Three new Forest Grove School Board members sworn in

During a short Forest Grove School Board meeting held Tuesday afternoon, three new members of the Forest Grove School Board—Brisa Franco, Peter Truax, and Alma Lozano—were sworn into office.

"Thank you for being willing to serve on this board," said Forest Grove School District Board Chair Kristy Kottkey after all three had officially joined the school board.

"All three of you bring something different, different strengths to this board," she added during the meeting, held remotely via Zoom.

Kottkey will have a keener understanding of the strengths Truax brings to the board in particular, having served as a Forest Grove city councilor while Truax was mayor.

Nominations for the one-year position of board chair were next.

Kottkey, currently serving in the role, was nominated by Truax to take up the mantle for another year, and was unanimously elected by her fellow directors.

"I highly recommend you," said Kate Grandusky, joining the meeting a few minutes late. Grandusky served as the board's vice-chair until Tuesday.

Grandusky nominated newcomer Alma Lozano to the role of vice-chair, and she was unanimously elected to the role.

Following the election, the board unanimously approved a $59,521.14 purchase agreement to Northwest Playground via KCDA, a purchasing co-op for schools, for the Fern Hill Elementary School Pre-K playground.

After that, $169,500 in bond funds to replace aging classroom video equipment was unanimously approved. Data Center Warehouse had the lowest quote, and will be the district's vendor for new projectors and accessories.

Following that, the board approved a contract with the Forest Grove-based nonprofit Community Based Activity Program, an organization serving local students with disabilities during the summer.

The contract, for about $192,000, will see participants take part in a six-week program that includes activities like rafting, rock climbing, creative arts and cooking lessons.

"Our hands-on approach is applied throughout each activity to maximize learning opportunities and to provide the students with an engaging and empowering program experience," the nonprofit said on their website.

The district has partnered with the group for at least 18 years, said Director of Student Services Kimberly Shearer.

The consent agenda, a slate of items considered routine, was next.

Truax noted he was friends with an employee of an auditing firm the district planned to appoint as district auditors for the school district's next audit, saying he had no conflict of interest but would like the record to reflect the personal relationship.

Several committee assignments were parceled out, and the meeting closed following a discussion about expectations about the quieter summer meetings before the board convenes for a board retreat in August.