Scappoose voters will see some familiar faces on the ballot in May.

There are three openings on the Scappoose school board this election, each with incumbent candidates running unopposed. The election is set for May 20, and Columbia County will begin mailing ballots April 30.

The seven-member school board helps oversee the district from a bird’s eye perspective, setting budgets, creating policies and making choices about how Scappoose schools operate. The board is also responsible for hiring and managing the superintendent.

Board positions are nonpartisan and correspond to zones — geographic divisions in Scappoose — with one board member residing in each zone. However, board members are elected at-large and represent the entire district for a term of four years once elected.

Here are the candidates for Scappoose school board:

Summer Stutsman-Hoag – Zone 3

With four years on the Scappoose school board under her belt, incumbent board member Summer Stutsman-Hoag is running for reelection to the Zone 3 seat.

Stutsman-Hoag was first elected in 2021. She holds a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Linfield University and has worked as a pediatric intensive care nurse for more than two decades.

“Our children deserve high-functioning board members who serve with grit and creativity as well as effective communication and leadership skills,” Stutsman-Hoag said in a statement in the Columbia County voters’ pamphlet, adding that she will focus on conservative budgeting and fact-based decision making if reelected.

Stutsman-Hoag is running unopposed and will serve for a four-year term.

Phil Lager – Zone 4

Having served on the Scappoose school board for 16 years, board Chair Phil Lager is looking to make it full two decades.

Lager was first elected in 2009 and has served consecutive four-year terms on the board since. He has also served on the school district’s budget committee.

After graduating from Scappoose High School, Lager went on to obtain a bachelor’s degree in pre-law and public policy from Western Oregon University.

Lager is running unopposed for the position and will serve a four-year term.

Gwynn Klobes – Zone 5

Incumbent board member Gwynn Klobes is running for reelection to the Zone 5 position.

First elected in 2021, Klobes is retired and brings her experience of directing a personal and professional development program at the University of Portland, where she also earned a master’s degree in business and a bachelor’s degree in theology after graduating from Scappoose High School.

“As a Board member, I ask questions and try to find practical solutions to problems,” Klobes said in a statement in the Columbia County voters’ pamphlet. “If reelected, I will continue to focus on solving the problem of our aging infrastructure. I will also continue to communicate with the state legislature about processes for measuring student achievement and the need to increase funding for special education and unfunded mandates.”

Klobes is running unopposed for the position and will serve in the seat for a four-year term.