Kate Grandusky announces resignation from school board

Longtime Forest Grove School Board Director Kate Grandusky announced her resignation during the May 26 school board meeting. Her resignation, more than halfway into her fourth term, is effective June 10. Grandusky said she had hoped to serve her full term, but a planned move across the globe made the resignation necessary. "We are in the process of immigrating to New Zealand," Grandusky said. Two of her children live in Australia and New Zealand, Grandusky said. "I regret leaving, but I thought this was the best time to resign," she said, noting the board's upcoming retreat scheduled for July. "It gives a person an opportunity to be with the board for a year," she said. Her seat will be filled by appointment, the district announced. Those interested in filling the seat must submit an application by June 17. The board is expected to review candidates from June 19 to 22, interview candidates on June 23, and vote the same day to appoint a candidate who will fill the final year of the term. "It has been an honor to work with many dedicated staff members, teachers, and students over the years. It's been a privilege and an opportunity," Grandusky said. The Gales Creek resident was first elected to the board in 2011 in the wake of the closure of Gales Creek Elementary School, a cost-saving move bitterly fought by Gales Creek community members. The school had been a local elementary school since 1859. Now, it serves as a campus of Oak Grove Academy, a program for students with behavioral challenges. Reopening the school as a community elementary school was a central tenet of Grandusky's campaigns. In 2023, she told this newspaper that she was uncertain if that would ever happen. "When I ran for office in 2011, I had two goals," Grandusky said at the time. "One has been met. The other was to have our Gales Creek Elementary School be returned as our neighborhood school. Whether it is possible, I am not sure, but [the] closure of the school has been a devastating loss to our community. I know that lower enrollment numbers and also a treatment placement would be two hurdles to address to be able for our Gales Creek students to return to this small, rural historical school." Grandusky did not respond to an emailed request for comment.