The Corvallis School Board heard a report May 8 about the district’s new contract with Graduation Alliance, an online program intended to serve students who have not been successful in traditional or district alternative programs.

How it works: Students enrolled with Graduation Alliance remain Corvallis School District students while receiving offsite, online instruction. The program provides Wi‑Fi‑enabled laptops and assigns casework and courses; the vendor collects a percentage of the district’s ADMW (Average Daily Membership Weighted) revenue according to a tiered scale that becomes more favorable as more students enroll.

Why it matters: District staff said the program can re‑engage students whom the district had been unable to reach or who had disappeared from the rolls; staff noted Graduation Alliance also helped identify students who had actually enrolled in other states. Board member questions confirmed that Graduation Alliance students remain eligible to walk with their resident high school and may participate in extracurriculars there if they choose.

Clarifying points: District finance staff supplied a rough ADMW figure used for pass‑through calculations and explained that payments to Graduation Alliance vary based on student counts; laptops are provided by the vendor rather than the district. Staff characterized the initiative as a wraparound option to meet students’ needs while recouping some state funding that would otherwise be lost.

Ending: Board members expressed support for the program’s goal to reengage students, and staff said they will monitor enrollment, outcomes and finances as the program expands.

Speakers:[{"name":"Melissa","role_title":"Grad Alliance liaison / district staff","affiliation_type":"government","affiliation_name":"Corvallis SD 509J"}],"authorities":[],"actions":[],"discussion_decision":{"discussion_points":["Students enrolled in Graduation Alliance remain district students; district remits a portion of ADMW to the vendor under a tiered schedule.","Graduation Alliance provides Wi‑Fi laptops and helps locate and enroll students who had left district rolls."],"directions":["District will monitor student outcomes and financial pass‑through as the program scales."],"decisions":[]},"clarifying_details":[{"category":"vendor equipment","detail":"Graduation Alliance supplies Wi‑Fi enabled laptops to participating students","source_speaker":"Melissa"},{"category":"funding pass‑through","detail":"Payment from district to Graduation Alliance calculated as percentage of ADMW and becomes more favorable as enrollment increases; example ADMW ~ $10,500 quoted in discussion","source_speaker":"Melissa"}],"proper_names":[{