JEWELL – The Jewell School Board appointed two new members Monday evening, bringing the district a step closer to normalcy after the May recall election removed two directors from office and prompted two others to resign.

Past board member Matt Samuelson earned the first appointment Monday, then joined in deliberations resulting in the choice of Jennifer Blanchard, a Jewell School parent.

Monday’s progress allows the board to maintain a quorum – the five-member board needs at least three directors to hold a vote and conduct official business – when Cathy Rozinek’s resignation takes effect June 30.

But one seat remains open.

Along with their two new colleagues, Chairman Allen Foster and Vice Chairwoman Tania Skinner will face one more vacancy when Rozinek leaves. She already delayed resigning after finding the board was in danger of losing its quorum. Foster had also resigned in the recall’s wake, but rescinded his decision entirely.

Samuelson was one of the first interviewed for a seat. A district resident for 33 years, he has frequently attended board meetings over the past year. He is the nephew of Ann Samuelson, one of two board members recalled earlier this year.

In his application, he said he hopes “to bring stability to the board,” “to continue the hard work of the previous board, bringing our policies and (curriculum) into compliance,” and “to continue a history of sound financial decisions, resulting in sustained financial savings.”

He also works in the logging industry, which he noted helps supply Jewell with the bulk of its funding. Unlike most schools in Oregon, local resources in Jewell – in this case, state sales of locally harvested timber – outweigh what the state would provide in general funding, so the district relies on timber revenues instead of basic state support. Samuelson said he could help “monitor potential assets.”

Blanchard works for Baker’s General Store at the Jewell junction on U.S. Highway 26.

Having attended Jewell School “for numerous years,” Blanchard said, she has “experienced the politics of a small community and the disruptions that come along with them,” but believes she has “achieved some sort of an understanding of them, addressing them in a rational manner.”

“Every story in Jewell has more than two sides, it has hundreds,” she wrote in her application. “I do not jump on the first bandwagon, but do my homework, coming to calm and educational conclusions.”

Blanchard noted that she has attended schools outside of Jewell as well, giving her a broader understanding of the world and other education systems.

“One of my greatest assets would be the knowledge of what I saw and experienced … what worked and what did not in terms of students learning and thriving, what kept their interests, inspired them and what helped them become better adults.”

Including Blanchard and Samuelson, a total of nine people applied for the three advertised school board positions, including Karl Meier, one of the two directors recalled last month, and his wife, Denise. Susana Gladwin, Mark Kaminski, Kristin Kuhnly, Kenneth Kulp and Jeff Smith also made bids for the seats.

Interim Superintendent Jerry Jones said appointees will have to run for re-election in May.

A letter of appreciation he sent to board members of the past year spoke to some of the challenges faced by directors of the troubled school district, which has been led by temporary chief administrators for almost two years. He read the letter aloud Monday night.

“Serving on the board required an unselfish devotion to time, energy and service to carry out the mission and business of the district,” Jones said. “Being an effective school board member is not an easy task, particularly in our situation of change and the challenges it brings. You never lost sight of our direction even during the most difficult of times.”

The board next meets July 28.