlow girls doubles teams finished 1st and 4th at the district tournament. The doubles team of Gianna Molony and Lizzy Weber were Mt. Hood Conference League Champions.

Description:  In an effort to recognize students who achieve highly in school activities and academic programs, tonight the Board has the opportunity to recognize conference and state level achievements of Sam Barlow High School Track and Field athletes.

The Barlow Track & Field Team had the following league winners and state podium finishers:

• Giovanni Bogarin, 400 Meters, 1st in Mt. Hood Conference and 6th at the State Meet
• Caleb Perry, Javelin, 1st in Mt. Hood Conference and 2nd at the State Meet
• Alithia Lam Tiang, Discus, 1st in the Mt. Hood Conference and 2nd at the State Meet. She also was 6th place at the State Meet in Shot Put. 
• Esme Acevedo, Javelin, 1st in the Mt. Hood Conference and 4th at the State Meet. 

Description:  In an effort to recognize students who achieve highly in school activities and academic programs, tonight the Board has the opportunity to recognize conference and state level achievements of the Sam Barlow High School Girls Flag Football Team.

The Barlow Girls Flag Football Team finished 1st in their special district and then won four consecutive playoff games to be crowned Oregon State Girls Flag Football Champions!

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Time has been set-aside on this 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.

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

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

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

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

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All even-numbered positions, plus Positions 7 and 11, on the Oregon School Boards Association (OSBA) Board of Directors are up for election. This year all Legislative Policy Committee (LPC) positions are also up for election.

Under OSBA’s governance structure, member school boards are required to take official action in September to nominate representatives for their region, if they choose to do so.  For Gresham-Barlow, the region is Multnomah County.

In Multnomah County, there is currently one OSBA director seat open, Position 18. Position 18 is currently held by Kris Howatt. Positions 17, 18, and 19 are open for the Multnomah Region on the LPC. 

This evening, the board will be asked to determine if any Gresham-Barlow board members have a desire to serve on the OSBA’s board of directors, or to nominate a candidate for some or all of the positions representing the district’s region. Director Kris Howatt has expressed a desire to continue her service on the OSBA Board of Directors. Heather Coleman-Cox has expressed a desire to serve on the Legislative Policy Committee. 

Nominations will close at 5 p.m. on Friday, September 30, 2025.  Official ballots will be distributed to member boards no later than October 15, 2025, and member boards will be asked to vote on the candidates following the conclusion of all OSBA Fall Regional Meetings.

Description:  The board approved their board meeting schedule for the 2025-26 school year in July. In an effort to accommodate board members and maximize full board contributions, the board is considering adjusting the start time for their work sessions. 

Currently, board work sessions are scheduled for 6:00 p.m. on the third Wednesday of the month. The board is considering adjusting the work session start time to 4:00 p.m. If the board decides to move forward with this change, they will need to amend the currently adopted meeting schedule. 

Description: 

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

ODE’s Annual Report consists of three narrative questions and is due by September 30, 2025. Throughout the year, grant recipients have been asked to report expenditures, answer reflective narrative questions, and report on progress markers, which will help inform overall progress and the annual report. After being presented to the Board of Directors, the Annual Report questions and responses will be posted on the Gresham-Barlow website and submitted to ODE.

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

September 17, 2025: Board Work Session - 6 p.m.
                                   Council Chambers Conference Room
                                   Public Safety and Schools Building

October 1, 2025:        Regular Board Business Meeting - 7 p.m.
                                   Council Chambers
                                   Public Safety and Schools Building

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