001the um September 25th, 2020. 2025 meeting of the Corvalis School Board is now called to order at 6:29 p.m. Is everybody here? >> There. Um to support the health and safety of all community members, particularly those who are immuno compromised and their families, the board continues to offer a virtual participation option for the B for board members and district staff. Public comment is available at select meetings both in person and virtually. Details on how to provide public comment are available on the Corbella School District website. Tonight's agenda, board packet, and a link to the district's YouTube channel can be found on the schoolboard page of the website. All public meetings are livereamed on YouTube and recordings are typically posted the following day. Tonight we have Sammy, Chris, Shauna, Theres, Bernie, and myself in attendance in
002person. And um Judah is excused. The first item on the agenda is acknowledgement of LGBTQI2S plus History Month. >> Corvalis School District 509J. Acknowledgement of LGBTQI2S plus History Month. Resolution number 21-101. Whereas the Corvalis School District recognizes and pays tribute to the significant contributions made in our community by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, interex, and two spirits people as well as people from the multitude of other gender and sexual identities, LGBTQI2S. And whereas the community Corvalis school district affirms that LGBTQ I2S+ students, families, staff, and community members should be valued for all aspects of their identities. And whereas LGBTQ I2S plus History Month grew out of the establishment of what was then called Gay and Lesbian History Month by Missouri high school teacher Rodney Wilson in 1994. And [Music] >> whereas National Coming Out Day
003occurs each October 11th. And whereas LGBTQI2S plus History Month was first celebrated in school districts within the United States in 2012. And whereas whereas LGBTQI2S plus History Month has yet to be proclaimed nationally and whereas LGBTQI2S history is not part of a standard educational curricula. And >> whereas LGBTQI2S plus History Month provides an opportunity to continue the district's growth in learning about the many contributions of LGBTQI2S plus people to the nation, world, and local community. And whereas the state of Oregon has a documented history of anti-LGBTQI2S plus actions. And >> whereas education is a necessary component for creating a more equitable and anti-racist community, nation, and world. And whereas the Corvalis School District has made a commitment to equity and anti-racism. And >> whereas the Corvalla School District has a responsibility to honor and respect
004the diverse histories of our community. And whereas the Corvalis School District believes each and every student must be celebrated and appreciated for the dis distinct and vibrant contributions made by sharing cultures, language, ideas, beliefs, and values within a school community. Therefore, let it be resolved that the board of education of the Corvalis School District does hereby proclaim October 2021 as well as each October annually as LGBTQI2S plus History Month in the district and strongly encourages students, families, staff, and community members to join in existing local celebrations and encourages all schools in the district to help highlight this month in grade appropriate ways as well as highlight the contributions of LGBTQI2S plus peoples to the local community nation and beyond both historically and in current times. adopted by the board of directors of the school district
005number 509J Corvalis of Benton and Lynn counties, Oregon at its regular meeting this 14th day of October 2021. >> Thanks everyone. As a reminder, we reread our um proclamations every year as um an affirmation of the district's continued um support of what's in them. And the next item on the agenda is student representative introductions. So, I'm going to hand it over to Ryan. >> All right. Thank you. So, um for the community to know, um each year we have student representatives that serve as um sort of that liaison between their school and the board. Um several years ago, we updated the policy around our student leaders um through work with the um students that were um associated with the board at that point in time. And so, tonight um we have all of our representatives
006from this school year with us. and we're going to let them introduce themselves. I know at least one school has a report that they wanted to share that wasn't necessarily required tonight. So, everybody did complete their homework. Um, and at the same time, just to be able to introduce who they are, they'll continue to join us throughout the school year and at our typically at our regularly scheduled meeting. Um, when I give the soups report, the board gives their reports and students give the reports about what's going on at their school. So, um, Thomas, I'm going to have you go first and just introduce yourself and which school you're representing. >> Hello everybody. My name is Thomas Deprey and I'm from CHS. >> Uh, my name is Thomas Sherry and I'm also at Corval High
007School. >> Hello everybody. My name is Amy Badin and I'm representing College Hill. >> Hello, my name is Jack Martin and I'm also representing College Hill. >> And you all have a report. Is that right? Do you want to go ahead and do that now as we Well, actually, let's just go ahead run and do introductions and we'll come back to you. >> Hi, my name is Laura and I'm representing CV. >> Hi, my name is Leo and I'm also representing CV. >> Hello, my name is Aya Akavan Hedari and I'm also representing Corvalis High School. >> And so, I believe the report we have tonight is from College Hill. So, if um Jack and Amy want to go ahead and share the update about what's going on at your school. >> All right. Thank
008you, Mrs. Eric Wright for the writing this board report. Um College Hill started this year at full capacity of 160 students in our three programs, College Hill High School, the construction program, and the urban farm. With our largest graduating class ever last year, we have a big group of new students. So far, they are demonstrating themselves to be kind and hardworking, and we are eager to see all that they bring to our community. Some new things going on this year is staff book studies. Our staff are reading books together to learn how to serve our students more effectively. Some of these some of the titles they are reading are the ancient generation 10 to 25 the science of motivating young people, the atlas of the heart, automatic habits, atomic habits, pardon and several more. Number
009two, ambassador program. We are identifying a group of trusted students who serve as ambassadors who will mentor, support, encourage, and welcome new students into our school. In addition, they will receive training in conflict resolution to support students when they are not getting along with other students. They will also help direct students who are struggling to services in our school and community for support when needed. We hope that this is a program that will grow into something special. Second, knitting club. A team of staff and community members are working with students once a week to learn to knit and crochet. Every student needs a place to feel like they belong and we hope that this provides another niche for students to find just that spot. Four new classes we are offering this year are two-dimensional art,
010threedimensional art, Korean personal development, and peace literacy. >> Our construction program students will be building a garden shed to be donated to Adams Elementary School. This project will help train our students before they begin to build their micro shelters and will support another school in the district. We are eager to help uh and excited to learn. We would like to thank the folks from the Redemption Church who provided a fun welcome back to uh back barbecue for our staff and students uh on the first Friday of the school year. It was a fun time to hang out, share a meal, and kick off the year in a positive note. Thank you for the delicious food and taking such good care of us. >> And then CV has a report as well. Crescent Valley has kicked
011off the year with great energy. Our first assembly has had a visible success. The student section was loud and excited, especially our freshman class, which filled up their section of the bleachers and was spilling over to the sophomore class. At one point, we had 40 students across all grades participating in a game. Additionally, at the rivalry football game a couple weeks ago, CV students packed the entire left side of the stands. There have been reports that football players were sometimes having trouble hearing due to our enthusiasm. Next week will be the week of homecoming and we're excited to see Raiders keeping up the spirit at um the spirit days, the game and the dance. Also, CV students showed up on the first day of school to discover brand new concrete stairs in the quad. The
012potholes that once scarred our parking lot were also fixed over the summer. The improvements had made big difference in both safety and appearance. We appreciate the district for making this upgrade possible, especially in emotional times like this. We understand that difficult decisions will be made this year that could make lasting changes in the district. CV hopes that as these decisions are being made, the voices of students are considered because while numbers and buildings are important, so are the people who grow, learn, and build memories within them. Crescent Valley student government will continue to express our perspectives through various easily accessible ways. From articles written directly by our core council members published on the crescent crier to showing up to comm community community information meetings to me and Leo bringing our messages to the board. We
013trust that whatever path is chosen will be guided by the same commitment that went into something as seemingly simple but deeply meaningful as paving our parking lots and renovating our stairs. And thank you again for your continued support of our school. We would like to update you on some upcoming events and important initiatives happening at Corbalis High School. First, we have an exciting car show planned for September 8th. It will take place from 1:00 p.m. to 3 p.m. in the CHS parking lot. This event is a fantastic opportunity for our community to come together, showcase various cars, and enjoy time with friends and family. We hope to see you there. In addition, we want to highlight our upcoming Winter Smiles program, which was the recipient of the Dutch Bros Buck for Kids Initiative. Dutch Bros
014donated $1 from every drink sold last Friday to the Winter Smiles program at CHS. This fundraiser was able to pull in over $4,000 to help support Winter Smiles. This program plays a crucial role in providing Christmas gifts and essential needs to our underprivileged student families. It's a wonderful way for us to give back during the holiday season and ensure that every family feels supported. Lastly, we'd like to touch on the implementation of the statewide phone ban. We have seen a positive response from students regarding this new policy. Many are complying with the updated rules, which has helped create a more focused learning environment. The initial feedback indicates that this policy is making a difference in our school culture. However, there has been some frustration about the communication limits between coaches and students during instructional hours.
