KLCC Candidate Guide: Siuslaw School District

Six candidates are running for three seats on the Siuslaw School District in Florence.

Two candidates, John Barnett and Maureen Miltenberger, are running to retain their current positions on the board. Candidates Maygan Hiatt and Tom Posegate are running for an open seat.

Siuslaw School District has nearly 1,200 students enrolled, according to Oregon Department of Education data from the 2023-2024 school year.

KLCC reached out to each candidate who filed to run for a seat in the district with a questionnaire for its KLCC Candidate Guide. Two out of six candidates responded.

Responses have been edited for length and clarity.

Adrian Pollut

Tell us a little bit about yourself:

My name is Adrian Pollut and I am running for position #2 on the Siuslaw School Board. I have been a resident of Lane County for 13 years and member of the Florence community for seven.

I am a music instructor for kids and teens in this portion of rural lane county and a committed community volunteer. In one way or

another I have used my skills from serving on various non-profit boards and with advocacy groups to support and champion early childhood care and carers in the Siuslaw region.

Why do you want to run for school board?

My motivation to run for school board comes from my dedication to community service and advocating for parent and community voices. I see that people in my community are not well represented by the majority of current school board members and it is my hope that we can bring community voice back into school

board decision making and take a stand against non-partisan elected officials using their personal political agendas to create policy for our schools.

School districts across the state have struggled with budget issues in recent years. Many have laid off staff and eliminated programs. The Trump administration has moved to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education, or cut funding. If you are elected to the school board, how might you approach local, and larger scale funding challenges?

I would support policies that would allow district staff to work towards creative solutions to funding problems. I would advocate for aggressively approaching the grant seeking and application process to maximize any outside funding possible. I will aslo advocate to the board to be open and honest about funding decisions and to communicate regularly and in a direct way with the community when challenging financial decisions have to be made.

Students across Oregon are struggling to read, and many are behind in math, according to ODE data. What do you think your district should be doing to ensure all students are proficient in reading, and math?

In general, I believe that to increase our students’ academic performance we have to increase our focus on helping to give kids the necessities of day to day life. No kid can give their studies appropriate attention when they are worried about where

their next meal is coming from or where they will lay their head that night. Some of this work is already being committed to by people in our school district but when we are living in a town where half of people are working and not making ends meet

or living in poverty it needs to be one of the primary focuses of our board and district policy making.

In regards to literacy experts say that the most important factor for a kid’s lifelong literacy is their unfettered access to books. We should be ensuring that our libraries are fully furnished with a variety of books from many diverse authors that explore a

variety of ideas to encourage our kids to read for fun and books featuring challenging and thought-provoking content to help our kids develop media literacy and the ability to judge their own reading material for themselves.

What do you believe is the number one issue facing schools in your district?

Poverty. Like many small towns in rural Oregon we have so many students whose households are unable to meet their everyday needs. A kid can not be a successful student if they lack everyday needs. Work to feed and house children in our region is ongoing, some supported by our very own schools and community members, but their work needs to have widespread and consistent support from elected officials.

Pollut’s opponent, John Barnett, did not respond to KLCC’s emailed questionnaire.

Maureen Miltenberger and Dennis King did not respond to KLCC’s emailed questionnaire.

Tom Posegate

Tell us a little bit about yourself:

I'm a full time father raising three daughters here in Florence. Before that, I worked as an educator and a facility manager, so I've seen both the classroom and operations side of schools.

I hold a degree in American History from Simpson University, and I’ve always had a deep respect for education. That respect is not just for what it teaches, but for the opportunities it creates. I’m also an active member of our community and care deeply about the future of our schools and the well-being of every student.

Why do you want to run for school board?

I’m running because I care about our students, our educators, and the long-term success of our community. I want to be a steady, thoughtful voice that listens carefully and leads with compassion. I believe we need school board members who put students first and work to build strong partnerships between schools, families, and the broader community. My goal is to support academic excellence, advocate for resources and transparency, and help foster safe, inclusive learning environments where all students can thrive.

School districts across the state have struggled with budget issues in recent years. Many have laid off staff and eliminated programs. The Trump administration has moved to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education, or cut funding. If you are elected to the school board, how might you approach local and larger-scale funding challenges?

I would approach funding challenges by working collaboratively with other board members, school leadership, and the community to ensure that every dollar is used efficiently and responsibly. It’s essential that we prioritize spending in ways that directly impact student learning and safety. At the same time, we need to advocate at the state and federal level for fair, consistent funding, especially for rural districts like ours. I believe in transparency and community involvement when it comes to budgeting, so people know where funds are going and why.

Students across Oregon are struggling to read, and many are behind in math, according to ODE data. What do you think your district should be doing to ensure all students are proficient in reading and math?

Reading and math are fundamental to long-term success, and our district should continue to invest in evidence-based instructional practices, early intervention, and staff development. We need to make sure educators have the tools and support they need to reach every student, especially those who are falling behind. Family engagement is also a key piece of the puzzle. When parents and caregivers are part of the learning process, students do better. We should be looking closely at the data, identifying gaps early, and responding with focused support and personalized strategies.

What do you believe is the number one issue facing schools in your district?

I think the number one issue that, not only our schools, but our entire town is facing is cooperation between the community and our schools. We need a school board that listens to our professional school staff and administration. We need our community to attend school events like concerts and sports events to tell our students “we see you and we value you.” We need to support mindful budgets that fund the needs of our schools and prioritize our students’ safety and wellbeing.

I have a degree in American History, and I firmly agree with Thomas Jefferson’s assertion "An educated citizenry is a vital requisite for our survival as a free people." Free, quality education is of the utmost importance to the future of our community. I love Florence, my kids were born here and they love their school. I want to work to support that love of learning for my kids, and all the kids of Florence. Thank you.

Maygan Hiatt did not respond to KLCC’s emailed questionnaire.