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Board previews legislative priorities and one-page district messaging ahead of Salem meetings
Summary
Board reviewed a draft one-pager and legislative priorities to coordinate asks (funding, accountability, attendance) with neighboring districts and OSBA, and discussed meeting legislators to push for fuller school funding and clarity on accountability.
Forest Grove School District board members discussed a draft one-page district summary and legislative priorities on Oct. 22, aiming to coordinate with nearby districts and the Oregon School Boards Association to present a unified message to state lawmakers.
Board members said coordinated messaging could make it easier for legislators to understand district needs. "It would be easier for the legislators to understand instead of getting so many different signatures," a board member said, urging alignment on priorities such as fully funding special education and clarifying accountability definitions.
Superintendent Doctor West said staff will meet with local legislators, naming Brett McLean and senator Sillman as planned contacts, and noted that some legislators already express support while others ask for demonstrable results before increasing funding. The board discussed possible advocacy steps, including a future work session focused on how districts present data and requests to Salem.
The draft legislative priorities in the packet included items such as establishing an accurate method for calculating the true cost of schools, increasing special education funding, consistently funding summer and after-school programs, and caution around new restricted grants. Staff said these priorities align with regional rural caucus concerns and could feed into OSBA-level advocacy.