015It can be difficult to not be on your phone during lunch or instructional breaks as students often rely on their devices for quick communication. Additionally, there seems to be inconsistent enforcement regarding the use of MP3 players and headphones, which adds to the confusion around the overall policy. As time goes on, we believe these issues will likely be addressed as we all adapt to the new guidelines. Increased awareness among students and staff will lead to better compliance and understanding of the rules. Communication channels may also evolve, allowing for more effective ways to stay in touch during critical hours. With continued feedback and adjustments, I'm optimistic that the implementation of the phone ban will result in a smoother experience for everyone involved. Thank you for your attention and we are grateful for your continued support of these
016initiatives for students and community. If you have any questions, we are happy to answer them. Thank you. >> So again, we're happy to have you all with us and to share what's going on in your schools. Um, and again, just to see how incredible our students are. So, this is a great way to kick off the year. Um, for those of you who don't know, students are either identified through an election process at their school, a principal recommendation. Um, and some of our students stay on for a year, some of our students stay on for two years. Um, but again, it's a great opportunity to have student voice and perspective in the room. Thank you. >> Thanks, Ryan. And thanks to um everyone for your introductions and your reports and welcome to um being with
017us in this capacity this year. Looking forward to hearing your voices throughout the year. Um the next item on the agenda is public comment. And I understand we have public comment this evening. And so we'll now open the public comment period. We value the lived experiences of students, families, staff, and the community and welcome public comment as an essential part of the district and board work. The complete guidelines for public comment are available on the registration table outside the boardroom entrance and on the board's website. I will now share some important points. When it is your turn to speak, please come forward, take a seat, and direct your comments to the board. You also need to turn on the mic. There's a button and it turns red right here for folk that are going to
018talk so you know how to do that. Uh speakers may offer construct offer objective criticism of district operations and programs but the board will not hear complaints concerning individual district personnel. As a reminder, you will have three minutes to make your comments. There is a green light when your time starts. When it turns yellow, you have 30 seconds left. And then it turns red. That means your time is up. And I'm going to have to ask you to stop talking if you're still talking. Uh following your comments, the board will have three minutes to ask clarifying questions but are not able to engage in conversation, which is really hard for us because we like talking to people. If board members would like to revisit a topic or issue brought up during public comment, they may
019do so at the appropriate time in the agenda. Before you start your comments, please state your name for the record and state whether you reside within the school district boundary. And to the first person, >> Vibav Javali The one with the person. >> The one with the person. All right. >> And the light will turn. There it goes. Yeah. >> Hi, I'm Villa Jabali and I'm a senior at Crescent Valley School at Crescent Valley High School and I reside within the school district. So this morning I found myself at Mountain View Elementary mentoring fourth graders for my leadership class, a school that's about to become K through 6 under the new consolidation proposal. As kids often do, they were full of questions and one asked me how much I liked Crescent Valley. But before I
020could even answer, another student stepped in with just five words. It won't exist anymore, dummy. That moment hit me. These are children who should be dreaming about their futures, not doubting whether their high school will even be there for them. I want to be clear. I have no personal stake in this decision. My parents are on H-1B visas that under this new administration might not even exist anymore. I'm graduating in a year and probably moving out of the state. By every measure, I could just move on and not care what happens next. But I'm standing here tonight because those fourth graders can't. Someone has to fight for them. And for an administration that calls itself quote, a champion of inclusion and racial equity, honored to work in a district where those values and the student
021experiences are at the center of all decision-m. The truth is this. Your consolidation proposal could not be farther than equitable. It doesn't fix the real problem. If the issue is enrollment, then redraw the boundaries. Balance the student population, feeding it to Sheldon and Crescent Valley. That's what real leadership looks like. It is not a weakness to admit a mistake. It's courage. But continuing to push halfbaked consolidation plans to cover for past missteps is not real leadership. Our schools will not be pawns in a political game. They are communities. They are identities. And if you keep ignoring that truth, you won't be failing me. You'll be failing those fourth graders I was with today. Thank you. >> Is there any questions? Is there any questions from the board, >> Sammy? Thank you very much for sharing
022your feedback and appreciate your uh critical eye on this. So my understanding of the proposal is that Mountain View is not going to be is not recommended >> K through eight. party. >> It's not recommended to be K through 6, K through 8 and CV never has been under discussion of closure anytime in the while I'm on the school board. That's true. So where did you read that proposal? Are you discussing the proposal of superintendent or different ideas? >> Yeah, for sure. So the consolidation proposal says that when the enrollment um reaches below 2025 students or when we reach the 2028 2029 school district uh school year that we will um basically look at like the options of keeping both schools open. But I think uh the problem is that even the reality um that
023like that might even happen is very concerning and it's challenging students identities in the school district. >> Thank you. >> Yeah. Thank you. >> Any other questions for BibHub? Thank you very much. >> Next is Penelopey Sera Bonsson. Um hello, I'm Penelopey. I am also a senior at CV and I do reside in district lines. Um, as senior class president and the president of SAFE, I've been able to talk and gather opinions from countless students from countless backgrounds. So, I'm here to present my own opinion and represent the concerns of my peers. Firstly, this consolidation plan feels extremely rushed. We have heard and seen no evidence of authentic community feedback that we were told was given during this process. Additionally, the other two plans that were seemingly considered have not been adequately flushed out. Not
024to mention, one of the alternate plans is simply the status quo, which is not a plan. it just seems like a copout. We ask that you do take more time and consideration when making these decisions. We also recognize clear weaknesses in this plan. Mountain View as a K8 will struggle when it comes to space and resources. While students at Corvalis Junior High would have many more opportunities, the location is central. The facilities are larger and better equipped for middle school children, and they would be surrounded by peers their own age as opposed to those much younger with different needs. Additionally, both LP and Sheldon are currently thriving middle schools. Um, according to the 2324 annual report, they are within 10% of each other regarding attendance, ELA, math, and science proficiency. So why are we closing
025one of these thriving middle schools instead of addressing the target issue, which is declining elementary enrollment? Middle schoolers are not disappearing. Kindergarten and elementary kids are. So why do those schools go untouched when it's their enrollment that is sure to drop? I don't say this thinking we have all the time in the world to make this decision. And I understand our enrollment is decreasing along with funding which forces these changes to be made. But I do believe there are ways we can address them. Uh we have to address transfers out of the district and within the district before we consider internal closures. Many families are transferring due to lack of resources as our programs are being cut choosing or private schools instead. Last year News noted 87 transfers from Corvalis and we only received 36.
026Additionally, the 23 24 school year saw over 15% of kids in our boundaries enrolling in private schools instead. Much of this because of the resource cuts. Um, elementary libraries have been cut between 33 to 66% depending on school and their arts cut around 50%. At the same time, these resources are being removed. Our administrators and their salaries are being raised drastically. There's obviously money in our systems and there are solutions that do not require removing resources that drive people away. We have to actually invest it in things that will attract people and make our schools thrive. I please ask you to consider closing or regulating transfers more effectively both in the district and outside of the district, particularly when it comes to CV. Many students are transferring to CHS because of the rumors around its
027potential closure. And we ask you to regulate these interd district transfers and keep both schools equal with equal opportunities. This would keep more people invested in the district and once again help solve our issue of decreasing enrollment. Thank you. Is there any questions from the board? Thank you, Penelope. Karen Gibson. I stand before you as a student of Crescent Valley High School and I reside within the school district boundary. Right now, there are three elementary schools feeding into CV, while four are feeding into CHS. The consolidation plan should make an effort to restore the balance between high schools, but instead only worsens the imbalance of students. By turning Mountain View into a K8 school, the district has acknowledged that there aren't a lot of students living in the Mountain View boundary area. This means that
028CV is effectively being served 2.75 elementary schools compared to CHS's four. There are also not enough details about the process of the CVHS closure review in 2028, causing uncertainty and panic, which only worsens the amount of transfers um between the two high schools. By combining most middle schoolers into one school, this will result in student students transferring into CHS to stay with their friend groups. While the consolidation plan only focuses focuses on the elementary and middle school level, the effects have massive consequences at the high school level as well. I hope the school district will take in uh take these concerns seriously and work with the community um to solve these issues before voting for the consolidation plan. Thank you. >> Is there any questions from the board? Um we do need you to state
029your name for the record too. >> My name is Kieran Gibson and I reside within the school district boundary. >> Okay. Any questions? Thank you Kieran. Amanda McBride. >> Hello, my name is Amanda McBride and I reside in the Corvalis School District boundaries and it's really good to see some of my old students. Um, I would like to read a love letter to the CSD school staff. Hi team, how's it going? Don't answer that. I want to tell you that I believe in our schools and I believe in public education. For 13 years, I was a member of the LPMS pride and during that time, I worked to expand and strengthen program offerings here in the Corvalis School District. I've had the privilege of watching students learn and grow and then move forward in their
030educational journeys. Then sometimes years later, some of those same students come back and become colleagues and mentors to a new class of students. I've seen the power of collaboration between subject area teams and grade level cohorts who develop programs and routines that help the students in their school community succeed and thrive. A privilege of being a member of the school district was having such incredible and talented humans work alongside each other to propel our students forward into what we hope was a positive future. To see a student become a teacher and then that teacher become a mentor for a new generation of students has to be one of the most fantastic journeys to witness. As you know, this current budget deficit has been plaguing our hiring and retention for years now. With the current proposal
031for consolidation focused on the closure of Corval or of Shuddlin Middle School, I as well as several community members are concerned for the 48 to 50 staff members in that school community. Knowing that the proposed plan to merge LPMS and Sheldon into a possible Corvalis Junior High also raises concerns about the approximate 90 staff at LP. That is roughly 135 middle school staff that are currently feeling the rub of this possible change. However, that does not mean that that is only these staff members that will be impacted. The number of FTE estimated to be cut with the consolidation is about 11.2 per the last board meeting. Knowing that the consolidation is only making up 2 million of the deficit, we know that the other 2 million might come from more FTE cuts. This now becomes
032a district-wide staff concern with members starting to check their lensure and their years as a CSD employee to find out where they lie in the cutting order. Knowing that cuts will be made based on years of service and content specialties. I want to say that staff, you need to know sooner rather than later what the subject areas and grade level needs will be for next year. Also, if you, as a current staff member, feel strongly about this proposal and are too worried to speak up, please use your union members to be your voice. Right now, the community speaking up are folks who are directly impacted in this next school year. However, we all know that this is far from the end of this budget deficit, and I implore you to talk to each other and
033communicate your questions about your place in this district in the coming years. We have a very good community in this sweet mid valley town and I worry what schools will look like if we shove more and more kids into already full classrooms with less and less staff to support all the needs of our students. >> Your time's up. Amanda, does anybody have any questions? >> Amanda, do you have a final point that you wanted to make? >> I do. CSD staff, you are strong and mighty, and I hope that you are working with each other and talking to each other about your needs and concerns moving forward with the district budget needs. We as parents and community members want the best for our students, which means we want the best for the people who teach
034and guide them every day at school. Thank you for what you do and for continuing to show up every day for our kids. Is there any Is there any Thank you for finishing that. Is there any other questions from board members? Thank you, Amanda. Thank you for your time. >> Stephen Hul. Hi, my name is Steven Ho and I live within the Corvalis School District boundaries. I'm here to speak about equity. Equity is not just a word in a mission statement. It's a promise. It's a promise to put people first, to ensure no group of families carries a heavier burden than another. This proposal to close Sheldon breaks that promise. The impact of this plan is not equitable. It places an undue burden on the families who feed into Sheldon. And let's be honest, it's
035not consolidation. It's dispersal. It scatters students, disrupts teachers, and fractures the community. The board directed the superintendent to prioritize human impact to keep the well-being of students, families, and staff at the forefront, and to ensure open communication and to incorporate community feedback and ideas. But this plan tells a different story. The district claims to value equity, but equity cannot exist when one neighborhood is asked to sacrifice more than others. It cannot exist when teachers are shuffled like chess pieces, some forced into unfamiliar roles within the district. is disrespectful to their expertise and destabilizing for our kids. And the students are the heart of our schools. This plan disrupts their education, particularly in electives, the arts, and without these sequential programs, students lose opportunities that set them up for success in high school and beyond. Cutting
036off those pathways deepens inequity. And for our students receiving special education services, the impact is even more profound because they rely on stability, consistency, and relationships with trained staff. Shuffling them between schools undermines the supports they need to thrive. For these families, the stakes are not just about opportunity. It's about access. And here's the hardest truth. Even after all the disruption, this plan is only a half measure. It still leaves the district with a $2 million shortfall. Families, teachers, and students are being asked to sacrifice, but the problem isn't solved. That's not equity. That's failure dressed up as progress. We deserve a solution that lifts up all families, not one that pushes an outsized burden onto a few. We deserve a plan that respects teachers, protects our electives, safeguards our most vulnerable learners, and truly
037addresses the budget crisis. We deserve real consolidation, not dispersal. Equity means shared sacrifice. It means listening, truly listening to the community. It means putting our children's futures above convenience or expedience. So tonight, I ask, will you honor your directives? Will you keep your promise to put students, families, and staff first? Will you choose real equity, not just in words, but in action? Thank you. Is there any questions from the board? >> Go ahead, Sammy. Thank you, Stephen, for your comments and I really appreciate it in entirety, but I have I I do have one question about one thing you mentioned uh specifically when uh I would like you to elaborate more about the proposed plan is estimated to save 2 million out of the projected four and we do project $4 million uh downfall if
038we don't do anything. What I'm hearing from you, and correct me if I'm wrong, you want the building consolidation t take the full burden of saving $4 million cost and you don't want to see cuts in any other aspect. Uh is that what you're hinting at? Uh or what what do you mean by that's the $2 million is not enough if we only focus on consolidation with $2 million? >> It's kicking the can down the road. At some point, more difficult decisions have to be made. And closing one school right now solves $1.87 million according to the slides that I've seen. It doesn't solve the $4 million total impact, right? It doesn't solve that budget crisis. And on top of that, that's not even the final numbers is my understanding because we were seeing numbers
039that were based uh before the 10-day drop period. And now that we are at that 10-day drop period, I don't know what those numbers look like. I'm sure the district knows, but I don't right now. So, I don't know how many kids have not shown up to school. I don't know how many kids have already transferred out again. We don't know that. And as a community, we have no idea. So, >> what I'm looking at is not kicking the can down the road, right? Solving the problem by shutting down one school doesn't do that. You have to look at the broader picture. >> Thank you. Just to understand what you're saying, if I may follow up with a question. What you're saying is you would rather have a proposal that uh saves $4 million on
040consolidation instead of the current proposal. Is that what you're saying? Yes. >> I would like to see a plan that solves the budget crisis with the least amount of impact on our kids. And I think that means redistricting. >> And it's tough. It's hard. But it has to be done. And it's not done now. It's going to have to be done a year from now or two years from now. Thank you very much. Appreciate it. >> Any other questions? >> Thank you, Stephen. >> Amanda Cordis, Amanda Cordis. I reside in the Corvalis school district boundary and have a child in elementary school. I'm here to talk tonight about my observation as a community member in that I hear equity talked about quite a bit when it's fun or easy or celebratory or politically expedient. But
041I have yet to see any action being taken by the board or the district to address the sixth recommendation of the long range planning committee which was that the district boundaries need to be evaluated to ensure equitable distribution of resources. I want the board members to think back and remember what it felt like in 2024. how it felt in your body, in your gut when you made that vote to reduce library access. And how it felt again in 2025 making that vote to reduce music and take away access to one of those few spaces where the students are learning to co-regulate together. What that felt like again. And now imagine what it would feel like to vote for this current proposal knowing that you're causing all of this disruption and yet addressing less than half
