Written by: Seth Gordon, Newberg Graphic 

Longtime board member moves from Zone 2, but will serve out the rest of 2016-2017 school year

Three positions on the Newberg school board were already up for election next spring, but the ballot will add a fourth race after Polly Peterson announced recently that she has moved out of Zone 2.

Peterson, who was first elected in 2011 and re-elected last year, will serve out the rest of the school year, which is allowed by Oregon law according to district communications director Claudia Stewart.

Peterson, whose term was set to run through 2019, said she did not realize moving out of her zone would compromise her position on the board until after she and her husband put their house on the market.

In the meantime, they were unable to find a rental within Zone 2, which is more rural, while their house is being constructed on property in Dundee, which is in Zone 1.

“That was one of the key reasons why I decided to run, because I’ve been here with the new superintendent from the beginning and there’s a really positive energy and I wanted to be a part of that,” Peterson said. “So it is sad that I’m not going to be able to continue on, but I’m going to look for ways to volunteer.”

Because Peterson didn’t move out until this month, however, she is allowed to serve until June 30, 2017.

“We have 12 months and I’m excited about that,” Peterson said. “I wasn’t expecting that to work out.”

Peterson said she is proud of the work the board and district have done to improve the graduation rate and is looking forward to continuing that work, along with efforts to serve all students and close the achievement gap.

“I’m still interested in being a part of that even after I’m done serving on the board, either looking at initiatives that deal specifically with attendance and getting the community engaged in the education process,” Peterson said. “Whether that means technical types of connections between the school and the businesses here in Newberg or having the community really think about how we promote education here for all students, not the ones who have traditionally been successful, that is important.”

Already slated to be on the ballot in 2017 were positions representing Zone 1, which is currently held by Ron Mock, , Zone 4 (Todd Thomas) and Zone 5 (Bob Woodruff).?

Since Peterson doesn’t expect construction on her new home to be completed in less than a year, she would not be eligible to run for the Zone 1 position, even if she did want to challenge Mock, should he seek re-election.

The board set a few other things in order at its first meeting of the 2016-2017 school year July 5, including the selection of board chairman and vice chairman.

Todd Thomas, who was elected to represent Zone 4 in 1999, will return as board chairman and Bob Woodruff will succeed Peterson as vice chairman in his second year on the board.

After Van Bossuyt, Mindy Allison and Mock, who was filling in for Hawblitzel on the personnel committee, interviewed candidates, Newberg High School senior Emily Weiler and junior Victoria Guarnaccia were selected to be this year’s student representatives.

The duo will replace Courtney Croft and Haley Bossé, both of whom graduated.