Newberg School District Board to Discuss Litigation and Superintendent’s Contract in Upcoming Meeting

By Rebecca Wallis

Newberg, OR – July 25th, 2024

The Newberg School District Board of Directors will convene for its fourth meeting this month on July 29, 2024. The agenda, available on the Newberg School District website, lists two primary topics for discussion: an executive session to address litigation matters and an open session to review Superintendent Dr. Phillips’ contract.

The meeting will begin with a call to order and flag salute, followed by a recess into an executive session at 6:00 p.m. This session, in accordance with ORS 192.660 (2)(h), will allow the board to consult with legal counsel regarding the district’s legal rights and duties pertaining to current or potential litigation.

Following the executive session, the board will return to open session to discuss and potentially take action on Superintendent Dr. Phillips’ contract. Earlier this year, Dr. Phillips’ contract was revised to reduce the no-cause termination clause from a 36-month payout to a 12-month notice period, accompanied by 12 months of consulting. Additionally, adjustments were made to lower fringe benefits.

This meeting follows two previous ones in July, where the board hosted the Oregon Government Ethics Commission for mandatory training on public meeting laws. This training was necessitated by an incident where four board members violated these laws by holding an improper serial meeting. Minutes for the resolution of the complaint where training requirements were triggered are found here.

Public comments will be accepted during the meeting, with a 30-minute allotment and a three-minute limit per person. Comments can be submitted via email by 4:00 p.m. on the Monday before the regular session or in person through comment cards on the evening of the meeting. The next board meeting is scheduled for August 13, 2024, at 6:00 p.m.

For those unable to attend, the meeting can be accessed via Zoom using Meeting ID: 831 2828 0900 and Passcode: 389904, or by calling 1-253-215-8782 or 1-301-715-8592 and following the prompts.

Photo credit Yamhill County News file