The Newberg-Dundee school district will move forward with a familiar face at the helm: former Superintendent Paula Radich.
Radich was unanimously approved by the school board on Tuesday evening, June 11, to serve as acting superintendent after it was announced that Superintendent Stephen Phillips will be on medical leave for two months.
“Last night, right before the budget meeting, I and other board members learned that Dr. Phillips needed to take leave and I understand it’s currently anticipated to take leave for about two months," board Chair Nancy Woodward said at the meeting. "It is critical for daily district operations to have an acting superintendent. We have been advised that the appointment of an acting superintendent cannot wait.”
Woodward contacted former Newberg-Dundee Superintendent Joe Morelock at the Willamette Education Service District for assistance upon hearing of Phillips’ absence. Christine Nesbit, WESD legal counsel, contacted her Tuesday morning to discuss the situation, and it was Woodward who sought out Radich.
Nesbit had a contract ready to sign as soon as the board approved Radich's appointment Tuesday evening.
Phillips has come under fire over the past several weeks after it was revealed the district is facing a multi-million-dollar budget deficit this school year. A protest calling for the ousting of Phillips , assistant superintendent Scott Linenberger and finance director Heather Bixby was staged Monday, June 10, before school district headquarters on Sixth Street.
Radich, who served as superintendent of the Newberg-Dundee school district from 1999 to 2013, was appointed for a 60-day period, “which may be extended if needed,” a release from the district said. Radich has volunteered for the position “without any expectation of compensation” and is expected to begin work Wednesday, June 12.
“That’s great news. Very, very great news, especially the no compensation part and who it is," board member James Wolfer said of Radich's appointment. "She was the superintendent when I attended school here and … very excited. It’s great news.”
This is not Radich’s first experience as an interim superintendent. She served in that capacity in 2016 in Beaverton and in 2014 in the Salem-Keizer School District. She also worked as an assistant superintendent for the Office of Teaching and Learning for the Oregon Department of Education.
Radich inherits a district administration in turmoil: budget deficits, decreasing enrollment, a superintendent named in a federal misconduct lawsuit , ongoing civil lawsuits against the district and its four former conservative board members and the prospect of severe cuts in programs and services to continue operations beyond this school year.
On Monday, June 10, the school district budget committee approved a nearly $99 million proposed budget that was crafted by Jackie Olsen of the Oregon Association of School Business Officials, who was called in by the district and finance director Heather Bixby to address the board on May 20.
After analyzing the district’s finances, Olsen’s message to the board was clear at that May meeting: the district faced a negative fund balance of more than $3.77 million, a figure that would grow precipitously if action was taken soon.
While details of the proposed budget were unavailable at press time, the timeline for adopting can be measured in weeks, not months. By law, the school board must adopt a budget by the end of June, although it can amend the budget afterward.
And the board will attend to its duties without the benefit of its primary financial employee, Bixby, who has been absent from more than a handful of school board and budget committee meetings over the past several weeks. Woodward revealed later in the meeting that Bixby is on leave as well.
“At the beginning of July the board of directors listed people who could sign checks and do banking — both of those people are on leave right now," Woodward said. "So, we have to have people that will be able to do our banking, bonds, anything financial.”
Gayellyn Jacobson was appointed by the board as the district’s budget officer and deputy clerk, the release said, adding, “This appointment was necessary for the continuity of financial operations for the district.”
Jacobson was recommended to Phillips to take over the district's finances by budget committee member Claire Hertz, Woodward said. Jacobson was formerly head of finances for the North Clackamas School District, is semi-retired and doing private contract work now on an hourly basis. She will oversee the budgeting process now.
Blaming teachers and staff for budget shortfall
The board capped off Tuesday’s meeting with an opportunity for its members to lend comment on issues in the district. Wolfer took the opportunity to bemoan the tone in some circles since news of the budget shortfall surfaced.
“I’m seeing a lot of misinformation, a lot of blaming teachers for this on social media," he said. "Demonization of teachers and staff has got to stop. The teachers did not cause this.”
Contract negotiations were done prior to news of the budget shortfall and “they didn’t spend the money,” he added.
Board member Sol Allen commented on his frustration with the lack of information provided to the board, namely about suggestions that Joan Austin Elementary School be closed to fix the budget shortfall, the inability to get a forensic audit of the district’s finances “and for all these different things that would give us some transparency and some idea of what’s happening in this current moment.”
He added that he hopes in the next two months they have somebody who can give the board the information it needs before it is required to make decisions on where the district will be next school year.
Union notified of reductions of force
The board also adopted a motion Tuesday to notify the Newberg Education Association that layoffs will be necessary and begin the process of reductions in force (RIF) in conformance with the district’s contract with the union.
“We had to pass that there will have to be reductions in force and that weighs heavily," Wolfer said. "I’ve lost sleep over it. I’m sure everyone here has really struggled with that and it’s heartbreaking. I am sorry to those people who will be losing their job, this was not your fault.”
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