Board approves HR consent items including new special-education positions and principal appointment amid public questions

The Newberg Enlarged City School District Board of Education approved human-resources consent items (agenda items 6.1 through 6.13) at its Sept. 3, 2025, special meeting, voting to confirm multiple appointments, change-of-status actions, leaves of absence, resignations, and position adjustments, including creating two special-education teacher positions and two teaching-assistant positions and abolishing several typist positions.

The consent agenda also included an assistant-principal appointment (agenda item 6.3) that drew public comment. Dawn Puchek, a Newberg resident who identified herself as speaking on items 5.1 and 6.3, asked whether the district's hiring practices ensure candidates are "properly vetted," noting that the assistant-principal nominee is the former superintendent of the Pine Bush School District who resigned on June 25, 2024. Puchek said that person's prior salary had been $238,150 and that the Newberg recommendation carried a salary of $146,441, and she asked whether the district's hiring practices prevent repeated hires of individuals who resigned abruptly from previous positions.

Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources Ms. Holder told the board the HR items were placed on the special meeting agenda to allow selected candidates, particularly for hard-to-fill roles such as special education and occupational therapy, to begin services and to give those candidates a chance to provide notice to their current employers. "We have many vacancies in the district ... if there is an opportunity for me to get those individuals so that they can give notice to their prior employment, then I'm going to take that opportunity," Holder said.

Consent items described on the record included: appointments, change-of-status actions, end of assignments, leaves of absence, resignations, approving a leave of absence and related acting pre-K principal position, one assistant-principal appointment, a director of information and technology appointment, rescinding and approving family and community engagement after-hours work funded by federal funds, appointments for ninth-grade transition orientation, 2025 extended school year staffing, substitute administrators, fall coaches, creation of two additional special-education teacher positions and two teaching assistants (in addition to prior approvals), abolishing an occupational-therapy assistant position and creating an occupational therapist position, and abolishing five typist positions and two bilingual positions. Board members voted on the consent package by roll call and the items passed as presented.

During public comment, Puchek also asked about the status of hiring an assistant superintendent for exceptional learners; the transcript indicates she emphasized concerns about leadership for that department but did not receive a specific timeline in the public comment portion. Another public commenter, Dennis Grant, asked for clarification of agenda items 6.7 and 6.8, which were described on the agenda as "resolution to abolish and create new positions" and "resolution to create new positions," asking for specifics about which positions would be abolished or created; the board's HR presentation and consent packet contained the itemized positions, and Ms. Holder addressed the procedural need to act promptly for recruitment.

All items presented under the HR consent block were approved by roll call during the meeting. The board did not take additional separate discussion votes on the assistant-principal appointment or the other named personnel items at the special meeting; they were adopted as part of the consent package.