District and foundation highlight turnout, 440 budget questions after joint community forum

District and foundation leaders said a February community budget forum co‑hosted by the Corvallis Public School Foundation (CPSF) and Corvallis School District 509J produced strong public engagement and is shaping the district’s outreach and budget planning.

Superintendent Ryan Noss told the board the meeting, convened to explain the district’s budget drivers and to gather community input, drew a packed room and prompted “440 questions” submitted afterward, which district staff have compiled into an FAQ on the district website. Director of Finance Lauren Wolf led the budget presentation at the forum; board members and foundation trustees said the presentation helped attendees better understand complex budget details and prompted requests for more gatherings in formats that permit back‑and‑forth discussion.

Angela Hibbert, executive director of the Corvallis Public School Foundation, described the foundation’s role as providing targeted financial support and community connections for programs the district values, citing recent foundation backing for summer programs, classroom enrichment grants and student support services. Trustees said foundation grants — including funding for summer school in prior years — have helped the district protect some student services while the board navigates broader budget constraints.

The board’s conversation also touched on state and national advocacy. Ryan Noss reported that state legislators were asked to consider a $5 million funding request for repairs at Osborne natatorium; district staff expect an architecture review by Scott Edwards to be complete by June to quantify repair needs. Board member Sammy a la Troppos, who attended the National School Boards Association convention, highlighted an NSBA resolution discussed at the convention to protect undocumented students from removal and called attention to an NSBA “Go Green” indoor air‑quality grant program that offers up to $50,000 per school district in technical support and funding for improvements.

District academic highlights cited in the meeting included 85% successful completion rates for Algebra 1 at the eighth/ninth grade level districtwide, 450 AP exams taken at Crescent Valley High School and 520 AP exams taken at Corvallis High School in the prior year, and 55 students enrolled in TRIO Upward Bound at CHS. Trustees and board members said the community forum format — a presentation followed by audience Q&A and a survey — was a useful complement to regular board meetings and that the recorded video and written FAQ have been widely viewed by community members.

Board and foundation members identified next steps including continued collaboration on public events, follow‑up reports on the 440 questions submitted to staff, and continued fundraising and partnership outreach to support programs that face budget pressure.