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Coos Bay SD 9 board appoints Gary Roberts interim superintendent after Justin Ainsworth resignation
Summary
Coos Bay School District 9 accepted Superintendent Justin Ainsworth’s resignation (previously recorded in a consent agenda) and authorized immediate negotiations for an interim contract with Gary Roberts, who was also appointed chief administrative officer, district clerk and budget officer for 2025–26.
The Coos Bay School District 9 board announced that Superintendent Justin Ainsworth had resigned and moved quickly to install interim leadership ahead of the 2025–26 school year.
Board members voted to authorize the executive committee to negotiate an interim superintendent contract with Gary Roberts and later appointed Roberts interim chief administrative officer, district clerk and budget officer for the 2025–26 school year.
The board said Ainsworth’s resignation had already been accepted via the consent agenda at a prior meeting; some members expressed concern that the resignation was listed in the consent agenda rather than discussed in open session. Board member Kim said, “something as big as superintendent’s resignation should be, in my opinion, not in a consent agenda,” and urged future resignations of that significance to be handled in a separate public agenda item.
At a public meeting the board authorized its executive committee — described in the motion as the chair and vice chair, with others available to assist — to negotiate terms with Roberts so the district would have leadership in place before the school year began. A board speaker noted a target salary range to guide negotiations: $160,000 to $180,000 was cited as the range used previously and recommended as a starting point for an interim contract.
Gary Roberts addressed the board after the vote, saying he was “still humbled and honored to be selected for this position,” and described a short timeline of meetings and tasks to prepare for the start of school, including a cabinet meeting and an administrative retreat. Roberts said he intended to “pick up where we left off, move forward, and to advance the ball,” referring to initiatives started in the prior year.
Board members who spoke praised Roberts’ familiarity with the district and his community ties. Several members said the appointment was intended to provide continuity and to allow the district to proceed with administrative preparations before students return. One board member noted that Oregon School Boards Association (OSBA) policy around search fees meant the board could request another formal search with limited additional cost if it later chose to run a full superintendent search again.
Later in the meeting a motion to appoint Roberts interim chief administrative officer, district clerk and budget officer for the 2025–26 school year was made and carried. The board recorded the motions and approved them in public session so the district would have clearly identified administrative authority for budgeting and operations leading into the school year.
Board members said they hoped the short-term contracts and appointments would allow the district to continue work on goals established last year and give the board time to decide whether to conduct a full superintendent search after the interim period.
No specific termination terms for Ainsworth, exact contract amounts, or the text of the interim contract were discussed on the record during this meeting. The board directed negotiation authority to the executive committee with an expectation of completing negotiations before the start of the school year.
