Students and community members urge more action on school safety, staffing and equity during Corvallis School Board public comment

Madeline, a Crescent Valley High School student, told the Corvallis School District board she is frightened to attend school after multiple shootings this year and urged the board to act to make campuses safer. “I don't feel safe when I go to school,” she said, describing the recurring fear that students and parents face.

Cecilia Cox, a Crescent Valley sophomore, recommended the district add short adviser‑period lessons explaining Oregon's extreme risk protection order (ERPO) law — commonly called a red‑flag law — and other gun‑violence prevention resources so students know how to ask for help. “ERPOs have been proven to work, but only if people know about them,” she told the board and left informational packets for staff.

Teachers, parents and community partners highlighted separate but related concerns. Amanda McBride, a 13‑year district educator, read a poem about teacher workload and urged the board to prioritize staff mental health and classroom supports as consolidation proceeds. Naomi Hartman, a Lincoln Elementary music teacher, urged the board to restore elementary art and music minutes reduced over recent years and cautioned that a plan to add a standalone STEAM special could further reduce art and music time.

Several parents urged the board to address transportation equity as consolidation shifts student assignments and increases bus ridership. Julie Alexander said some students already spend up to an hour each way on buses and called for transparency about bus‑incident data and route decisions. Heather Rankin warned that a proposed lottery/choice policy could deny guaranteed transportation to the district's poorest families displaced by school closures and asked the board to fix that policy to avoid exclusion.

Public commenters also pressed the board on behavior and safety in classrooms and on the district’s consolidation timeline; Patricia Von Glahn, an advocate for students with special needs, asked for an independent audit of administrative mergers and greater transparency about merged positions.

Board members thanked speakers, asked clarifying questions and offered to follow up. Superintendent Ryan Noss and staff offered to connect students and commenters with staff for further conversation and to circulate additional materials. The board extended the public‑comment period to hear more speakers but reiterated guidance about alternate ways to engage (email and scheduled meetings).

The public comments will inform board follow‑up, including curriculum and transition planning as the district implements consolidation and related changes next school year.