D21 School board member resigns; district taking applications for Zone 2 again
Dayna Wynn-Elledge
By Tom Peterson
The Dalles, Ore., Feb. 23, 2026 — Dayna Wynn-Elledge has resigned from the North Wasco County School District 21 Board of Directors, stepping down from the Zone 2 position she had held since her appointment in 2023.
Wynn-Elledge declined to discuss the reasons for her departure.
“It is not anyone’s business,” she said Monday. “It was my choice.”
Her resignation creates a vacancy on the seven-member board, which governs policy, budgets and leadership decisions for the district serving The Dalles and surrounding communities.
Zone 2 covers most of the rural area southwest of The Dalles.
The district is now seeking applicants to fill the vacant Zone 2 position through an appointment process. Interested residents must be registered voters who have lived within the district and Zone 2 for at least one year. Applications will be accepted through March 27 at 4 p.m., with interviews to be conducted prior to a regular school board meeting and open to the public.
The Zone 2 boundary map is included below, but the map & zone description may also be found on the NWCSD Website, www.nwasco.k12.or.us, under School Board & Board Members.
The appointed position will run through June 30, 2027, completing the remainder of the current term. The seat will then appear on the May 2027 special district election ballot for a full four-year term.
Wynn-Elledge was appointed effective July 1, 2023, to fill the unexpired term of Dawn Rasmussen, who resigned earlier that year. At the time, district officials said Wynn-Elledge brought extensive parent and community involvement to the role, including serving as a parent representative at Brier Terrace Middle School and working as a swim instructor for local youth.
In announcing her appointment in 2023, the district said Wynn-Elledge was committed to helping ensure students developed essential academic skills and emphasized fairness and careful consideration in board decision-making.
School board members in Oregon serve as the governing body of their districts, setting policy, approving budgets and hiring and evaluating the superintendent.
The district has not yet announced when the appointment to fill the Zone 2 vacancy will be made.
