Russ, Byerley seek Newberg seat
Andrew “Andy” Byerley and David Russ filed for the position. Also running are Celeste Jones for Position 4 and incumbent Aubrey Nichols for Position 5.
Voters will receive ballots in the mail soon after April 30. They have until 8 p.m. on May 20 to return them to the Yamhill County Clerk’s Office or local drop boxes.
Byerley served on the district’s bond oversight committee in 2011-12; the Mountain View Middle School parent group, for which he was president, in 2020 to 2024; and currently on the Mountain View site council.
He graduated from Seattle University with two bachelor’s of science degrees, in physics and math, then earned his master’s degree in teaching and his administrative leadership qualifications from George Fox University.
He works as an education specialist for the Oregon Department of Education. He taught math and science in Newberg-Dundee from 2007 to 2016, then was STEAM coordinator in the Forest Grove School District for a year and a teacher on special assignment in Hillsboro before joining ODE in 2019.
Byerley told the News-Register he loves the Newberg and Dundee communities and cares about their children and families. He is running for the board “because our children deserve a robust, high-quality public education … schools open doors of opportunities.”
Byerley, who has children in the district, said his nearly 20 years of experience as a teacher, instructional coach, administrator and state educational specialist will contribute to the board.
“I am a deep listener and critical thinker, and take seriously the responsibility to better understand the needs of our families and uplift our children,” he said.
He highlighted his listening skills, commitment, curiosity and willingness to collaborate, and wants to ensure the “highest number of voices can be heard.”
Byerley said school board members’ most important responsibility is to ensure the conditions for the academic success of children “through openness, honesty and transparency.” The board can “directly influence resource management, empower district leadership, and define clear strategy and direction.”
He said the one of the most critical issues facing Newberg-Dundee schools is stabilizing the budget by rebuilding a healthy ending fund balance “with sustainable oversight and safeguards.”
“I am particularly proud of the ways district leadership and the current school board handled a significant budget shortfall in 2024-25 without cutting any programs, including career and technical education, visual and performing arts, student health and wellness, early literacy intervention, special education services” and others.
In addition, he said, the district must attract and retain excellent leaders and educators, he said, including hiring a permanent superintendent, and “rebuilding trust within the community.”
Russ was mayor of Dundee, where he lives, from 2014 to 2024. He served on the Dundee City Council for a year before that.
He works as an accountant and consultant. His background also includes work in real estate, manufacturing, television production and farm management.
A graduate of Eastern Washington University, he also served on the Yamhill County Parkway Committee from 2014 to 2024 and in 2024 joined the Yamhill County Local Public Safety Coordinating Council.
Russ did not respond to the News-Register’s email with questions about his candidacy.
In his statement in the voters’ pamphlet, he states support for public service, parental rights and transparency, and academic excellence. He said education should prioritize strong fundamentals in math, reading, history and science, and schools should prepare students for the workforce with pathways to college, trade schools or skilled labor training programs.
Russ said he supports a “back to basics education” and policies that are “rooted in family values and student success.”
“Parents should know what’s being taught and have a voice in decisions,” he said. “Parents should have the final say in their children’s lives.”
In addition, he stated, school districts must budget correctly to ensure taxpayer dollars are used wisely.
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