The Removal of Raider Success

By Navelle Shea

In the fall of 2018, the Raider Success class was first introduced to the Corvallis school district. And now it is going away, hopefully for good. But why? Why did this class, which is disliked by many, come into being? And why is it disappearing now, freeing next year’s freshman? I posed these questions, and many more, to our principal, Mr. McKee.

First, we have to look at how this class came into being. Raider Success was conceptualized as a half health, half elective class that would guide incoming freshmen through the start of high school. When the school district made the switch from seven periods to eight, Advisor was lost, and replaced with Raider Success. Over time Raider Success became less like Advisor and more like a health class, with most of the learning time spent on health-related topics instead of good study habits.

Last year the school district made the switch back to seven periods and reinstated Advisor. Now Raider Success feels a bit redundant with Advisor back in play. So, you may ask, will we be having Raider Success in years to come? The answer to that would be no. This health/elective class is not needed anymore-–many students and the school district feel the same way.

So how does this affect students? Well, this may not affect any of us who have already taken or are taking Raider Success currently, but it will affect future high schoolers. It will free up another half elective credit that was being taken up by Raiders Success, a required class, giving freshmen more freedom with their high school choices. Advisor will be doing its part, by teaching study skills and coaching students through the struggles of high school. Incoming high schoolers will be better off for these changes because they still get the support they need and they receive more choice in electives.

District Enrollment Decline

By Alex Gough

At recent budget and school board meetings, declining enrollment has been blamed on one factor: declining birth rate. While this may be contributing to fewer students entering Corvallis schools, it completely glances over startling trends seen in district enrollment since 2014. Before we dive into those trends, let's look at enrollment as a whole. Pictured is a graph of district enrollment since the 2018/19 school year. While it may not look startling, this is a 19.2% enrollment decrease in only 9 years. The birth rate decline does not fully account for this decrease.

District Communication Still an Issue

By Alex Gough

“It's been a year and 4 months we've been working on these goals and I think that says a lot. Not that we are being indecisive but that we are being intentional,” says Chair Whitebear at the Corvallis School Board Meeting on April 11th.

Despite massive budget deficits, teacher walkouts, student enrollment decline, and many other district issues, the Corvallis community can breathe a sigh of relief as all of our problems are solved with the passing of CSD Board Goals. The Board spent the April 11th meeting debating between minor grammar changes and which change would be more equitable. I would like to include that it was the placement of commas that caused so much deliberation.

I sifted through the board goals and there was no mention of communication. Communication was the number one district flaw identified by staff, families, and the community during the community surveys administered by the district in 2022.

In the recent budget message sent by Superintendent Ryan Noss to district families, he stated that feedback was welcome at board meetings. Essentially, Mr Noss is asking families, staff, and students to get in front of a board of elected officials while being streamed online in order to provide input. This effectively blocks many people from providing input on decisions.

At the last Board meeting, Director Sarah Finger-McDonald asked how student voices were being taken into consideration. Mr Noss replied that they had the opportunity to share which electives were most important to them. There was no sight of that opportunity at Crescent Valley. He then said that they were primarily focused on staff feedback. In a follow-up question by Director Chris Hawkins, she asked how staff were giving feedback. “We are still working on that,” replied Noss.

Readers, this is a platitude. The objective is to espouse effective communication while doing none of the work. Why is this? After trying to see all sides of this issue, the most viable reason for not wanting communication is because it is more work. The district seeks out communication when it fits its plan. When it doesn't, they leave you to speak to the School Board AFTER the decisions have been made. If you end up going to the board and providing input, the only questions yielded to you are soliloquies given by board members asking for specific policies you would like to see. This is a barrier to entry. Not every person bringing forth an issue is ready and able to create a policy to address it, that is what we elected the board to do!

The district has a communication issue, often with its own school board. I was disappointed to not see this in the board goals or any recent communication initiatives on major policy. It's time to get back on track with the mindset of students, certified and classified staff, and the community.