The seven-member Bethel School Board is the policy-making body of the school district. The Board derives its legal authority from the statutes of the State of Oregon.
The Board selects the superintendent as the District’s executive officer and delegates the responsibility for implementing its policies and plans to the superintendent. The Board also has the annual responsibility of adopting a balanced school district budget. Board members serve without pay.
During the regular school year the school board usually meets in regular public sessions at 6:00 p.m. on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of the month, except November, December, March, and May when the Board only meets on the 2nd Wednesday of the month. In October, January, February, and April the 1st meeting of the month (2nd Wednesday) is a work session which will begin at 5:30 p.m. Meetings take place in the District Office boardroom located at 4640 Barger Drive, Eugene, unless otherwise noted. This schedule sometimes varies, and special board meetings and additional work sessions are scheduled as necessary. The Bethel School District Board of Directors conducts meetings in person and virtually.
Board packets, which include board meeting agendas, are posted online in advance of each school board meeting.
How to watch: Meetings are broadcasted live on Zoom. Video recordings are posted online after each meeting.
If attending in person: While the boardroom is relatively small, seating is available for audience members.
The Bethel School Board encourages public input. There is a time for public comments scheduled near the beginning of each regular board meeting. Comments do not need to be related to items on the meeting agenda. Audience members who wish to speak must sign up before the meeting. To sign up for public comment, please complete this form by prior to the start of the board meeting. Community members may also submit written comments via email to publiccomment@bethel.k12.or.us. All meetings are on Wednesdays at 6:00pm unless otherwise noted.
Comments also may be sent to jill.busby@bethel.k12.or.us or mailed to Bethel School Board, 4640 Barger Drive, Eugene, OR, 97402. For questions and information please call 541-689-3280.
Hard copies of all public board meeting documents from prior meetings are also kept on file at the district office, including public comments that are submitted online or in person. Members of the public can review the materials at the district office located at 4640 Barger Drive in Eugene.
School board policies are available online. Copies of school board policies and the district’s administrative rules also can be reviewed at Bethel School District, 4640 Barger Drive, Eugene, OR.
LINK to school board policies
The school board sets goals for itself and district administration; these goals are posted online.
Board members are elected from the district at large, not from geographical zones. Board elections occur in May of each odd numbered year. The four-year term of office for board members begins in July immediately following the election, usually at the re-organizational meeting after July 1 when the oath of office is administered.
When a position on the board is vacated before the end of the term, the position will be open for election at the next school board election. The school board will solicit applicants and select by majority vote a community member to appoint to the vacant position until June 30th following the next regular election.
To be eligible to serve on the board, a person must be a registered voter in the school district, must have been a resident of the district for one year immediately preceding the election, and may not be an employee of the district or any charter school within the district.
Resources provided by the Oregon School Boards Association: