Shared with the Corvallis School Board during the October 11, 2018 meeting.
Imagine Corvallis 2040 Goals Alignment
For the past year, I have been a member of the Imagine Corvallis Action Network Advisory Board. The advisory board is responsible for the development and management of the Imagine Corvallis 2040 Community Action Plan.
Recently, the district’s executive team completed a crosswalk activity to see how our district goals are aligned with the focus areas of the recently adopted City of Corvallis vision: Imagine Corvallis 2040: Our Community in Action. The vision document is available online on the City website: Imagine Corvallis 2040: Our Community Vision in Action. The six focus areas are: Engage and Support; Steward & Sustain; Learn & Thrive; Innovate & Prosper; Create & Celebrate; Plan & Change.
While we obviously have many goals that directly relate to the community vision of how we Learn & Thrive, I am pleased to share that overall, our goals align well with this vision document and will allow us to partner in putting our community’s vision into action.
The City will be hosting a free community event at Corvallis High School on October 16 at 5:30 pm where participants will find out how they can help make the 2040 vision a reality. I encourage all board members to attend because our school district plays an important role in achieving the 2040 vision for our community.
PERS Employer Contribution Rates for 2019-2021
Pension rates were released last week. Our Tier1/Tier 2 rate is going from 14.56% to 18.77%. This is an increase of 4.21%. Our Oregon Public Service Retirement Plan (OPSRP) rate is going from 9.23% to 13.32%, which is an increase of 4.09%. With projected salary costs of approximately $40 million (60% Tier 1/Tier 2 and 40% OPSRP), the cost impact will be approximately $1.65 million next year.
I am grateful that members of the Corvallis School Board have taken this proactive approach to PERS, which has served our district well. Our district has set aside $2.8 million in targeted reserve to offset increases in PERS employer contribution rates over the next six years (2019-2025.)
National School Lunch Week
Last spring, our Food & Nutrition Services Department worked with district families and community partners develop new lunch menu items to offer a culturally inclusive menu selection. This year’s menu has a great variety of menu items that provide more choices for all students, especially those who have food restrictions for health or religious reasons. Some of those menu items are roasted vegie flatbread, chicken flautas, chicken posul, Asian tuna burger, pork taco, pork carnitas, and a hummus plate.
Last month, school menu information was shared at curriculum nights at the elementary schools and free meal tickets were distributed to parents so they can have lunch with their child and try a new menu item. The response has been positive with many parents coming to school to have lunch with their child. Kitchen managers have been handing out samples to students and we will continue with our new menu in order to give students an opportunity to try the new menu items. Students who have tried the new items, overall seem to like them, though a few stand out over others. In celebration of National School Lunch Week, parents, guardians, staff, and school board members are invited to make a date to have lunch at one of our elementary schools! Please notify the school office before 8:30 am on the day you plan to have lunch at the school. School menus are available on the Corvallis School District website.
Network Upgrades Completed
Technology Director Gil Anspacher reported last week that district internet bandwidth was significantly increased with the completion of network upgrades throughout the district.
- The connection between the district office and LBL ESD (our connection to the internet) increased from 1Gbps to 2Gbps.
- Intra-district connection between schools (aggregate) and the district office also increased by 2X. All schools aggregate at a Comcast hub. The district office is a spoke on this hub. The connection between the district office and the hub has been increased from 1Gbps to 2Gbps.
- Intra-district connection between CVHS-DO and CHS-DO increased by 2X. Each of these connections has been increased from 500Mbps to 1Gbps.
These upgrades will provide effective and efficient delivery of digital resources for learning, administration and operations.
Staff Recognition
September 16-23 marked the third annual Extra Yard for Teachers Week supported by the College Football Playoff Foundation. This program seeks to elevate the teaching profession. Nominees were from around Oregon and included teachers at public middle or elementary school who have inspired and empowered the community. I am pleased to share that Jennifer Rodriguez, a 2nd grade teacher at Adams Elementary, was selected as the winning teacher. Ms. Rodriguez was recognized at the Oregon State vs. Arizona football game on September 22 and presented with a giant $10,000 check that will be donated toward directly impacting students at Adams. Congratulations to Mrs. Rodriguez!