042of the shortfall and completely ignoring the equity recommendation of the long range planning committee. We can't go back and change 2024. We can't change 2025, but we still have the opportunity to influence the outcome of this consolidation. I'm asking the board to take all of the necessary time to do this process well, to engage with the community meaningfully and not limit answers by providing a set of restrictive questions at the listening sessions. And I ask the board to only consider proposals if it fully addresses the magnitude of the budget shortfall and does so in an equitable manner. Thank you. Any questions from the board? >> Thanks, Amanda. Chris Blacker. Good evening, board, members of the board. Sorry. There's a quote that's um informed much of my life and actions. The only thing necessary for the
043triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing. Evil may sound strong, but let's look at the data. We know that class sizes are growing well beyond anywhere near what we used to call acceptable levels. Libraries and art programs have been cut in half and music has been diminished. And as a result, many families have left the district. Austerity has come to Corvalis and the poorest children have been bearing the brunt of the biggest cuts. And here's the truth. I believe some of you always knew this was wrong. You know these cuts don't line up with our stated values from the district of equity. You know that ignoring redistricting or proposing hard choices like closing elementary schools will only make things worse. But you know better. Knowing is not enough. Families and kids can't
044build their futures on good intentions or kind words. They need actions from the good people that might still be here if there are any left on this board. Now we've already been down this budget cutting for many, many years. I've been here for three years and every year it's more and more cuts. Classrooms are now at 34 in elementary, 37 in some high schools. Teachers can't possibly give what each kid needs. Libraries shuttered half the time, even though our district's goal is for every child to read by the age of third grade. Art and music programs reduced to shadows of themselves despite many of the board members claiming to care about those particular topics. Parents leaving the district altogether, taking decades of funding along with them. If nothing else, I feel like the financial director
045and superintendent should care about that. If nothing else, we're losing money. We are here because of you. Because of those of you who sat in those chairs who knew better and chose not to speak up or act for years. At one point, you did find the courage to make superficial changes like changing the names of our buildings to Leticia Carson and Bessie Coleman. Both brave women who broke barriers and proved the world wrong. And tonight, I'll be honest. I do not believe there's a single person on this board with that same kind of courage. Not one. If you don't agree, I dare you to prove me wrong. I dare you to even ask the district for one other option. One to compare to this. Maybe close two elementary schools. Maybe close Franklin. Maybe not ignore
046the inequitable, obvious inequities in our district. I dare you to care more about your political prowess or your political future. I dare you to care more maybe about schools that you don't even willing to send your own kids to. I dare you to prove me wrong because in the end, no one will remember the excuses, the empty promises, or the fancy pronouncements of equity at the beginning of each of these silly board meetings. They'll remember being abandoned by the very adults in this room in those chairs. I dare you to do better. I dare you to at least try. I dare you to prove me wrong that at least one of you actually still cares about the truth. Thank you. And I'm sorry I was emotional. Is there is there any um questions from the
047board? But before if anybody has questions, I need you to state your name and if you're in the boundary. You did not do that. >> My apologies. Chris Blacker. I am a member of the district and my children go to Leticia Carson. >> Thank you. Is there any questions from the board? Thank you, Chris. >> Jack Blacker. My name is Jack Blacker and I go to Leticia Carson, which my dad told me is a title one school. And that's apparently a school that there's a bunch of people there that don't have a lot of money. And I really like art. Don't you? We get to make fun projects. But now that you cut the time to 45 minutes instead of an hour and 15, we don't get that much time to have fun and make
048stuff and create stuff. And you've also cut library. And Miss Kegler is an awesome teacher. She used to read books to us at the beginning of library and help us find books that we really enjoy. But now because of the class sizes, she's busy checking out everyone and we don't even get to get a book read to us because of the time we don't have. In fact, when I was younger in second grade, I didn't not like reading at all and I was bad at it. Miss Kegler showed me a series, Dragon Masters, and now I'm one of the top readers in my class. And because of the class size, a lot of times we get the teachers get disrespect and there's a lot of collective punishment because of that. And I also heard you
049guys are shutting down Sheldon and putting all the kids in Linus Pauling and putting sixth grade in elementary school. We already don't have enough teachers. How is that going to help? Thank you. [Applause] Is there any questions from the board? Thank you, Jack. Max Blacker. this person. >> This person um my name is Max Blacker and I go to Ladisha Carson Elementary School. Um and I'm in second grade and you put music on. We used to when I was in first and kindergarten, we had music for for two days. And we also had art. We also had And you also shut down art from an hour and 15 to an hour to 45 minutes. And you also And you also made library shorter. Now I only have like 15 about 10 minutes to pick out
050a book. And when I was in first in kinder, my teacher, Miss Kegler, helped me pick out a book. And it and I I never had trouble ever picking out a book again except in second grade because now there are there are more kids and there there are more kids in the school. And now she's way too busy checking helping kids check out books. And also and also you put music to only one day. And now there is and now we don't have much time in music. And first in kinder I I used I had a lot of time in music and thank you. [Applause] Is there any questions from the board? >> Thank you Max Erica Cheney. Hi. Uh, Erica Cheney. I have two kids in the district. I reside in the district. I'm
051also a proud staff member of the district and classified union member. Um, I don't think that my comments can be any better than what you've heard this evening. Uh, so I'm going to keep it short and also uh let the students from LC know that Miss Kegler will personally get an email from me letting her know that she needs to watch those comments. Um, I have just seen budget cut, budget cut, budget cut, and it breaks my heart every time we have to go through it. Um, every year around spring break, it's like, oh, is the season. Um it is not a fun time to be an employee in the district because you know you will be losing colleagues or your own job. Um and so I just want to speak for the staff members
052like yes the students are important but the staff members show up every day for the students and are asked to do incredible things and do incredible and amazing things every day with the limited resources that they now have. and they continue to have cuts. And I just want to echo Amanda um McBride in her comments and how wonderful and amazing our staff is. And there you go. That's it. >> Is there any questions from the board? Sammy, >> thank you Erica. And uh very brief question. what I'm hearing from you, I appreciate it. I I sorry if I'm summarizing it, but if I'm hearing from you, you would like us with regard to the consolidation, if we have multiple options or if we consider an option, you want the one with least impact on reduction
053on FTE for our staff. Is that what you're hoping for? >> I consolidation is going to hurt somebody like nobody's going to be happy with this situation and I don't claim to have the answer. Communities are going to be disrupted no matter what you do. And I guess I feel like I've seen just a winnowing of staff to the point where you can't actually do the work that you're asked to do effectively to support the students. And I guess I'm tired of seeing that happen. And so if we can come to some solution that implements, sorry, words are failing me. Maybe doesn't let the harm drag on like a nasty tale. Um, it might be brutal. I don't know. But I'd rather see that than this constant every year like the dread of every year.
054>> Thank you. >> Any other questions? >> Thank you, Erica. Lewis Lousenheiser. Hi, my name is Lewis Lsonheiser. Uh, I reside within the district. Um, like uh like the person before me, I can't say uh anything more than what the students and the faculty members have said before me. Um, but I'm just here to provide my support for uh their cause. Uh, I have heard through a few people just in the grapevine. I just I just live in Corvalis. I've lived here for 10 years. I came here for OSU and then I stuck around. And I've heard through the community that this big change was happening that they were maybe shutting down a whole middle school. And it struck me as I don't know, wrong. That's a big word. But I thought maybe there had
055to be another option. And I just wanted to say that as a student when I was I went to Ashlin High School, Ashlin Middle School, the school district there, the long-standing uh teachers and faculty that were in those school districts were like myths and legends to us. So we would hear about them in middle school and then or in in grade school going into middle school and it was something to look forward to these um communities that we were going into and getting rid of a whole middle school seems like a loss to those students. I also wanted to say uh I was a camp counselor for quite some time and the independence that children get from going to middle school is extremely valuable to them. I can tell the difference between a fifth and
056a sixth grader just by talking to them and seeing how they carry themselves and removing that independence by adding a sixth grade to the middle school or to the grade school where they don't have that going between classes. they don't have that uh management skills that they need that they develop for themselves can I think that might be harmful. Um yeah that is I just wanted to lend my voice here. >> Is there any is there any questions from the board? >> Hi I'm also relatively new to Corvalis. Um so my question is um what do you think about the whole idea of elementary schools serving as community hubs uh for neighborhoods and uh how I guess what you have seen as somebody who who didn't grow up here. >> Um I have not seen
057I I have not seen too much of the of the elementary schools here. Um what I do know is that there are quite a few elementary schools and that they are not near capacity whereas there are two middle schools and they are near max capacity and it seems like if there was a cut to be made it might take it might be better to have an elementary school and that would be a loss undoubtedly because there are there are those communities as well in an elementary school but just the math seems to work out better the other Okay. >> Any other questions from the board? >> Thanks, Liz. >> Thank you. Is that all everybody? >> Okay. Um, hearing no further comments. The public comment period is now closed. I want to thank everybody for
058bringing your voices to the board. breaks. >> Take a break. >> Can we take a short break? All right. Um, next on the agenda, welcome back everybody. Next on the um, agenda is the summer programming update with Byron. And you have a presentation? >> Yes. >> All right. Hi. Uh, my name is Byron Bethards. I'm the director of student growth and experience. Um, and right before I get started, I wanted to just say a thank you to the board for your pro proclamation for this month. Um, I am a queer staff member and just it might seem like a little thing or maybe not equity focused, but when there is just that acknowledgement makes me feel seen and safe as a staff member in our district. So, I just want to say I appreciated that
059you about that this month. All right, summer programs. So, summertime is super fun. Um, and in our summer programs, I'm going to go through just some highlights and then have time if you have questions about about our summer programs. Summer programs is one of our actions that is aligned to like our equitable systems goal. Um, where we put our our resources towards changing our systems to be more equitable for students. And so I want to highlight ways in which our resources are helping us achieve that goal. So this is us serving snow cones that summer. Oh, no, you're good. It's just a picture. That's our snow cone machine um with us serving snow cones this summer. So that was super fun. We did that on Thursdays for our elementary programs and all the kids got
