Educators, families urge Corvallis school board to restore elementary counselors amid consolidation

Dozens of teachers, support staff and parents used the board’s public-comment period on April 16 to press Corvallis School District leaders to restore counselor positions cut as part of the district’s school consolidation.

At the meeting, first-grade teacher Annalie Haberman told the board the redistribution of sixth graders and reductions in counselor full-time equivalents has left elementary buildings overburdened. “I ask that you speak to our district leadership and ask them what possible ways they can prioritize the mental health of their elementary students,” Haberman said, noting the district’s own projections showed elementary counselors moving from an average of about 310 students per FTE to roughly 396 per FTE. She cited the American School Counselor Association’s recommendation of 250 students per counselor.

Teachers and assistants who spoke afterward gave concrete examples they said illustrated the strain: hallway and classroom crises they said are increasingly handled by educational assistants when counselors are unavailable, students who asked how to “hide” from immigration enforcement during a drill, and classroom disruptions that staff linked to large caseloads and reduced in-class support. Joel Enman, a teacher and parent at Garfield Elementary, said moves that increase counselor case loads “worsen the existing disparity between students who are facing multiple adverse barriers to their education and those who have an easier time navigating school.”

Multiple commenters tied the staffing concerns to the district’s consolidation plan. Will Roen Culper, a community member, told the board he believed the consolidation vote had been rushed and said the district’s financial picture had changed since November; the comment reflected an argument heard repeatedly in the room that the district’s enrollment and budget data should drive any further changes.

Some speakers urged broader changes beyond counselor counts. Naomi Hartman, an elementary music teacher, argued cuts to arts minutes will widen inequities and harm secondary music programs, and Amanda Cordis called for more public-comment time so the board can hear sustained input during the consolidation transition.

Board members did not take a vote on counselor staffing at the meeting. District staff told the board earlier in the evening they had completed staffing communications and were finalizing moves and family information nights for next school year. The board packet released with the meeting included a staff cover letter reporting 398 non-resident transfer applications in the most recent window, up from 253 the prior year; the packet numbers were referenced by staff during the meeting.

What happens next: Board members acknowledged the depth of public concern and asked staff for follow-up material. The board did not reverse positions on consolidation or staffing at the meeting; parents and staff who testified said they would press the district for concrete plans to ensure counselors and other student-support staff are allocated according to need.