Mike Adams, 52
Years in Sweet Home: 25
Education: Eagle Point High School, 1989; Bachelor of science, Management Communications, Northwest Christian College, 1994 (concurrently attended the University of Oregon Army ROTC); Doctor of Jurisprudence, Willamette University College of Law, 1998; Air Command and Staff College, U.S. Air Force, 2018.
Professional Background/Work Experience: 23 years practicing law; currently City Attorney for the City of Toledo; recently retired from the Oregon National Guard after 26 years of service; previous service as assistant Linn County counsel, active-duty Air Force JAG attorney, and legislative aide in the State Legislature.
Political Experience/Affiliations: Registered Republican (although I believe that nonpartisan school board positions should not be politicized); 4½ years total service on Sweet Home School Board, (June 2011-Jan 2014, Jan 2017-Jun 2017, May 2022-Present).
Other Community Involvement/Affiliations (outside of activities/experience already listed): Rotary Club Member, Sweet Home (approx. three years) and Toledo; Sweet Home Planning Commission (January 2005-January 2014); Sweet Home All Hazard Mitigation Committee (1 year); Sweet Home Boys & Girls Club board member and vice president (4 years); Sweet Home Boys & Girls Club soccer and track coach (multiple years); Camp Koinonia, Inc. (nonprofit church camp) board member and secretary (three years).
Family: Wife Katie Adams is an elementary school teacher; daughters, Kristen and Liz, grew up in Sweet Home and graduated from Sweet Home High School. “My wife grew up here, and both our fathers still live here.”
Contact: [email protected]
Amanda Carter, 27
Years in Sweet Home: 25
Education: High school diploma, expected associate’s degree in nursing, June 2023.
Professional Background/Work Experience: Current student, per diem certified nursing assistant.
Political Experience/Affiliations: Republican
Other Community Involvement/Affiliations (outside of activities/experience already listed): N/A
Family: Married, no children, currently. “However, I do have friends and family associated with the Sweet Home School District.”
Contact: [email protected]
Kevin Hill, 58
Years in Sweet Home: 22
Education: Graduated from Emmett High School (Idaho) “who are also Huskies, just like Sweet Home!” Bachelor’s degree from Boise Bible College. “I am a lifelong learner.”
Professional Background/Work Experience: I grew up in a ranching family in Idaho so I’ve done all sorts of ranch and farm work. Starting in fifth grade, I delivered newspapers for three years. I was an elementary school custodian while in junior high. I worked for a trucking and delivery company while in high school. I’ve worked many retail jobs. I started, ran, and sold my own business. I worked for the federal government briefly. I ran an internet business for several years and briefly worked with a financial planner. My main calling though has been as a pastor. Before moving to Oregon I worked in churches in Oroville, California, and Star, Grangeville, and Boise, Idaho. I’ve been at Holley Church for 22 years.
Political Experience/Affiliations: I am not affiliated with any political party. My official political experience has been as a Sweet Home School District board member.
Other Community Involvement/Affiliations (outside of activities/experience already listed): I’ve been engaged with our community in many different ways since moving here. I want Sweet Home to be a great place to live so I’ve led our church to be involved in the life of our community. Personally, I’ve coached through the Boys & Girls Club and served on the Sweet Home Library Board.
Family: Grew up in family of educators.
Contact: [email protected]
Leon Vineyard, 36
Years in Sweet Home: Lived in Sweet Home as child, then moved to Oklahoma for high school. Back for 14 years.
Education: High school.
Professional Background/Work Experience: Started driving log truck in 2014; in 2018 went out on my own and bought my own truck. Added new truck in 2021. Owner of Vineyard Trucking.
Political Experience/Affiliations: N/A
Other Community Involvement/Affiliations (outside of activities/experience already listed): I have taken my log truck and past trucks that I have driven to the Sweet Home Sweet Rides car show the past several years. I also really like to take my truck through the parades in town. The kids just love it!
Family: Wife of 14 years and two children, ages 5 and 3. Five-year-old will enter kindergarten next year.
Contact: [email protected]
Floyd Neuschwander
Editor’s note: Floyd Neuschwander, who is the sole candidate on the ballot for the Zone 4 (Cascadia) seat, also responded, but did not submit answers to our questionnaire.
He sent this statement: “I’m Floyd Neuschwander, and I am running for the Cascadia position on the Sweet Home School Board. I’m a lifelong member of the community. I attended District 55 schools, and my children did also. I think we can do a better job with the resources we have. I support a return to traditional education, with a focus on academics and performance-based grading. I also believe in being fiscally responsible to the taxpayers, and in fostering the conservative values that the majority of our community hold dear.”
Why do you want to be a Sweet Home School Board member?
Mike Adams: I have served on the Sweet Home School Board for 4½ years, between the different periods of more than seven total years of active-duty orders during the last 12 years.
I do consider it a way to give back to the community. I originally ran for the School Board because I did not want to see the community’s swimming pool close. Now that I have retired from the military, I would like to keep serving.
I want to provide a place where everyone can present their public views, because that makes for better decisions as to what is in the best interest of our community and its students.
Amanda Carter: I believe education is a critical foundation for our future. Some day I may have children of my own that will be attending local schools and I want to make sure that education remains a priority for youth.
Kevin Hill: I stepped up to serve on the Sweet Home School Board because I care about the kids of this community and their families. I also care about the staff of our local schools and desire to help and support them.