060to come have snow cones. Okay. So this summer we offered a variety um of K well actually prek um 12 types of programs um for for students. So, we hosted a kindergarten academy for incoming kindergarteners who had maybe hadn't had preschool experiences, have maybe been on some specialized plans, or didn't have access in the preschool community to be ready for school. So, the Kinder Academy was a three-week program to help students learn about what kindergarten could be like. We had a K5 um inclusive literacy camp and those were for our current students from last school year um that were qualified to have some boosts in reading. Um we had a middle school math camp and that was for fifth graders going into sixth grade who worked on getting ready for middle school math. A middle
061school international foods which was part of our dual immersion program at the middle school and they worked on cooking lots of food. I was there on a pizza day one day and some other other things that they were doing. Then we had secondary ESY. Um ESY is called extended school year and that's for students who qualify for that through special education to extend their school year to work on specific goals. We had a bridges summer program this summer where we know that students um in bridges c could be a vulnerable population and so that school year for them was extended throughout most of the summer so they could continue that continuity of services um and also work on career readiness skills. Urban farm was still going this summer. Um high school credit recovery uh and
062then high school math which was like an algebra ready class for for high school students. And then um once again, we continued to run our mental health program throughout the summer. Okay, this is like a huge lift from a whole bunch of departments across our district and I think um I was new to this this year and we're just looking at ways to streamline and improve how we do these things. But really all the departments across our school district and community partners as well as um our the schools foundation, the public schools foundation really help make summer programming happen. Um from hiring to food to transportation to funding from the foundation to our staff. Um it's kind of this all hands-on deck effort to plan to make this summer happen. Okay. So again, the purpose
063for us is to extend the school year a little bit in in different ways where students can work on keeping connections, building new skills, strengthening certain skills, and having a place to go and stay on track um throughout the summertime. So here's some just some numbers. We had about 350 students this summer participate. Um 88 staff members were hired and we also had eight of our staff members were students. So we had eight paid students working as well. Uh there was about 86 credits earned in our high school credit recovery. We uh provided mental health supports and therapy through for 22 students throughout the summertime. Uh transportation um we served about 54 students. Um these numbers were surprising to me. We had uh meals served at 11 sites and so over 6,000 breakfast served, 23,000
064lunches served this summer across those sites. And then um our our food service calls it supper not dinner. And so there was like about 3,000 suppers served as well. And so summer programs are possible from a whole bunch of different funding sources. We're super grateful to the uh public school foundation for their generous support. The student growth and experience department has funding that helps with some of our summer programs. We use title money, high school success money, and priettes. Priettes is called pre-employment transition services as part of voke rehab. And that's where some of the career readiness opportunities came from for this summer. So, just some pictures. So, the K5 inclusive literacy camp was at Lincoln. Um, this year's tie-dye was the light blue. I tried for pink and blue tie-dye, but they didn't have
065that, so we went with light blue. Um, math camp. So, this is the fifth to sixth grade math camp, which was at Linus Pauling. I think in this picture, they may have been testing their boats that they were making. It was called a math camp, but it was really focused on like the engineering process and STEM type of work for students and that experiential kind of math type of work. International Foods was at Linus Pauline. You can see some of the delicious snacks that they were making. So, secondary ESY practice uh like relevant and real life learning experiences as they worked on their skills um through board games, drink orders, enjoying kind of outside pieces as students worked through um different types of skill building activities in a more relaxed way than the day of
066a of a middle or high school schedule. Bridges. Um we were highlighted in an article this summer. Um but you can see like the the garden at Bridges with some of the field trips that that that the group took. Um they also work through like resume building and getting ready for like job type skills too during the summertime. And then this is the high school credit recovery team um that worked with lots of students um in a morning session and an afternoon session where lunch some days were provided, breakfast provided and snacks where students worked one teacher might be monitoring like three or four courses where students are working in more of a flipped model to earn credit. So questions about summer programs. Yeah, >> before we move into um questions, also Angela Hibbert is
067in the room who is the executive director of the foundation and as you know the foundation is a significant contributor to all things summer school. So I think it's important to also recognize the work of Angela and her team >> question that was Chris. >> Thank you for that great report. Um, I love hearing about so much excitement going on this summer where kids used to not like to come to back to school and it sounds like they were really eager to come every day. I'm curious about the eight paid students like what did they do? >> Um, that was at Urban Farm. >> Um, and so working at Urban Farm over the summertime. >> Yeah. Um just for my education um in terms of numbers 350 this year what is it like in the
068past is it uh growing is it something steady it's a little smaller than in the past um there's there was in the past about 500 to 600 some years um so this is a little bit smaller and I think one of the things that we have to keep evaluating um is what type of impact we make for students academically during this time and so in our in the data that we can see for our high school students, there is an impact for them for high school credit recovery. And I've been starting to explore what that impact looks like for our younger students for the summertime and if the model we use is the correct way to make those academic gains during the summer or if we need to shift the model that we do. Um,
069so this summer was a little bit more scaled down and I think as we keep like planning and revising we'll see shifts in numbers of our programs. >> Thank you so much Byron and for everybody who's contributed to such an amazing program. I had a chance to go and visit, I know several other schoolboard members did too, to take a tour of some of the summer programs. And I was able to go and visit the high school program, in particular, the credit recovery program. And something that was so wonderful about being there was seeing how how much students enjoyed being there. They loved the pace of the program. They love being able to go in and being fed, being able to be there with their peers, with their friends, and then to be a being
070able to really dive into their work with very supportive teachers. And the staff who were there too, same thing that they really enjoyed this pace of schooling in a way that felt more restorative than the rest of the school year. And so just this is a really big question and I'm just going to ask for a little piece right now in this moment of from some of what you observed or some of what you heard. Were there lessons learned from these programs and the ways that they're supporting students and staff that we should be thinking about just as a district in terms of caring throughout the year? Yeah, I think um in the high school programs in particular um there were definitely takeaways um that we can use from that to improve our programming um
071across the board. I think those are things that I've actually been thinking about with our work with the innovation team that's coming up. We also um have just started a survey with students at the high school about their experiences in middle and elementary school and how we can collect that data. Um, and so I think some of the prelim preliminary pieces we're seeing from that match with what we saw worked well at some of our summer programming as well. Um, and so I think there are lessons learned from summer programming that can inform our decisions um as we look at future programming in our schools too. So, I know that doesn't quite answer all of that, but I but there are very specific pieces um particularly around the concept of time um and how how
072timing works um is interesting to think about. >> Any other questions, Sammy? Well, thank you again and thanks for the staff and community members uh who stepped up to make this happen, the foundation for the support. Um my understanding it doesn't look like uh the state is going to fund the summer school for Corvalis given the formula. Other districts are going to be prioritized and that's how it's going to be in the summer. So maybe I want to extend Shauna's question in terms of lessons learned. I think I heard you talk about extrapolating what we learned from the summer for the year. Now my question is what did you learn from this summer and the past summers uh that you want to continue doing, change doing or emphasize working on for the next summer program?
073>> Yeah. So I think um specifically so if I think about things that work really well is our high school programming um and the mentorship that happens with some of the high school math um camps during the summertime. Um our bridges programming that happened over the summer I think was also like very beneficial to students with that like continuity of care. >> Mental health supports extending through the summer are something that's also really strong and supports lots of students and families. Um, and so I think those are solid things that are in place. I still wonder a lot about two things I think that are that we will look at is I wonder about our elementary programming. I definitely think our incoming kindergarteners need some sort of launch into school, but I don't know the
074format of what makes the most sense for that um yet. I think lots of people will help figure that out. And then I also wonder about the limited duration of our K5 literacy camp. I'm not sure if that uh our return investment on on on doing that makes as big of an impact as we'd like to see. Um and so I wonder about that and adjusting how we do our K5 programming. The other piece that is in my um like wonderings for improvement is we have really awesome staff members in our school district, we've heard that tonight, who work tremendously hard during the school year. And those are all the same people. A lot of people opt to work in the summer as well. And I wonder about how we prioritize staff wellness while they're
075also working through the summer. And so I just wonder about how we help staff also have a break um for those staff who want to work during the summertime too. So I wonder about that as well. >> Thank you. If I'm I have followup about >> just another piece of context. Um, so we uh receive requests for summer um programming from staff as well, sort of like we do for our um innovation grants in the fall. And we have to prioritize which ones are we're able to support. And so it's this balance between um focusing on those academic outcomes and also some of those other aspects of belonging and connection. And so it's always a a challenge um as we hone in and make some decisions about which to which are funded. Um so just
076kind of have that in terms of context as well. I think it's it's may may be something that folks don't know who aren't um aren't in it necessarily. >> Wonderful. Thank you. No, this is really helpful and probably this answers the next question which was >> Sorry. Go ahead. >> Does anybody else have a question? >> Go ahead. Sorry. Um, I just want to ask since I go to College Hill, I was interested of how your um paid urban farm people um helped and and how they affected others or what they did to help others. >> Yeah. So, um the folks that were helped at Urban Farm were all hired with Mr. Wright. So, he like worked through through that process. Um and part of that was helping with the farm in the summertime and
