The first board meeting of the year for the Medford School District is set for Thursday, with the agenda calling for discussion of budget committee vacancies, “restructuring” of board meetings and deliberation by board members over a complaint against one of their own.

Thursday’s meeting is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. at Oakdale Middle School, 815 S. Oakdale Ave., Medford. The meeting also can be accessed online.

The final board meeting of 2024 was held Dec. 19 and included the censuring of board member Michael Williams following a third-party investigation over a separate complaint by district staff. Two audience members also were escorted out by police, and three teachers addressed the board about a rash of grievances against the district that are likely headed for arbitration.

On Thursday, Williams is again the focus of discussion involving a pair of complaints filed by District Superintendent Bret Champion and other district administrative staff in October.

The complaints center around an alleged heated exchange between Williams and Champion.

The board was set to discuss the October complaint during a Nov. 19 board meeting, Thursday’s agenda states. However, Williams was absent from that meeting at the advice of his attorney.

During Thursday’s meeting, the board, according to the agenda packet, will decide if a third-party investigation is warranted for the remaining unresolved complaint lodged by district staff over the alleged October incident.

Williams first made news headlines in July for speaking out on the reassignment of Medford police School Resource Officer Josh Doney. Medford police and the school district initially billed the decision as a routine reassignment, though school district officials later cited an “accumulation of concerns.”

In addition to the complaints over the alleged October incident, Williams was also reported to authorities by district officials for wearing a knife on his work belt when visiting district properties.

Williams, who wears the sheathed knife and a pair of shears for his job as an agricultural hemp inspector, was investigated by Oregon State Police. The Jackson County District Attorney’s office later said Williams had not committed any crime.

Fellow board members, after reviewing the DA’s statement, voted to censure Williams and implement restrictions on his activities as a board member, to include requiring that he be supervised by a fellow board member for any visits to district schools grounds.

Thursday’s agenda also includes an item titled, “Restructuring Board Meetings Executive Summary,” and states that Board Chair Cynthia Wright will “present some thoughts on restructuring board meetings and provide an opportunity for board members to have a discussion.” No further details were available.

A planned citizen presence is expected at Thursday’s meeting. Members of the Oregon Education Project, in a message to the Rogue Valley Times, said they plan to issue a “call to action” during the meeting.

Local group members, affiliated with Parents Rights in Education and the MTN Church Community Impact Team, said community members will make a statement and urge parents to take a more active role in community schools.

The group also says it plans a series of town halls beginning Feb. 7 to include school districts throughout the region. Oregon Education Project advocate Russ Kautz, of Medford, said five speakers will each use their three-minute allotment of time Thursday night to present a statement to the board about the organization, which officially launched on Tuesday.