The Woodburn school board now has an empty seat.
Santiago Puente submitted his resignation letter from the school board on Nov. 21. At the Dec. 17 Woodburn school board meeting, the remaining board members accepted Puente’s resignation and officially declared the seat vacant.
Puente was sworn into Position 1 in July 2023, and his term was set to last until June 2027. The reason for his departure was not stated during the December meeting, and Puente’s letter to the board was not immediately made available.
This is not the first resignation from a Woodburn School District board member this year. In March 2024, Anthony Medina resigned from Position 3 . His reason for leaving his seat was not made clear in a letter to the public. Current board member Courtney Elwell later filled his seat by appointment.
Applications are now open to fill the board’s vacant seat. To be eligible for appointment, candidates must have lived in the district for at least one year before appointment, not be officers or employees of the school district and be registered voters of the school district.