Springfield Board of Education
Springfield Public Schools is led by a five-member elected school board. The Superintendent helps facilitate the work of the Board and is responsible to the Board for providing leadership to the District and carrying out Board directives.
Members of the Springfield Board of Education are elected to four-year overlapping terms, with elections held every two years. At the end of a four-year term, members may run for re-election to successive terms. Voting takes place at general elections, and terms begin the first Monday in July thereafter. If a vacancy occurs in the middle of a term, the School Board names an appointee to serve until the next district election.
The Board of Directors generally meet on the second and fourth Mondays of each month. Regular business meetings begin at 7 p.m. on the second Monday and work sessions are generally held at 5:30 p.m. on the fourth Monday of the month. All meetings, unless otherwise noted, are held in the Board Room of the Springfield Public Schools Administration Building, 640 A Street, Springfield, OR 97477.
Public Comment Information
The Springfield Public Schools Board of Directors desires to hear from the community they serve and sets aside 20 minutes for oral public comment during their regular business meetings.
Members of the community are invited to provide public comment, in-person, virtually, or via written submissions.
Oral Comments – In-person, or virtually:
To sign up to speak to the school board during their regularly scheduled business meeting please send your request to public.comment@springfield.k12.or.us. Clearly label the subject line as: “Oral Public Comment Request” and include full name, whether you are a resident of the district, a phone number, agenda item or topic. Submissions will be collected the Thursday before the meeting date, once public meeting notice has been made, and will remain open until 12:00 pm on the day of the meeting.
Oral public comment is limited to 3 minutes per person and is scheduled for 20 minutes on the agenda. Due to time limitations not all speakers may be selected to provide oral comment during the board meeting.
Written Comment:
To submit written public comment, send your materials to public.comment@springfield.k12.or.us by 12:00 pm the day of the meeting. Clearly label the subject line as “Written Public Comment” and include full name, whether you are a resident of the district, a phone number, agenda item or topic. All written comments submitted by the 12:00 pm deadline on the day of the meeting will be provided to the board for their review and posted to the district website by 4:00 pm on the day of the board meeting.
Electronic agendas and board packets will be posted on the district website the Thursday before the meetings.
Our Board Members
Position 1
Ken Kohl
Term Expires: 06/30/2027
Ken was elected to the Board in 2023. Together with his wife Polly, he has lived in the Springfield School District since 1995. They raised three wonderful children that attended Springfield schools for all 12 years. Ken graduated from Oregon State University and recently retired after 32 years as a practicing engineer. He worked in both the private and public sectors, the last 18 years working for the Oregon Department of Transportation. He served on the District's Budget Committee from 2006 to 2023 and has also served on the Sites and Facilities Committee, Bond Oversight Committee, and Parent TAG Committee. As a lifelong Oregonian and the child of two public school educators, Ken is committed to ensuring that all children in our community have access to the education and support that will set them up for success in life.
Position 2
Emilio Hernandez, Ph.D.
Term Expires: 06/30/2025
Emilio was elected to the school board in May 2017. He has lived in Springfield for more than 45 years and is committed to helping all children gain a meaningful education and experience in our schools. Emilio has served on the district's Budget Committee and the Bond Oversight Committee and also served nine years on the state Board of Education. A former migrant worker, he has been actively involved in both area and national Latino organizations and is passionate about issues affecting families in poverty. With a Ph.D. in higher education, he is currently employed working directly with at-risk youth through Direction Service, a Springfield agency that provides support for disabled children.
Position 3, Chair
Jonathan Light
Term Expires: 06/30/2025
A product of Springfield schools and graduate of Thurston High School, Jonathan has long been an advocate for excellence in public education. After high school Jonathan attended Lane Community College and then went on to earn his Bachelors in Music Education (BME) from the University of Northern Colorado and a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of New Hampshire. Jonathan spent 15 years as a small business owner before returning to education as a K-12 music teacher. Jonathan previously served on the Springfield School Board (2001 - 2015). Jonathan and his wife Suzanne have two children, both graduates of Springfield High School.
Position 4
Nicole De Graff
Term Expires: 06/30/2027
Nicole grew up in a small town in Lane County, and lived overseas for years before resettling back down in Oregon with her husband and three kids. She has previously worked in the real estate industry. In addition, her experience also includes working in a teen pregnancy center and was a foster parent. Most recently she has worked in grassroots non-profits helping parents and teachers across the state to shape policy. Her passion is to advocate for kids and build trust in her community providing as much transparency and collaboration as possible.
Position 5, Vice Chair
Kelly Mason,
Term Expires: 06/30/2025
Kelly was elected to the school board in May 2021. She was born and raised in Springfield and is a product of Springfield schools. She earned her bachelor's degree from the University of Oregon and has dedicated her career to promoting access to education. Kelly works as an academic advisor for the PathwayOregon program at the UO where she serves underrepresented, low-income, Oregonian students. She is passionate about her community and wants to give back to ensure that all students are heard, represented, and respected through a lens of equity and inclusion.
Springfield School District 19 Policy
Contact Information
Springfield Public Schools Board
640 A Street
Springfield, OR 97477
(541) 726-3201
Communicate with the Springfield School Board | Comuníquese con la Junta Escolar de Springfield