Seaside interviews school board applicants

Published 10:32 am Wednesday, February 11, 2026

Officials to fill vacancy at next meeting

With a vacant school board seat and a small coastal district facing big-picture challenges, three community members stepped forward Monday night to outline their visions for the future of the Seaside School District.

The Seaside School Board interviewed three applicants during a special meeting to fill the open Zone 4 Position 2 Gearhart seat. Five people had initially thrown their hats in the ring, but two bowed out: Trissa Como and Justin Whitaker withdrew their names prior to Monday’s meeting.

The remaining candidates — Coral Sadler, Kelsey Betts and Derek Urbach — highlighted fiscal responsibility, staffing challenges and a desire to strengthen the district’s long-term stability.

Sadler, a controller at Escape Lodging and a member of the Seaside School District Budget Committee, said financial stewardship was central to her vision.

“Making sure the district stays responsible with their finances,” Sadler said. “Maintaining proper reserves, not reserving too much, to make sure the money is spent on the kids that are being funded today.”

Sadler said the biggest challenge facing the board is providing consistent, high quality education with limited resources.

“Especially when it comes to staffing, housing affordability and meeting growing student needs in a small coastal community,” she said.

Betts, a Seaside High School graduate and registered nurse with 20 years of experience, said her lifelong ties to the community motivated her to apply.

“As a nurse, I have delivered many of the students and watched them grow up,” Betts said.

When asked what steps Seaside School District could take to better their program — Betts said she wants to see the district thrive not just locally but on the statewide level.

“I have to be 100% transparent,” she said. “I’m not sure exactly what happened behind the scenes as a board and the school, and what they look at.”

Betts said she is willing to be a part of the solution.

“We should try to figure out a way to attract some qualified staff to an expensive area here,” she said. “To not just offer bare minimum things here at Seaside but excel at a state level not just for activities but sports and educational activities.”

Urbach, owner and operator of the Bridge Tender bar, said his interest to join the board came from recently working with ESS, a substitute services provider.

“When this opportunity came I was like, ‘ why not just go for it,” he said.

Urbach said becoming involved with ESS has played a part in becoming more involved. He also said his involvement helped him get a better understanding of the community. He said he feels compelled to take on a bigger role.

“The school district stuff would definitely be new to me,” Urbach said. “But it’s something that I feel pretty strong about.”

The board is scheduled to appoint a new board member at its general meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 17. The newly appointed member’s first meeting will be March 17. The meetings are held at Seaside High School and on Zoom.

Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story contained errors: ESS is a substitute services provider, not a special education program; and the next board meeting for the Seaside School District is at 6 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 17, not at 7.