The Corvallis School Board on Nov. 10 continued deliberations on a district consolidation plan after staff presented three models designed to address multi‑year budget shortfalls. District finance lead Lauren Wolf said the revised consolidation proposal would reduce about $3,000,000 and roughly 18.23 positions districtwide, leaving a remaining shortfall of about $829,000.

"Under the revised proposal, through consolidation, we will reduce about $3,000,000...and we reduce our per student spending by about $400," Lauren Wolf said, summarizing staff calculations and the projected enrollment of 5,591 students for next year. She contrasted that with a status‑quo scenario she said would leave a $3,870,000 shortfall and require reductions equivalent to about 25.8 classroom full‑time equivalents.

District presenter Ryan told the board the recommendation followed years of long‑range planning, demographer input and six community listening sessions. The revised plan calls for closing Leticia Carson Elementary with students redirected to Mountain View, Catherine Jones Harrison (in Garfield boundary), or Bessie Coleman, and for Linus Pauling to remain the district junior high for grades 7–8.

"This is not a point that we came to lightly," Ryan said, urging the board to weigh programmatic and community impacts as it moves toward a decision. Staff emphasized that many services would follow students: special education case managers, family advocates, counseling, and Title I funding would move with student assignments to the receiving schools.

Board members pressed administration on operational timelines and legal constraints tied to staffing and bargaining. Staff repeatedly stressed that delaying a decision beyond mid‑November would compress the district’s ability to implement changes for the next school year. "If you go much beyond November 13, it's not going to be possible to implement that for the upcoming school year," Ryan said, noting deadlines for staffing notices and budget work tied to March–May timelines.

Several board members asked for stronger language or commitments about non‑instructional uses of closed sites and community protections. The chair indicated board members want draft language added to the proposed motion to clarify next steps for high‑school planning, Wildcat Park community access at the Leticia Carson site, and an agreement to work with Leticia Carson’s descendants and community organizations to preserve her name and legacy if the building closes.

Administration cautioned that the revised proposal aims to protect classroom teaching positions compared with the status‑quo option by reducing building‑level support positions (one fewer administrator, one fewer campus steward) rather than immediate classroom cuts. "The way we keep our class sizes down is by school consolidation," Ryan said, explaining how consolidating operations can preserve teaching capacity systemwide.

No formal motion or vote was taken at the Nov. 10 meeting; the board expects to entertain and vote on motions at its next meeting on Thursday. The district will return with operational details — including staffing placement, timelines for parent and staff notices, and transition oversight — if the board approves a consolidation path.