Formal Complaint to the Board by Parents, August 2025 & Board Response

Bandon School Complaint 

Description of Complaint:

Multiple Bandon high school and middle school teachers were involuntarily reassigned to different positions at the end of May in violation of their union contract. This action has already contributed to the resignation of one teacher and there is a looming possibility of additional resignations unless the involuntary reassignments are reversed. These transfers have a direct negative impact on academic rigor for students in multiple subject areas and they have been poorly and inconsistently justified by school Principals and the Superintendent. All of the targeted teachers are actively involved in their union; three of them hold union leadership positions and are also members of the contract negotiating team. We believe these transfers are targeted retaliation on the part of district administration.

Parents, teachers and students have raised concerns about the Superintendent’s actions leading up to and following these transfers. Multiple letters have been submitted to the Superintendent and Board detailing these concerns. We have also requested an agenda item at the upcoming August board meeting to discuss the Superintendent’s actions but have been denied that request, despite the fact that the agenda item does not seek to discuss staff or teaching personnel; we seek to discuss the Superintendent’s handling of the teacher reassignments.

Additionally, we are frustrated by lack of direct access to School Board members. There is a problematic lack of transparency with the current system, wherein there is only a central email address for the school board that is managed by the district office. The school board should be able to operate as an independent body outside the potentially biased influence of the Superintendent and district office staff.

Who should we talk to and what evidence should we consider?

We suggest you speak with teachers, students, parents and union representatives to gain perspective on how the Superintendent’s actions have been perceived and felt, and to understand the legality of those actions. We ask that you consider the current lawsuit filed against the district by a now-former teacher and the Level 3 grievance that the union has filed on behalf of the teachers who were involuntarily reassigned.

Suggested Solution or Relief Sought:

We request that the involuntary transfers be reversed. We also request that individual email accounts be established and made publicly available for each member of the School Board to facilitate direct communication with the public.

Board Response

Thank you for submitting your formal complaint regarding the Superintendent's handling of the involuntary reassignments. In accordance with District policy KL-AR, the School Board is responsible for handling complaints of this nature. I’d like to outline the process the Board will follow in response to your submission.

Under policy KL-AR, complaints against the Superintendent are referred to the Board Chair, who presents the complaint to the full Board during a Board meeting. After presentation, the Board will determine whether any action is warranted. If the Board deems the complaint to lack merit or to fall outside of its jurisdiction, it may vote to dismiss it. Alternatively, if the Board determines that further review is necessary, it may vote to initiate an investigation, including referring the matter to a third party.

The Board is required to determine what action, if any, will be taken within 20 calendar days of receiving the complaint. This decision will be made during an open session of a Board meeting. However, discussion of the complaint may occur in executive session if the subject matter qualifies under Oregon law, with any motions and votes taking place publicly in open session.

Once a decision has been made, a final written response will be issued by the Board within 30 calendar days. This written decision will address each allegation raised in the complaint and will include the rationale for the Board’s decision.

The complaint may be considered at the next regularly scheduled Board meeting or a subsequent meeting, as long as the timeline described above is met.

Additionally, I want to acknowledge your concern regarding the establishment of email accounts for Board members. That process is already underway as part of onboarding for new members. Email accounts will be provided during the upcoming Board work session, along with training and related materials.

We appreciate your engagement in this matter and assure you that the Board will follow the required process carefully and in accordance with district policy and applicable law.

Sincerely,

AJ Kimball

Vice Chair