077helping with the the stand. um to sell pieces during summertime as well. >> Yeah. >> Other questions? >> Go ahead, Sammy. >> Thank you and apologies. So, what I'm hearing from you is that you're really looking holistically on the programming and the prioritizing which uh ideas we invest in uh for the high schools, credit recovery, uh wellness, for the elementaryaries. you're you're mentioning really measuring the impact and I'm seeing it probably beyond just third grade reader uh reading skills. There are some other elements that you're you're measuring and capturing. Could you maybe expand on that? What what are you looking for for a success story in elementary when the students go to uh summer school? >> So this last year we only measured actually the data that was collected was around reading um and so
078we used our reading assessment program. So SIPS is part of what was used to to see like how students progressed this summer. So um it for elementary it was primarily academic data that was collected around reading. Nice. Wonderful. Thank you. >> Yeah. >> Okay. Well, thank you for the presentation and also thank you to all the um summer programming staff and the foundation and other folk that helped make that possible. That's pretty awesome. I what stood out to me was the 86 credits that were recovered. That's a lot of credits. And also um getting people closer to graduation and the mental health support, all the food. That was that's really awesome. So, thank you to everybody that was involved. So, okay. The next thing on the agenda is family our student and family services update
079and that's with Byron, Megan, Autumn, and Sarah. Is there a presentation for this too? >> Okay. >> And a handout. >> Okay. That one. >> Okay. >> All right. I'm still Byron, but do you guys all want to introduce yourselves? >> Sure. Hi, Is that the right button? Okay. Hi, I'm Sarah Divine. Um, I'm the family outreach supervisor. So, I support our program um, working with our students and families navigating homelessness and poverty. [Music] >> Hi, I'm Megan Null. I am the program coordinator and special education for Corellis. All right. So, um I this is another example of we're going to kind of point out where our actions and resources are aligning to our equity goals. And um this presentation might be a little bit different than you have seen in the past because it's
080reflecting our direction of our student growth and experience department in an integrated approach. And so um a lot of times when we think about systems and if our systems are equable equitable or not, we think about deconstructing them and doing them a different way because um sometimes the way that they things have been done in the past have produced the same outcomes. And so in student growth and experience and our family support um we lots of you have heard this, but I want to read this out loud because I think it's important. We aspire to this definition of educational equity. Um, educational equity means that every every child receives whatever she he they need to develop his her full academic and social potential and to thrive every day. By thrive, I mean academically as well
081as social emotionally. Every child has a right to feel loved, cared for, and to feel that they belong to a community. Educational well-being is as important as academic success in this definition of educational equity. And so when we're talking today about student and family support, we're going to be talking about our integrated approach where actually our support for students and families starts with rigorous instruction in the classroom and it moves us out from there to remove barriers to access um and needs that way. So um why an integrated approach? um our department of student growth and experience. We work across academic programming, social emotional learning, special services, and family engagement. And our goal is to ensure that every student has the conditions that they need to grow and learn. So why why does this why
082does this matter? Why why does our integration here matter? Um academic rigor and student family support are interconnected. I think so often we think of family support or some of the things we do in the community support are not tied to the classroom and we're challenging that assumption that all of these things actually work interconnectedly together. Um students succeed when their basic needs like safety and social emotional health are addressed. Um equity means that we're removing systemic barriers so that all students can access highquality learning. And so different students and different families need different barriers removed so that they can access high-quality learning in our classrooms. And then we know that families and our community as partners strengthens our our graduation rates and our readiness for life after school. So we don't do this alone.
083Um we are a collective group and we rely extensively on collaboration with many community partners to expand our capacity and reach and you and in your handout you can see it's not an exhaustive list but it's some of our community partners that help us do this work. Um and throughout our presentation Sarah and me will also you know highlight other community partners in our work too. And so we are a carvalis community and we're interconnected in lots of ways and we work in this collaborative approach to help reach these outcomes. All right. So if we start at the classroom level first um one of our goals on expanding family and student access is is around and support is around academic and enrichment pathways. And so in K8, we have lots of experential like learning experiences
084that lead to some of our CTE types of programs. And so in the handout again, you can see just some some examples of that. Um and then we support students and families by access to rigorous and and um academic experiences. So currently we have 17 AP courses. We've added two this year. Um Nikki McFarland, our high school coordinator, has worked tirelessly to get kind of lots of these pieces in place for us. We have 22 college now courses. Those are classes where students can take uh high school courses and get college credit for them. And that and there's three new instructors this year. And then we have 11 CTE programs um CTE programs with like new learning spaces and like there's expansion of teacher lure for those programs. And so we know that when we
085support the kind of on the other side of things access to things students can participate in these highle rigorous and relevant experiences in the classroom. >> Got it. >> Okay. Um in regards to special education um and accommodations. So historically um Corvalis school district has functioned at um 11% um and last year reported 14% currently we're sitting at 15% of our population accessing um special education services. 9% of our um population accesses um 504 services. >> That's what we're a we're back one more. Yeah, you're good. Um, we are a student centered special education model. Um, where we believe that students can access their education at their home schools and their neighborhood schools and we build supports around schools. Um, we don't run a centralized model for special education. Our educational supports are embedded in
086all of our neighborhood schools to support all kids. All right. Um, so starting with the classroom and access to like relevant and rigorous learning, we know that students and families that come to us might need more supports to access that level of rigorous and relevant learning in their classrooms. And so um, we we provide that access sometimes through an IEP through special education or accommodations through a 504 plan or through other comprehensive student and family supports. So, our school counseling and social work program um is built on a tiered model and there's a backside to your handout too that explains that um and some of what that some of what we do there. And so, our school counseling and social work focuses on career readiness, social emotional learning, school culture and climate at a whole
087holistic level for everyone. Then some students also receive more small group targeted pieces maybe around grief or divorce groups. um on pieces that way. And then there's also individual counseling that can happen sometimes um and 504 planning and things like that through our school counselors, our school-based mental health program. Um we've gone through this last year kind of a this last few months or so a revision of our mental health program um as as we've worked on that. Some data from last school year for our school-based mental health program um is we served 198 students. um that's down about about 50 or so students from the previous years that had been served. Um and we've kind of reestablished some parameters and some pieces for our mental health program for this this school year. We currently
088now have nine um therapists in our schools and one program manager. And since that kind of reinstitution of these things since July up until now, we've served 111 students. And so I think we will surpass the number of students that we served last year um based on this model and that um includes fa family therapy, individual therapy and provider coordination for our students um to remove barriers uh access barriers. The other part I think which is good to note is currently there's 151 clients um that are Medicaid eligible as well in that system. And so then our next part. Yeah. >> No, back one. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. >> Hi. I know I only have a couple of minutes, so I will be brief. Um, I included in the handout for you some information about our
089services from last school year were so early in this year um that I thought it might be more meaningful to look at the supports that we um were able to offer in the previous school year. um for all of the financial supports that you're seeing there um that is all thanks to the foundation and the budget that they give for us for family services. And if you'll notice too when we're tracking our services, we're doing it by family and not by student. And that's because for most of what we do, our unit is the family and we're doing really comprehensive work across as many schools as where those kids are. And that's a really important piece of our program is to look at the family as a whole and to look at what's happening outside
090of school, whether that's homelessness or food insecurity. Um, all kinds of things that is impacting that student's ability to show up at school and to show up at school ready to learn, which can include having eaten breakfast in the morning. It includes not being in like fight orflight crisis mode where their brains are just like actually not able to take in information. So our team does a lot of work out in the community with community resources. I could not listing all the community partners we work with would have been like three pages. So instead I just looked through my calendar and looked at the community meetings that I'm a part of and that I go to just to give kind of a snapshot of some of the spaces that we're in. Um but that is
091kind of the really high level overview of what we're up to. We don't have McKinto data and things like that this early in the year. We pull that starting in October. Um, but I just wanted to be able to kind of yeah, share that little bit and I'm also happy to answer questions if we end up with time. >> So, just kind of thinking about our our large goal around educational equity. um that's starting in the classroom and then removing barriers to access to access that high level of of rigorous education in the classroom through lots of different systems of support that we have in our school district from special education to school counseling to mental health to our family support program. And so our goal, what we really wanted to do is highlight um
092two pieces. Um the first piece is how um our different systems are aligned to our equitable systems goal and how our actions are aligning towards that to create um more successful outcomes for students and families. And the second thing that we really want to highlight is is the integration of our department together and all working collectively together and um challenging that assumption that rigorous academics and strong supports for families and students aren't competing interests. they're actually interconnected and create stronger outcomes for our students. Questions? Theres? Uh, thank you so much. Um, this is always one of my um the highlights of getting to hear about what the district is doing. Um I have a lot of questions so I'm going to ask one and then if there's more time I'll sneak in some others maybe.
