Coos Bay board authorizes negotiations to hire interim superintendent after positive evaluation

The Coos Bay School District board voted to begin contract negotiations with Interim Superintendent Gary Roberts, authorizing the chair and Finance Director Marina Wright to open talks on a potential superintendent contract.

The decision followed an executive session and a public reading of an initial evaluation the board had prepared. In the evaluation read into the record, board members said "Gary has done a good job at taking the reins from Justin and preserving the overall direction of the district while making his own adjustments," language the chair read aloud as part of the evaluation summary.

Why it matters: the vote signals the board's willingness to pursue a permanent appointment after four months of interim service. Supporters said Roberts has provided stability and responsiveness to board requests; at least one member said a full external search was considered but that district experience and continuity weighed in favor of negotiating.

What the board did: a motion to authorize Marina Wright and the board chair to negotiate a contract passed after debate. Roll-call votes in the transcript show Doctor Rogalski (aye), Mabee (aye), Kevin (no), Arnie (aye), Diane (aye), Kim (aye) and the chair (aye). The motion therefore passed with one dissenting vote.

Board discussion and context: members who supported negotiations cited Roberts's engagement with principals, improved information flows and responsiveness to board data requests. A dissenting vote reflected a desire for broader public input or a formal external search process; board members acknowledged the procedural history of earlier searches and that costs and timelines had shifted since the interim appointment.

Next steps: staff were authorized to begin negotiations; the transcript shows the board intends to return to the public with any contract terms and to continue monitoring performance against superintendent goals reported earlier in the meeting.