Board news — Newberg School Board members Mitsi Vondrachek and Jim Chogyoji retiring after a combined 26 years of service to the district

Although Mitsi Vondrachek and Jim Chogyoji each have personal reasons for retiring from the Newberg School District board, both pointed to the same thing when it came to the timing of their decisions to step down.

“It is a good time to be saying goodbye because we have a strong board and strong leadership,” Vondrachek said. “It’s a good time to pass on the baton.”

After 26 combined years of service, the pair attended their last meeting as school board directors June 24, before which a reception was held in their honor.

“I’m very appreciative of both of them doing the work they’ve done all these years.” said Melinda Van Bossuyt, a board member since 1997. “Jim doesn’t have a lot to say, but when he does, it’s important to listen because he provides a valuable perspective. Mitsi has a great memory of things that have happened, so she’s taking a lot of board history with her, and district history. She remembers better than anybody I know.”

Vondrachek was first elected to represent Zone 6 in 1999 and served four full terms before electing not to run again this spring. She said she feels lucky to have served on a harmonious board after observing previous boards be hindered by members whom she believes didn’t support public education.

She thinks the board’s ability to work well together and hire strong leadership has meant that the district is in a much better place than when she first started.

“I think we managed to be conservative with our budget during tough times and I think now that we’re ready to build on that because we’ve kept up wonderful facilities, good programs and pretty good class sizes,” Vondrachek said. “Now I think we’re ready to build instead of just be recovering.”

Chogyoji was first elected from Zone 5 in 2005 before winning re-election bids in 2009 and 2013, but has been looking to step down for about a year due to some health problems.

He recruited budget committee member Bob Woodruff to be his replacement and, after interviewing with the board and being approved at the June 24 meeting, Woodruff and Vondrachek successor Mindy Allison will be sworn it at Wednesday’s board meeting.

“It’s also the end of our year, so it will be a good time for him to start,” Chogyoji said. “I think he’ll be a good fit.”

After learning early in his tenure to trust the staff to run the district, Chogyoji said he is most proud of the board’s hiring of Superintendent Kym LeBlanc-Esparza.

“I have all the confidence in the world at this point in time about the running of the district and the leadership in the schools,” Chogyoji said. “I think it’s the best I’ve ever seen in the past 10 years. I admired Paula Radich when she was here, but Kym, I think, has taken it to another level.”

Chogyoji said he will most miss seeing the people on the board with whom he has been built good relationships over the years, while Vondrachek said she will be sad to lose her connection to education.

“I am going to miss being involved in the schools, being in buildings and seeing programs and kids and staff doing great things,” Vondrachek said. “I’m going to miss that a lot because when you don’t have kids in school or you’re not actively involved, you just have to read about it.”

Written by: Seth Gordon