Oregon School Board seats new members, holds organizational meeting

Newly elected members of the Oregon School Board take the oath of office from president pro tem Corey Buck at the school district's headquarters in Oregon on Tuesday, April 22, 2025. Pictured, left to right, are: Corey Buck (outgoing board member), Gary Schrimpsher, Mike Guzman, Bryan Wills, and Mindy Nesemeier. Seated are Superintendent P.J. Caposey and board members Mary Jo Griffin and Molly Baker.

OREGON – The Oregon School Board has a new slate of members following the appointment of an Oregon High School graduate from a field of 16 candidates.

Faith McNamee, a former coach and teacher with the Oregon School District, was chosen by the existing six board members on Tuesday, April 16.

McNamee, formerly Faith Watson, is currently an employee of another school district, Oregon Superintendent PJ Caposey said.

Her appointment followed seating of four board candidates who were elected April 1. Incumbents Bryan Wills, Mindy Nesemeier and Mike Guzman were reelected and Gary Schrimpsher was elected as a write-in candidate. That left one board position unfilled.

Tuesday night, Wills, Nesemeier, Guzman, and Schrimpsher took the oath of office. During the organizational portion of the meeting, Wills was reelected as board president, Guzman was elected vice president, and Nesemeier was elected as secretary. Other members of the school board are Mary Jo Griffin and Molly Herman Baker.

The board recognized junior high teacher Bonnie Rasmussen for her efforts toward a new testing program and OHS student Kerrie Diaz for illustrating a book titled “Get Out of Here Piggies!”.

Oregon High School student Kerrie Diaz (left) was recognized for illustrating a children's book, "Get Out of Here Piggies!", during the Oregon School Board meeting on Wednesday, April 22, 2025.

In personnel action, the board accepted:

Resignations: Alyssa Byerley, custodian; Lindsey Breeden, health aide, effective July 25; Holly Hitchcock, custodian

Employments: Samantha Geeves, OES special ed aide; Kristyn Miskell, OJSHS social worker/behavioral interventionist; Michaela Spanbauer, athletic directory administrative assistant; Leah Ruit, OES library aide; Valerie Anderson, recess aide; Joshua Paschedag, OJSHS science; Gabe Johnson, OJSHS social studies; Dalton Hermes, long-term substitute; Dalton Hermes, JH football coach; Brian Marlatt, JH football coach

Non-Renewal: Jody Mernack, OHS cheer coach

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Earleen Hinton

Earleen Hinton

Earleen creates content and oversees production of 8 community weeklies. She has worked for Shaw Newspapers since 1985.