Since March of 2013, I
have attended every Corvallis 509J School Board Meeting, except one. The following is just some of the information,
I have learned at these meetings:
1.
The total operating Budget for CSD509J for School
year 2013 to 2014 is 98 Million dollars.
2.
There are 6348 students enrolled in
CSD509J. We will spend $15,437.93 per student,
this year.
3.
Approximately 8000 students reside in the 509J
district. 1700 or 23 % do not attend
public schools. They attend Private
Schools or are Home schooled.
4.
In the last five years the graduation rate at
CHS and CVHS has dropped from above 80% to 72%. 28% of our High School Seniors did not
receive a diploma in 2013.
5.
Enrollment decline. In 2002 we had 7250 students, by 2013 we had
6348. A loss of 900 children. CSD509J receives in State and Federal funds
about $6000 per student per year. The
900 times $6000; equals $5,400,000 in revenue lost to 509J.
6.
CSD509J provides All Day Kindergarten in four of
the eight Grades Schools in Corvallis. The other four Schools have Half Day
Kindergarten. Oregon Law requires Equal
Education Opportunities for all children.
The district discriminates against many students and families.
7.
Fairplay School Sale. At the August 19, 2013 School Board Meeting,
Mr. Steve Nielsen, Business Manager for CSD509J, announced the Sale of Fairplay School to
Waldorf School. The terms were: Sale
Price $476,000. $100,000 down payment,
6% interest, with a 4 year balloon. This
is for a School and 11 acres. The
previous year of the minutes of the 509J Board Meetings, make no mention of
this property being for sale. The Board gave no public notice the property was
for sale. Nor did they get an appraisal
or do a Market analysis as to its best use or value. The School is surrounded by single family
residences. Waldorf was unable to obtain financing. The CSD509J Board decided to become the lender with Tax payer
money. Waldorf competes for Students with
CSD509J. This sale closed on August 29, 2013. The next day, August 30, 2013, the Benton
County Assessor placed a value of $3,592,197 on the Fairplay/Waldorf property. More than 7 times what the School Board sold
it for. They gave away a Tax payer
asset. School Board members are all
elected officials, and have a fiduciary responsibility to the Tax Payers of
509J to exercise due diligence as they perform their duties. I testified to the Board, that if handled
properly; The Fairplay Sale should bring 3 Million plus. Ten minutes after my testimony, Ann Schuster made a motion to sell Fairplay
for $476,000 and it was seconded by Vincent Adams. The board vote was unanimous. I commissioned a Title report which shows the
Property has a Warranty deed and the Assessor’s evaluation at $3,592,197. I
gave a copy to the School Board.
If these results concern you, please get involved and start
attending the School Board meetings.
The School Board and the Administration must be held accountable as to
how they perform their duties.
Al Hutchinson
Corvallis Resident<>Read More......
