From the desk of School Board Director Kristina Hudson

I’m the Salem Keizer School Board Director out of Keizer also known as Zone 6, a seat I’ve been honored to hold since 7/1/23, which was quite a heartbreaking year as an attempt to salvage the drastic decline of the SalKeiz School District over the last several years, a year which contained much movement that this upcoming year will be and has already been (over Summer break) a radical adjustment. For you great one’s who may have found another place to put down new roots, I hold profound admiration for you and your families. My reverence for you will remain unbound. The new environment you chose to grace will be more than fortunate.   

I’d like to thank all of you readers, and contributors to this outlet who keep this community growing as a backbone of strength, encouragement, and actual love for this place we all call home. One of my favorite parts of this journey has been being in your presence. You are a quiet army behind anything good in our community that most don’t know. Over and over again you show up. In panel discussions you are the friendly faces amongst the crowd. I know you gave me strength to continue to want to attempt to make a difference, as well as a constant reminder of the importance of our efforts. That strength is what will help our state turnaround.

I’ve often been asked, “what can I do to help?” Our kids need change immediately! We have no choice but to continue striving to help focus our children and community so they are less likely to become addicted to drugs, fall into an unhealthy quality of life, and develop mental illnesses. Thank you to the many that have had the ability to visualize, and collaborate generating community mentorships, programs, and physical places for our youth, and adults looking to grow as well. 

One of the biggest highlights in the SalKeiz district is the Career Technical Education Center offering hands-on training, high school electives, and certifications in an actual field ready to work upon graduation. Immagine getting to find a passion in each child, what their focus on life would be like.

If you have a skillset or business, and you are in a position to share some of those passions with our local youth and community, do it! Our next generation need more chances, opportunities, and encouragement than they are getting and deserve. There may be a vision to work toward improvements in our districts, but what does that vision mean to you? What do you have the ability to change? They need us, and we need them.