With longtime Oregon Trail School District School Board Director Marjan Salveter choosing not to seek re-election, three newcomers competed on May 20 to fill the seat. As of May 27, The Post has declared that the clear winner is Gregg Chastain.

As of 5 p.m. Friday, May 27, updated results were showing Gregg Chastain in the lead to claim the North Sandy Zone 1 seat with 64.69% of the vote. Loretta Gaul follows with 23.80% and Thomas Persons has 11.50% of the vote.

Chastain is the pastor at the Community Church of Sandy, and he has previously served on the Oregon Trail Academy board, the OTSD budget committee, the curriculum overview committees, the OTSD Superintendent’s Leadership Council, and the school site councils for Kelso Elementary School and Boring Middle School.

“I’m thankful for this opportunity to work with others in our community who want to help create the best environment for students to learn and excel,” Chastain said on May 28. “I look forward to working with those already serving on the board, in the schools and administration, along with all those who volunteer their time and energy to our students.”

A longtime resident of the district, Chastain said serving on the board is just another way he has hoped to serve the community he’s lived in for nearly 20 years.

“Since moving to Sandy almost 20 years ago, I have consistently sought ways to be invested in our community through the schools,” he said prior to the election. “I am thankful for the education my children received and the many teachers and administrators who invested in them. I believe education to be vitally important to a healthy democracy, and as a lifelong learner I want to continue supporting our district as they seek to create a learning environment where students can grow academically and socially.”

As a board member, he hopes to “continue growing in my understanding of Oregon public education and its financing, while working to ensure that every stakeholder within the school district has a voice, that the district is stewarding its resources responsibly, and that our community is fostering an environment where students thrive academically.”