Forest Grove SD board approves instructional-time waivers, alternative high school exemption, DECA trip and superintendent evaluation timeline

With a quorum present after Director Pete Truax arrived, the Forest Grove School District board on Oct. 14 approved a cluster of routine motions, including Division 22 instructional-minute waivers for 2025-26, an exemption for Tualatin Plains High School under ORS 336.615, out-of-state travel for the high school DECA program, and the superintendent evaluation timeline for 2025-26.

Why it matters: Oregon districts use Division 22 rules to calculate required instructional minutes. The board's waivers allow the district to include up to 30 hours of kindergarten recess, 60 hours of recess for grades 1'3, 30 hours of staff professional development and 30 hours for parent-teacher conferences when calculating instructional time for the 2025-26 school year. The exemption for Tualatin Plains High School recognizes that the alternative program delivers credit through flexible scheduling and project-based pathways and may require different seat-time accounting.

Votes at a glance

- Approval of tonight's agenda: Motion moved and approved by voice. (Outcome: approved.)

- Consent agenda: Approved by single motion. (Outcome: approved.)

- Division 22 instructional-minute waivers (2025-26): Motion to include as instructional time 30 hours of kindergarten recess, 60 hours of recess for grades 1'3, 30 hours of staff professional development and 30 hours of parent-teacher conferences for the 2025-26 school year. (Outcome: approved.)

- Exemption for Tualatin Plains High School under ORS 336.615: Motion to approve an exemption allowing the alternative high school flexibility from the district's traditional Carnegie-seat-time requirements as defined by the state. (Outcome: approved.)

- Out-of-state travel: Approval for Forest Grove High School DECA students to attend a sports and entertainment marketing conference in Orlando, Florida, Jan. 27'Feb. 1, 2026. (Outcome: approved.)

- Superintendent evaluation and timeline (2025-26): Board approved the evaluation process and timeline presented by the superintendent and staff. (Outcome: approved.)

Board members did not adopt new policies or budgets in these votes; several items reflect the district's recurring compliance and operational steps under state rules. Board discussion included concerns raised about how parental conferences are made meaningful when counted as instructional minutes and commentary about the tension between state-mandated instructional rules and local program priorities for dual-language and music instruction at elementary schools.

The motions were recorded in the meeting minutes and will be included in the district's submissions to the Oregon Department of Education where required.