By Sean C. Morgan
Of The New Era
Joe Kennedy says serving on the Sweet Home School Board is a chance to make a difference in his community.
The School Board appointed him to fill a vacancy in October. He will serve until the next election, in May 2021, when Foster-area residents will be able to run for the seat.
No Foster residents filed for the position when it was open earlier this year. None applied to the board for an appointment following the election, allowing residents throughout the district to apply for the position.
“After the whole Timber Unity movement, I realized one person actually can make a difference,” Kennedy said, and he decided that the School Board presented an opportunity for him to make a difference.
“I’d like to see more focus on the trades and vocational applications,” Kennedy said. “They’ve been doing good. There’s room for improvement. Getting rid of auto shop was a mistake. I’ve heard other parents voice concerns.”
He believes that is likely to be addressed with additional funding expected for next school year through the Student Success Act and a gross revenues tax on businesses with more than $1 million in annual revenue.
Often, high schools emphasize “college, college, college,” Kennedy said. “But trade school is a viable option.”
Kennedy, 42, is a pipe fitter with Cascade Pacific Pulp in Halsey. He’s among the youngest in the company, he said.
“Getting younger people is a struggle.”
They’re being guided onto a college path, Kennedy said, but “you can have just as good a life as you can with a college degree.”
Outside of the need for career and technical education, “I know class size is a huge issue,” Kennedy said. It’s hard for teachers to cover a class with 30-plus students.
Kennedy is encouraged by what he’s seen in the district, he said, with test scores and graduation rates going up.
“At this point, I would say I’m still wrapping my mind around the whole thing,” he said. He’s still on the “learning curve.”
As a board member, “I’m willing to listen to the community,” Kennedy said, and he encourages members of the public to reach out to board members, email them or stop them on the street.
“We’re their advocates.”
Kennedy served in the U.S. Army from 1997 to 2005, including deployment to Iraq in 2004 and 2005 as an infantry squad leader.
He grew up just outside of Crawfordsville and graduated from Central Linn High School in 1997, entering the Army after graduation. After leaving the Army, he returned to Oregon, living in Sweet Home, and working for Advanced Mechanical, which encouraged him to attend a trade school in Tulsa, Okla.
“I like Oregon,” Kennedy said. “It’s where my roots are at, and my family is all here.”
Sweet Home is close to the mountains, and it’s a quick drive out of town “away from everything,” Kennedy said. It’s also centrally located for visiting the coast or large cities.
Kennedy is married to Jennifer Kennedy, who is a stay-at-home mom. They have three children, Annie, 17; Jacob, 15; and Katelyn, 12.
Jacob attends Sweet Home High School. Annie and Katelyn are home-schooled.
Kennedy traveled for work, he said. Growing up without a dad, he wanted his kids around, so they traveled with him and were home schooled. Mostly, the arrangement has “just stuck” in recent years.
Kennedy said Jacob wanted to attend the public school, where he competes with the swim and track teams, while the other two children have stayed in home school.