Leon Vineyard: My 5-year-old is going to be starting school and I want to be active in my child’s education. I believe that it’s very important for us, as parents, to be as involved as possible in our children’s lives.
What sets you apart as a candidate for school district voters?
Amanda Carter: I attended Sweet Home schools from first grade through high school graduation. I hope to have new ideas to share with the district, not having served in this capacity previously.
Kevin Hill: I am invested in this community. This investment in our community drives me to do the best I can under the current parameters to initiate and encourage what is best for our kids and families, and school staff.
Leon Vineyard: I have two young kids coming into the school district; as of September, one will be enrolled. I want the kids in this community to have the best education possible, and I want them to feel safe and comfortable in doing so.
I want kids to be excited about going to school, and their own education. As a business owner in this town, I feel invested and proud to be from Sweet Home.
Mike Adams: I have a broad range of experience dealing with government law.
This experience has allowed me to participate in public meetings and to share insights into issues related to constitutional law, public records and meetings laws, revenue and taxation, tort claims, labor law, contract law, and public employee ethics. I would like to think this local government experience has benefited the school board.
What would you consider your primary responsibility/ies to voters as a School Board member if you are elected?
Kevin Hill: I believe it is to keep my word to: “Do my best under the current parameters to initiate and encourage what is best for kids and families and school staff.”
Leon Vineyard: To protect the kids, and make sure they are receiving the best education possible. We are living in a very divided and different world than when I was in school. I feel, at times, our kids are put in the middle of division amongst adults, and that simply is not fair to our children.
Mike Adams: The primary responsibilities to voters are to make fiscally conservative decisions with the tax money that we have been entrusted with, and to provide a place where teachers and other staff are encouraged and supported.
Most importantly, to provide a safe learning environment where children will become good citizens, learn life skills, and hopefully develop a life-long love of learning. Wherever they end up – in the military, college, technical schools, or other jobs, we need to do what we can to make our students successful in life.
Amanda Carter: One of my primary responsibilities is fiscal accountability. Another responsibility I believe a School Board member has is to ensure strong agendas focused on early education foundations and career preparation for those near graduation.
What do you think are the particular challenges that need to be addressed in the school district?
Leon Vineyard: I think curriculum is something that has a tendency to be overlooked nowadays. I think we need to be very specific in what we are teaching to our students.
Mike Adams: The school district needs to stop losing a huge number of teachers and staff each year. Some of it is because of salaries, and nearby districts paying more money.
Recruiting individuals with a connection to our community will result in them staying for a much longer period of time. The district has come a long way to begin to resolve this, but more can always be done.
This is not all about money, but trying to provide a stable environment and minimize the impact of too much state regulation of education.
Amanda Carter: Challenges that need to be addressed in the Sweet Home School District include staff retention and facility security.
Kevin Hill: The state of Oregon has passed numerous laws to remove local control over many areas in our school district. The biggest challenge, in my opinion, is how do we restore local control over our schools?
A lot of School Board work revolves around funding. In general, how do you view the district’s position in this area? If you would like to change anything, how would you do so?
Mike Adams: I believe that the school district is doing well in this area. The new school district superintendent has done a lot to cut unneeded expenses.
I believe the School Board needs to continue to be provided with information, ask questions, and have in-depth discussions about the budget.
Part of that process is testimony from members of the community, who also serve on the Budget Committee.
Amanda Carter: Our district position is relatively sufficient. I would like to continue exploring alternative funding opportunities and resources.
Kevin Hill: Funding is primarily dictated by the state of Oregon. The Sweet Home School District staff does a good job with the funding made available to us. The one change I would love to see is a return to local control of funding for our school district.
Leon Vineyard: I think we need to be careful in how and what we spend money on anymore, with the costs of everything being so high.
As a business owner I understand the importance of running and sticking to a budget. I think it is important as board members for the community to feel their tax dollars are being spent the best way possible.
What other improvements would you like to see to the district’s operations/personnel/services?
Amanda Carter: Instruction differentiation could be improved. This can be accomplished by providing diverse activities related to student career interests.
Kevin Hill: I believe our local school staff, overall, does a great job and I appreciate all their work on behalf of kids. I do believe there is a lack of local control to make certain positive changes because of laws that have been passed at a state level.
Leon Vineyard: N/A
Mike Adams: I would like to continue to provide excellent programs where students are engaged, so that they are more likely to remain interested in school.
Whether it is sports, chess clubs, the forestry program, autoshop, woodshop, or welding, I think children need to continue to be exposed to different skills, industries, and jobs, and continue to be encouraged to explore what life could be in the future.
Not everyone has to go to college, but we have to give our students the skills to be successful and productive members of society.
In addition to any of the issues already touched on, what do you consider the biggest challenge(s) facing Sweet Home School District? As briefly as possible, how would you address it/those?
Kevin Hill: A big challenge facing the Sweet Home School district is keeping the focus on the kids’ education and not on outside social and political agendas. There is also a huge challenge in the area of sports, trying to ensure young ladies are not marginalized.
Schools should be focused on the mental and physical development of kids, but there are lots of forces that are detracting from that.
Leon Vineyard: N/A
Mike Adams: As our society has become more polarized, one of the biggest challenges is that we need to listen and respect each other.
We might not agree about a particular issue, but we shouldn’t attack someone personally for their views. We, as a community, need to listen to one another, have conversations, and make decisions on what is in the best interest for Sweet Home and our students.
Amanda Carter: I believe parent involvement is a key component of student educational success. I would support additional parenting classes and support groups to empower and motivate parent involvement.