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Votes at a glance: Hermiston School Board actions, July 14, 2025
Summary
Summary of formal actions taken July 14 by the Hermiston School Board, including elections, consent approvals, contract approvals and a failed ratification of a teachers' agreement tied to proposed layoffs.
This "votes at a glance" summary lists formal actions, motions and outcomes recorded at the Hermiston School Board meeting on July 14, 2025. All items below are drawn from the meeting record.
- Election of board officers: Nomination and voice votes produced these officer outcomes: James Hurst elected board chair; Bonnie Luisi elected first vice chair (vice chair in transcript variants); Terry Vanderstell elected second vice chair. Outcome: approved by voice vote (no roll‑call tally recorded).
- Adoption of the agenda (as amended): The board pulled consent items 5.1.0.4 (building administrators and directors working agreement) and 5.1.0.5 (assistant superintendent contract) from the consent calendar for separate discussion. The remainder of the consent agenda was approved by motion and voice vote.
- Designation of annuity companies / deferred compensation vendor list (consent/6.1): Motion to approve updated vendor list (including change to PenServ as TPA) — moved and seconded; outcome: approved by voice vote.
- Building administrators and directors working agreement (pulled from consent; action item 6.1 0.2): Motion to approve the working agreement for building administrators and district directors (2.5% COLA and $60 insurance increase per year in the contract language described in packet). Motion passed; recorded as approved with one abstention noted in the meeting.
- Assistant superintendent contract (action item 6.1 0.3): Motion to approve the assistant superintendent contract (terms aligned to the administrator group: 2.5% COLA and $60 insurance increase). Motion passed by voice vote.
- Teachers' working agreement and proposed reduction in force (action originating after executive session): Motion text — "That the board of education approve the 2025–2027 working agreement of the Hermiston Association of Teachers and implement a reduction in force to include 5 FTE licensed staff members to balance the budget for the 2025–26 school year." Mover: Chair James Hurst. Second: not specified in the record. Outcome: motion not ratified (failed); chair announced "It is not ratified." Several board members spoke in opposition to layoffs before the vote.
Notes and caveats: The transcript frequently records voice votes and hand‑raising rather than a roll‑call tally. Where no roll‑call vote count is recorded, the summary notes the outcome as announced on the record. The meeting included executive sessions under Oregon law to discuss labor negotiations; some motion introductions followed those sessions.
Ending: The board continued with calendar and future agenda planning after recording the votes above.
