By Chelly Bouferrache
For The New Era
The Central Linn School Board said good-bye to three retiring board members and swore in three new members at its June 11 meeting.
District staff and board members also reviewed student achievements, and approved the 2025-26 budget, a planned trip to the 2025 FFA National Convention.
The board honored retiring members with plaques and cake. Suzy Parker steps down after 10 years of service, David Karo after eight years, and Kirt Glenn after a four-year term.
Three new board members were sworn in.
Levi Farris was elected to the Zone 3 seat. A four-year Halsey resident, he works as a custodian, paraprofessional, substitute teacher, and coach and serves with the Halsey Fire Department and athletic boosters.
Donald Fleckenstein, a 13-year resident, was elected to the Zone 7 seat. He operates a farm and has two daughters in the district.
Steve Irwin, a retired police detective living in Brownsville since 2009, also joined the board. He was elected to the Zone 6 seat.
Stacey Winter (Zone 1) and Garrett Leabo (Zone 2) were re-elected to their seats. Both ran unchallenged.
Suzanne Parker’s Zone 4 seat is open because Parker, who originally intended to run for a second term but decided to back out of the election, was still elected to the position. Board members voted to open the seat up for an appointment so people can apply for the seat. Those interested can apply at www.centrallinn.k12.or.us/district/board by July 1.
Board members gave final approval to the $12,516,916 budget for 2025-26, which includes a General Fund total of $8,538,160, which represents most of the district’s main operating costs and day-to-day services.
Year-End Report
Central Linn High School Principal Dean Rech highlighted student accomplishments, including the induction of eight students into the National Honor Society.
Athletic teams excelled academically, with two teams ranking in the top five and four in the top 15 in the OSAA Academic All-State for GPA performance.
The Lady Cobras soccer team won districts and finished as state runners-up, while the boys’ soccer team placed second in Special District 3.
The Lady Cobras won the district cross-country championship, with junior Jayne Neal and freshman Anya Griffith placing fifth and sixth to lead Central Linn. The boys placed fourth in the district behind junior Jackson Duringer’s third-place finish.
The girls’ basketball team also won a district championship and finished fourth in state behind double-digit performances from Jennifer Smith, Addie Wolff, Peyton Gaskey and Georgia Wahl in a 45-31 win over East Linn Christian.
In the Ag Olympics, 17 Central Linn agriculture students competed, taking first in Soils, with Mia Fiorito earning third in advanced individual and Maya Van Dyke winning first in beginning individual.
Rech noted that Baccalaureate Night attracted 14 to 16 students and over 100 community members, saying, “Community support was just amazing.”
FFA National Convention Trip Approved
The board approved a trip for up to 16 students to the FFA National Convention in Indianapolis in October 2025.
Agriculture teacher Darelle Parker emphasized the convention’s role in expanding agricultural knowledge, exploring careers, and networking with industry leaders. The district attends biennially, with no teams competing this year.
Twelve students are confirmed, four are cost-dependent, and one student, Ellie, may compete in a talent event if accepted. The $26,000 trip will use Airbnb for safer lodging, with students receiving subsidies and covering additional costs.
Board member Jason Curtis, a 2023 chaperone, said, “I was privileged to be a chaperone in 2023. As a chaperone, it was impactful for me. That convention is something else. It impressed me.”
ASB Report Highlights Student Engagement
ASB representative Mia Fiorito shared updates on student activities.
The senior class celebrated with a luau, an assembly, a slip-and-slide, and a picnic lunch featuring Italian sodas. Thirty-nine seniors graduated last week. Leadership students guided incoming sixth graders on a school tour to ease their transition to junior high and high school. “We are also trying to keep students motivated this last week of school, so we had an incentive of Otter Pops at the end of the day, and there were a lot of smiles and excited faces,” Fiorito said. The ASB is planning a summer leadership retreat to set goals for the next school year.
Student Board Representative
Grant Wahl applied for the student board representative position to bring student perspectives to district decisions.
“We had one applicant, but that doesn’t take away anything. He interviewed exceptionally well, very well qualified,” said Board Member Jason Curtis. The board tabled the motion to appoint him until next month.