093Um so on the um thinking about the student and family support program um appreciation to the foundation for their effort to um continue to raise money and involve our community uh in addressing the unmet needs of um of our students and our families. Um you mentioned that your budget comes from the foundation. So what is your budget on average? What is it and what do you what would you like it to be? >> Oh man, that's quite a question. >> I know. >> Um, our budget typically is around 90,000 a year. Sometimes it goes higher depending on the number of grants that we get and I work really closely with them on um writing those grants and like finding them. Um, typically the funds all that is exclusively for direct direct families support. one time
094in this last year, we had a grant from the IHN that was for some FTE for our program, but that's the exception. Um, it typically is only for that direct family services. I think the thing that makes that question a little hard to answer other than, you know, $5 million. I'm just kidding. Um, is it it depends so much on what else is available in the community. um because we really use those funds as a last resort when we don't have a better option when we don't have another existing community resource that's like established to provide you know rent assistance for example or something like that. So I think when our community services are more robust then we can do more of just coordination you know case management support and we don't need as many
095direct funds and then when other resources are really strapped which is the case often like right now for a lot of them are cutting back on services too that's when we feel when we feel that um you know that lack. So, it kind of is ever changing, I think. Um, because we're doing our best, right, to like fit into the resources that are out there. Um, and we're not just like using our funds for everything when there are better options. >> And is your uh sorry, thank you. And is your team um working with HRSN? Yes. >> Um, and you within your program or are you referring out to community members to connect folks with HRSN? >> Both. Okay. Thanks. Um before we take more questions, I did want to point out that it is
096um it's 8 o'clock. So if um student representatives need to leave, you're excused. If you want to stay, you're welcome. But um okay, next question. >> Do you have a question, Sammy? Good. >> I do. Uh thank you so much. Really appreciate the updates and the details. You talked a little bit about the the growth and the interconnectedness of the services. I'm wondering is there anything that you would like to share about emerging needs or emerging patterns that you're identifying uh right now and I'm going to do a part B any trends you foresee in the coming year as well. Um, so I, you know, I think we know what we're funded for for special education and the cap on that and you can see we're about almost a 15%. Um, we're not funded at
097that level and so I see that as a continual need for us. Is that cap to be raised um for state funding for special ed? The other is just the at the federal level and recognizing um some potential limitations around Medicaid funding and how that will impact our families um both between that and um SNAP benefits. Um and so I think that there will be we're anticipating greater need um in the near future. >> Thank you, >> Chris. And then Shauna, >> thank you for all that you do. I know that um your presentation was great, but I know that it doesn't really tell the story about how much time and energy and hardship that you do and listening to all the family stories. And so, and I know that we're in a really tough
098time right now in our community, but if there's any story to be told, it's the story of what you're doing to help our kids. I mean really even with consolidation is so difficult and we're all really stressed and and hurting about it but your story of what you're doing just so that our kids can come to school and and function and try to learn when there's a lot of really bad stuff going on at home or they're hungry and you're feeding them or you're providing what they need. So I just thank you for that. Um I do have a question. Um my question is besides more money if we could find that um what what else do you need like what could help you? And then the second part of that question is how many
099um like for Sarah how many family um advocates do you have? >> Have to do some quick counting. I think I want to say that we have about eight and then we also have health navigators contracted through Bitten County that are still with us. Um I think in terms of other things that we need the awareness raising and the storytelling is huge because I still encounter like a lot of surprise every time I go into the community and share our homeless numbers and share the numbers of like families on our case loads um and the kinds of things that our families are dealing with. And I think there's still a perception in Corvalis that we don't have a lot of those things happening here and we do. So I think that just that like bringing
100these stories out into other spaces in the community wherever folks are is extremely helpful. I think also thinking about besides money like creativity like other ways to support whether that's like supply drives for inind donations or all kinds of things. And I mean, I'm open to hearing ideas, right? Like we're in a time where we have to be creative because we're not getting enough funding. And so I think it takes all of us um you know, with our skills and like our perspectives to come up with ways to meet those needs. And we're in that space right now of like figuring out what what will work um because it's not acceptable not to do anything. And like the if some of those funding streams aren't available, what is that going to look like? Um and
101I think that takes the whole community to be honest. Yeah, and I think again that story needs that's the story that needs to be told in our district, right? >> Thank you. >> The thing I want to add just add one piece to what Sarah said is when we think about academics and learning in our classroom and I just want to bring that back again like this isn't a separate thing. This is part of it, right? So like part of us a rigorous classroom means we're providing supports to students and families in these different ways so they have access to our high level of instruction. And so I think that's the other thing to keep raising is this isn't like a feel-good thing on the side. This is actually a vital component of our equitable
102systems of our school district. >> Shauna, >> thank you so much for your share out and your report tonight. And as Chris shared, this just gives us a little glimpse of these incredible stories that are living within our district and with the families of of students in the district as well. And just to build on Chris's question, you have so many just phenomenal community partners who come together to make really amazing things happen to uplift students and their families. Are there areas where expanded partnership or collaboration or certain organizations that you're really hopeful to to build stronger relationships with or new relationships or even just certain sectors that you think we'd really love to grow in these areas or think this could be helpful donors? I mean, you know, a little tongue and cheek, but
103also not um you know, I think finding finding folks who are not yet connected to some of these needs and to this work and finding those ways to kind of have them see that this is their community and, you know, and and take some ownership for those pieces and how do we care for our community members is huge to me. Um, that's kind of the first place my mind goes. Any other questions? Did you already go? >> I did. >> You already went too, huh? >> Did you have a question? I have a lot of questions, too. I get to ask the questions, too. Even though I'm board chair, thank you for your amazing work. Um, this area is very near and dear to me for a lot of them from everything from AP to
104helping students that are homeless and navigating poverty. Um, I think it's really I want to just reemphasize what Chris said about this being like this is really the story that needs to be told is this kind of support and um that's happening because there's a lot of narratives about there about CSD not being rigorous and like you're adding AP courses and college classes all the time and that's incredible and you're doing the support at the same time to make sure all students can take those classes. And I think that without one without the other part, you're not going to have as many students being able to take those. Um Mike, I have a lot of questions. So I think one of them is um with what do you is there a percentage of families that
105are served because you gave a number, but do you have an estimate or >> I'm not very good with math. >> Me either. I use my calculator all the time, but >> it just seems like a lot. like 450 plus families is quite >> yeah and I think when we did when we sort of estimated out from there we were looking somewhere like 1,200 to maybe 1500 individuals but also we count when we're tracking family size we're tracking prek like you know adults in the home so that isn't just students which makes it a little tough um typically where we have like the stronger student numbers is with Mckin Vento with like homelessness because that we track by individual student but yeah most of our work isn't tracked that way. I don't know what a
106percentage would be to have an answer like around 20%. >> Help me Byron. Thank you. >> I think that's really important like you said because the narrative around like when we talk about housing access as a board, this is part of why it's so important. So we have if we have even if it's even if it's 15 to 20%, that's a lot of families in the district that we're talking about. And um so I just wanted to ask that because a number is sometimes hard for people to wrap their head around. Sometimes the percentage helps too. Even though when I see the number, I know that's a lot, but not everybody might. Okay, second round of questions. Will we have a few more? Sammy, >> uh, I want to build on that question actually, which
107is sorry, it's going to be another math problem, but not for today, for for the future. This is really phenomenal and I would love to see something that we can use to tell the story that those 20% families because of this access and not necessarily because it's could be correlation those families accessed housing chronic absenteeism and those families declined the following year um they accessed it and third grade reading is improving whatever metrics we can measure and I think this will be handy for us not only for our sake but also for the accountability bill that will come to us. Uh if we can plan ahead and see how those investments might be correlated with improvement, it'll be akin to uh how we were talking about the CTE concentrators graduating at 95% 5% higher than
108the average uh in the school district. Anything you can share there will be very valuable. I don't know if you have any anecdotes there. I know there are many stories, but if we can get some of those highlights uh that we may share when we talk to possible prospects uh who may donate or support. >> Um I think to go off of that, um when students have access to those services, then they're able to have access to their special education services in their neighborhood schools in an inclusive environment with peer models um that they can build from. and and so um without I mean we know that without those resources the some of the medical care that they would not otherwise have access to they're they're able to get to. So I mean that's the
109beauty of it all sort of blending together in the way that Byron described. >> Thank you. >> Theres you had your hand up too. I think I'm going to pass in the um interest of letting us end our meeting on time and I saw you already added some time and so and I could talk about this all night so I'll just wait. Any other questions? I did have a question. I'm going to ask another question because we did have more time. Um, I'm wondering about when thinking about special education, um, how much because the number obviously keeps going up and it the cap needs to go up, but it also needs to be funded or and it needs to be funded, I should say. Um, that's something I personally testified on for everyone um, this
110year. But do you all um, use how is universal design in classroom spaces coming into the picture? Um because I know like as a educator at the next stage how I use it. So I'm kind of curious how it's used for education outside of just like space design. >> Um that's one of my favorite questions. Thank you. Um so um with with UDL we are approaching it um a little bit in a tiered model format. So if we're thinking of the you know tier one two three um then what would be present in a tier one um and what would be present in a tier two what would we expect to meet the needs of students and um in those levels and um I've also been in discussion with some of our early childhood folks
111to see if we can get um continuity between um early childhood into our kinder um programs for what uh they have in their community preschools. Um, and so yeah, that's kind of the direction we're headed. >> Thank you. Anybody else? Go ahead. >> Um, so I think um about the AP classes, I think they're very valuable and they're really challenging. I'm taking a lot of them and um I think um students really like them. But um however um I know some of my peers and also me um were wanting to take a few of the AP classes and they were gotten rid of last year. So I'm just kind of wondering what determines um which APs are added and which ones are kind of gotten rid of. >> Which ones um did you want do
112you want us to answer? >> Um so much of that has to do with requests. So, the number of students that request the course and if there's enough students that we can offer the course um that's the biggest driver um for which ones are offered and which ones aren't. >> Yeah. >> And is um are the same classes offered or in the books and then not offered as a follow-up if there's not enough people enrolled? Is that what happens? >> Yeah. >> Okay. I thought so. So there's still an opportunity if more people in the future >> For future years. Okay. I just wanted to clarify that that way people knew that wasn't gone forever. Yeah. Okay. >> It's forecasting has so much to do with what we offer at high schools. Okay. And not
113just in advanced placement courses, but in the arts and other aspects of um high schools. The other things we've we've really worked on has been thinking about the offerings ac across both high schools and looking at the schedule um so that students can take classes ac across campus. That's another piece that we've been working on as we're trying to think about how to maintain as many options for students as possible. >> Other questions? We have like two minutes or we can be done with this part. Um well, thank you all for your work and I always love seeing Salmon Watch on there. Um the two students I had go through College Hill still talk about Salmon Watch and so those opportunities are um really valuable and life impacting so that you all are working on.
