The Jefferson County School Board has two positions on the May 18 special district election ballot with candidates who want to bring more representation to Warm Springs.

Incumbent Jamie Hurd is facing Lorien Stacona, a case manager for the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, for the Position 2 seat. Jaylyn Suppah, a community planner in Warm Springs, and Jacob Struck, a construction superintendent, are campaigning for the Position 3 seat, which opened when board member Tom Norton Jr. did not seek reelection.

Board Chair Laurie Danzuka is running unopposed for her seat.

Position 2

Lorien Stacona

Stacona, 32, was motivated to run for the school board after raising concerns last year about her seventh-grade daughter not getting the same educational opportunities at the Warm Springs K-8 Academy as students at Jefferson County Middle School in Madras.

Stacona’s daughter, now in eighth grade, doesn’t have the same access to elective classes, advanced classes and tutoring as other students in the school district.

This year, Stacona considered transferring her sixth-grade son to Jefferson County Middle School, but then decided that wouldn’t be fair to him or his classmates in Warm Springs. Instead, she decided to seek a spot on the school board.

“For me, running for school board is not something I want to do,” Stacona said. “I feel like I have to do it, and it’s my last option to create change for our children that don’t have a voice.”

Stacona is also focused on improving communication with the school board, staff and parents. Over the years, Stacona said, she has heard from several teachers about how they don’t feel supported, but don’t feel comfortable sharing their concerns.

“When you have teachers that feel that way but can’t express that, we have a problem,” Stacona said.

Stacona wants to create an environment where the school board can have more conversations with teachers and parents, rather than the limited opportunities to speak at board meetings.

“Having that communication is so important for our children,” Stacona said. “As adults, we have to have that because it impacts the kids.”

Jamie Hurd

Hurd, 37, a former wildlife biologist with three children in kindergarten, fourth grade and sixth grade, has served on the school board for the past four years.

Hurd said she wants to build off of progress the school board has made, such as securing more than $20 million in grants over the past four years, and making financial decisions that helped the district avoid layoffs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We’ve made some really sound and strategic budget investments that have allowed us to weather the cost of COVID a lot better than neighboring districts,” Hurd said. “Where some had to lay off staff, we are adding and expanding. We are doing a lot better than most.”

The next year will also be important for welcoming the new school superintendent, Jay Mathisen, who was hired earlier this year, Hurd said. Mathisen worked as the director of educational leadership at George Fox University in Newberg.

“I feel like it’s essential that the board connects him to the work we have been building upon and helps him connect with our community so that none of this progress stops,” Hurd said.

Another goal for Hurd is expanding the school district’s community outreach. Through the pandemic, the district reached families over virtual platforms. Hurd wants to continue offering virtual meetings since it’s easier for busy families to offer feedback, she said.

“It’s not face-to-face and it’s not as personable, but we have gotten a lot more information,” Hurd said. “We just have to keep getting creative on how we connect with families.”

Position 3

Jaylyn Suppah

Suppah, 34, has dedicated her professional life to advocating for more educational opportunities in Warm Springs. She has served on the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs’ education committee, worked in the tribe’s early childhood education center and represented the tribes on a statewide American Indian/Alaska Native Advisory Council

“This work has been my life, and it’s not just an election for me,” Suppah said. “It’s really about being able to provide a voice for the communities that we are supposed to serve.”

Suppah, who has two children in second and fourth grade at the Warm Springs K-8 Academy, said the vast majority of students in the school district are Native or Latino, but the current school board does not match the demographics.

“When you look at who is serving on the school board, there is only one representative who is from Warm Springs,” Suppah said, referring to Danzuka. “It just doesn’t really equal out to the amount of people who should be serving on that board that reflects the community.”

As a board member, Suppah would be motivated to provide leadership and support to other people of color who are interested in serving in public office. The school board currently has no Latino members, which Suppah hopes changes in future elections.

Suppah sees the school board as an opportunity to share her experience working on educational issues in the region. For her, win or lose, she plans to stay involved through her work as a community planner.

“I’ll still be advocating,” Suppah said. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Jacob Struck

Struck, 34, a construction superintendent for Skanska USA Building, grew up in Madras and credits his shop classes in high school for inspiring him to pursue his career.

From 2016 to 2018, Struck was invited back to Madras High School to help launch the Career and Technical Education program.

“I did that for two years, and that really opened my eyes to what many of our kids are going through and what challenges they are facing and what they really need in the school district,” Struck said.

As a school board member, Struck would like to bolster the existing vocational programs and see where there are opportunities to add more. It is important to offer a variety of programs, since the majority of students do not go on to college, Struck said.

“Having those programs available and allowing our youth another option other than college would be a high priority for me on the board,” he said.

Struck, who has three children in kindergarten, second and fourth grades, said he wants to get more families engaged with their children’s education and make sure their children are consistently going to school. When Struck taught at the high school, he noticed many kids would be absent for weeks. He understands the tardiness is likely a result of the poverty issues in the region, but it is something Struck wants to address.

“That importance of showing up to school and being a part of school is huge,” Struck said.