Oak Grove swears in two new trustees; Nancy You named board president

The Oak Grove School District Board of Trustees on Dec. 17 ceremonially swore in two newly elected trustees, heard public comment and completed annual organizational business including election and appointments for board leadership.

Trustee Francis AAR took the oath of office administered by former board member Forest Williams, and Trustee Salazar Torres was sworn in with her father, Javier H. Salazar, administering the oath. After the ceremony the board paused for a short recess before opening the public-comment period.

In remarks after being sworn, Trustee Francis AAR said, "it's been an incredible honor to stand here today and take the responsibility of serving our community," and described a long history of community work and a commitment to supporting students. Trustee Salazar Torres thanked supporters and said she looks forward to serving the district and its students.

During public comment Javier Salazar described his immigrant background and proposed that the district partner with his group to provide every student household with a copy of the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights. "For every child that is attending this school we want to have in their homes a copy of the Constitution of the United States of America and also the Bill of Rights," he said, and added the group has raised roughly $8,000 toward printing and will submit a formal proposal in January. Bob Prai, identified in the transcript as a fourth-grade teacher at Desma Elementary School and vice president of the Oak Grove Educators Association, welcomed the new trustees on behalf of the association.

The board then conducted annual organization business. Nancy You was nominated and, after a roll-call vote, appointed board president; she then presided over the remainder of the meeting. A separate nomination for vice president was put to a vote; because the roll call produced two yes votes, two no votes and an abstention, that motion did not pass. Under the bylaws the new president has appointment authority and President You appointed Trustee Francis AAR as vice president.

The board approved several organizational items including naming Dr. Ivon Tiidus as board secretary, authorizing the presiding officer to sign documents in the absence of officers, setting regular meetings for the second Thursday of each month with closed session at 5:00 p.m. and open session at 6:00 p.m., and confirming committee assignments for trustees. The meeting adjourned at 6:12 p.m.

The board did not take additional policy votes in the meeting; the public-comment proposals noted by speakers may return as agenda items at a later date when the district receives formal proposals.