114So thank you. And I muted myself. We're not done here. Um the next item on the agenda is um is to review board norms. Ryan, >> so um this is a process that happens annually um at the beginning of each school year more or less um where we review both the norms that that the board establishes and um approves as you work with one another followed by the board and superintendent working agreement. So tonight we're we're bringing them both forward. um they have been modified and adjusted over the years, but they've been in place um to some degree for a better part of a decade. And so um I don't know that there's changes that you are would request or not request. I think it's just important that we bring it forward to calibrate. Um
115and so that's really the intention of this of this agenda item. >> Thanks, Ryan. Did anybody have thoughts on the anything that needs to be modified on the board norms? >> Did you have your hand up, Sammy? >> Yeah, I I do have a question uh for leadership actually and I want to bring it up since uh it's for I would be asking to three. This is the best time for it. Uh I'm wondering or curious if there is an under A4 if uh leadership have found it very useful to be the way it is or if there should be a nuance to be added in terms of uh which co-vice chair would be stepping in. Uh right now here it says a vice chair will perform and probably whoever is available etc. Do you
116foresee that there's need for u stipulating um any kind of a way how that's determined or not necessarily? >> I don't but I don't know if Theresa or Sha have thoughts on that because it's seems like it's worked well to say like which one of you all >> do you have thoughts on that? No, I agree with what you shared that it's been helpful when there's been a moment of I know you reach out to both of us say are either of you available for this and oftentimes it's pretty clear that only one or the other is and so that's been a just helpful to be able to work through that together. I would agree with that and I would say that I think it's reaffirmed the value of having a second vice chair because
117uh oftentimes it is only one of us that will be available and it's not the same person each time and so there is a lot of um ability to share across that. So I think it's working very well and I I would support it. I would say we should continue to do it. >> I think it's helpful to have the flexibility of like one of the two instead of it just removes a layer basically. So from my um perspective and working through that it's it's worked fine as well. Um I don't I haven't felt um initially I was a little apprehensive about the concept if just because I wasn't sure how that would work necessarily and it's and it's been smooth and consistently smooth over multiple years now. So I don't I wouldn't think um
118I don't need additional language to help me to um understand how to do this. >> Wonderful. Thank you. >> Any other comments or anything on the board in arms? Theres >> is a comment question on uh section D um where it says the board will be cognizant of scarcity of resources and time when requesting actions from staff. So um my observation is that as a board um we we often like to ask things of staff. Um it helps us. It's we appreciate it. Um I guess what I am wondering is uh if we feel like there is clarity about when an ask is pushing up against um what's reasonable? Um does the sta do the staff feel that they have a very clear ability to communicate back that that ask might be more of a
119reach than the benefit of it? Um, and if not, or do you want to see something more formal in terms of how you might say to us, uh, no, we're not going to be able to do that. >> I I rarely um use that. I have I did use it recently with a request that came and I asked Lou for guidance in that. Um, so I feel comfortable in my ability to ask it and at the same time we're always trying to prepare you to have the information you need to be um out in the community and able to answer the information the questions that come to you. So, I think right now it is fine. If you had a different superintendent, it may you may want to come back to that, but at this
120point in time, I feel um confident enough in my ability to make the to bring that up as a concern. >> Thank you. I would just add for community members that um you have the opportunity to come and be um here when we're having meetings, but what you don't necessarily see all the times that we as an individual board member send texts to our superintendent saying, "I need this information. I'm having this conversation with someone and I have no idea." And how often um we get a timely response with the information that we needed, which is not something he's not sitting at his desk able to look that up for us. This is information that he is carrying around with him. Melissa is carrying it around with her. Um, our leadership is committed to sharing
121that information. I think that is uh um a demonstration of transparency that um they share with us what they know as quickly as they're able to. Um and I have sent texts at sometimes what some people might say is not the most ideal time um of day or weekend um to ask for information. and I have never felt um that uh that it wasn't valued that that information would be helpful in some way to serve our community. So, I just wanted to give a shout out to that and and to make sure that you know that you can tell me if my ask is not reasonable >> and Kim too when we send emails to Kim is very >> and Kim who I actually texted like three times already today. So yes, especially to Kim
122um who actually is probably the only reason that I show up to any place at the right time. Any other questions or comments on the board norms? Okay, moving on to review of the board and superintendent working agreement. >> Basically, this is This is more or less the same preamble. We're just looking at it again as on an on on an annual basis to calibrate bring forward um other components or language or clarification even in discussion. And so that's why I bring it forward to you uh this evening. >> Go ahead, Chris. It's not really a question. I just wanted to say I really appreciate D7 the time that you meet with us individually. I know that um I don't think all school board all superintendents do that and I just really appreciate that you
123take time out of your very busy day um to meet with us and just give us individual attention to ask a lot of questions and get what we need. So I appreciate that. >> Yeah. Thank you. That's super helpful. Any other questions or comments? >> This is a Go ahead. I think we might have a typo or it could just be that I'm too tired to read it clearly. But um on section D number two, it says the superintendent invests in the relationship with and the capacity of Is that right? Is that or is there a >> The noise that Kim made? I don't think >> Okay. So anyway, I think we might be missing a word there. So if we could just look at it and see if it's because it just sounds weird
124when I read it out loud, even if it is right. So that was it. I think the rest of it's fine. But I've read that one like four times and I cannot my head cannot make it make sound right. >> It's probably within Huh. >> I think it's >> Oh, okay. That makes sense. >> Yeah. Any other questions or comments? So, one that I think I want to bring up is the um utilization of district staff by board members and the comm sort of that communication channel and it um and I think it works fine, but I also think it may benefit from some clarification. Um basically just if there are staff requests that they come through the superintendent's office. Um, again, you all are very um aware and astute to what some of those
125pieces are, but we don't have it in in this document anywhere, and it's just something that has come up kind of in in both with staff reaching out to board and board reaching out to staff. I just think we should clarify that um in this document. Um, so I would recommend adding something as simple as that. board requests um for staff board um requests to staff district office staff really um come through the superintendent's office something to that um and again I don't think that there's been anything that has has been outside of that I just think it's not clarified here and I think it would be helpful >> I thought that was um B9 is how I read that but if it I think if you need it it's like kind But it's kind
126of it's not as clear that that would also include the kind of conversations you're asking about. >> Yeah, I think can I just add a sentence to that one? >> What do you all think? >> Everybody seems to be in agreement with adding that clarification in. I think a good example of that is when I asked if I can ask staff about the proposal for OSBA. >> Yeah, exactly. >> And I've chatted with you first. >> Totally. Yeah. And so and because those are h it just feels like those have happened more frequently but not in a bad way just more collaboration and so just uh just to name it. >> That makes sense. >> Go ahead Sammy. >> Uh I'm trying to skim now see if it's somewhere else but also under the same
127umbrella the idea of access to schools as school board members not as parents. Um >> that would not be in here. That's that's important. one >> that's in board norms. Yeah. >> Okay. >> We do have that in there. As a reminder for folks, we can't just go hang out at the schools because we're board members. >> Our PTA meetings and student club meetings, student government meetings. We need to be invited. >> In the last topic, it was D4. >> D4. >> Thank you. >> Any other questions or comments? >> So, you're going to bring that back? >> Yeah. >> Okay. So, the board norms was good. We'll read the um board and superintendent working agreement again. Okay. And with no further um business, the meeting is adjourned at 8:27. Still ahead of schedule even
128though I added time. >> Good job. >> Have a good night, everyone. >> Good night.