Sean C. Morgan
Of The New Era
Jeff Lynn, one of four new District 55 School Board members, knows he’s entered a new chapter of his life.
“It’s going to be a unique experience,” Lynn said. “It’s a whole different way to view all of this stuff. I’ve been really impressed with how things have gone so far.”
Lynn represents the Liberty area. He ran unopposed for the position and succeeds Barbara Snow.
After just one meeting, he is only just beginning to sort out exactly how the school district works.
“I am pretty impressed with how the district operates,” Lynn said. “Everybody who’s working in it really seems to be on the ball.”
Lynn will have one son entering kindergarten next year, he said. “That’s one of the main reasons I wanted to get involved.”
School funding seems to be set, Lynn said. The only real way to deal with it is to change expenditures.
“Realistically, I think that needs to be addressed is how it’s spent,” Lynn said. Restoring lost programs, like music or others, will depend on that.
“I think they’re going to have to look at Crawfordsville-Holley again,” Lynn said. “I just don’t think it’s going to go away.”
The board considered options for savings at the two schools last year, including closing a school or changing them into a different kind of school. The per-student cost of keeping the two schools open is higher than the rest of the district.
Lynn’s son will attend Crawfordsville next year, then Holley.
With the little he has learned so far, Lynn said he doesn’t yet have the experience to decide how to restore programs. He cannot set priorities from his own perspective yet.
Funding one program means a tradeoff elsewhere in another program, Lynn said. “That?’s really what makes these things such hot topics.”
The possibility of a charter school occupying either the Crawfordsville or Holley school facilities is also an option the board will likely be considering this year.
The charter school is interesting, Lynn said. Going through the process, several potential negatives and positives to the local district were identified. Different scenarios showed how it could hinder or benefit the district.
He would hate to see a negative impact to the district, Lynn said, but said it “would be outstanding to have that option for parents to send their children.”
Lynn, 35, a Sweet Home is married to Jami. They have three children: Jackson, 5; John, 4; and Jilian, 2.
He has lived in Sweet Home all his life, graduating from Sweet Home High School in 1988. He earned a bachelor of science degree in economics at Oregon State University in 1992. He is a detective with the Sweet Home Police Department.