OSBA School Board Members of Color Caucus reaches milestone

Two years in the making, the OSBA School Board Members of Color Caucus became an official body over the weekend at OSBA’s 71st Annual Convention in Portland.

The caucus’s mission is to promote a quality education for all students, with a focus on students of color. Its goals include: working to increase the number and abilities of school board members of color so that school boards more fully represent their communities, and helping more people understand the issues of people of color.

During a Saturday meeting, the caucus chose four officers and seven regional directors. Five of the regional directors represent Oregon’s five congressional districts, and two are at-large directors.

Jessica Arzate (Multnomah ESD) and Ana del Rocio (David Douglas SD) were elected co-presidents. Helen Ying (Multnomah ESD) will serve as secretary, and Bill Graupp (North Marion SD) is treasurer.

On Sunday, the OSBA Board of Directors unanimously recognized the caucus as an official OSBA body. Membership is open to any OSBA school board member who self-identifies as a person of color.

The caucus has tentatively scheduled a meeting for Feb. 24 in Salem or Keizer to discuss how it will go about its mission.

- Jake Arnold, OSBA
jarnold@osba.org