Bethel school board seat opens after Ashley Espinoza resigns
Ashley Espinoza's resignation opened Bethel's Position 2 seat as the district weighs cuts, staffing and Shasta Middle School's future.
Ashley Espinoza’s resignation left Bethel School Board Position 2 open just as the district is making hard choices about money, staffing and school closures. The board now has less than two weeks to find a replacement, and whoever is appointed could help shape decisions that affect students and families across Bethel’s 11 schools.
Applications are due by 5 p.m. on June 5, and board members are scheduled to interview candidates on June 10. The person selected will serve until June 30, 2027, when the seat will return to the ballot. Bethel says applicants must be registered voters, must have lived within district boundaries for at least one year, and cannot be district employees. The district also wants applicants who can attend board meetings on June 10 and June 24.
Espinoza stepped down during a board meeting on May 13 after five years on the board. Her departure comes at a consequential time for Bethel, which served 5,003 students in 11 schools in the 2023-24 school year. The seven-member board is the district’s policy-making body, with legal authority under Oregon law, and it hires the superintendent, approves the budget and sets the rules that district leadership carries out.
That authority matters now. Bethel approved a $164.2 million budget for 2025-26 and cut at least 12 staff positions through attrition. Its 2026-27 budget proposal calls for cutting three full-time equivalent positions and closing Shasta Middle School at the end of the current school year. A full board will be deciding how those changes ripple through classrooms, student supports and staffing levels, and a single open seat can influence how quickly those plans move forward.
District officials say they welcome applicants with diverse backgrounds, experiences and perspectives, including people who have never served on a school board before. Training and support will be provided. Residents with questions about eligibility, district boundaries or the application process can contact Board Secretary Jill Busby. For Bethel families, this is not just a vacancy to fill. It is a chance to put an ordinary community member in the room when the district decides what comes next.
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