With Father’s Day upon us, we asked our resident Staffer-Dad for some gift hints, which firstly earned us a bemused smile, and then a reminiscence, and here was the basic takeaway: watches, ties and chotchkes are fine, if they’re relevant. Like, if you’re a dad that’s into skiing, receiving a candy jar with mountaintop ski scene lid is awesome.
But, Staffer-Dad also said his all-time favorite Father’s Day gift was this: Two hand-scrawled coupons redeemable for complaint free hikes. Looking to maintain his kid’s anonymity, said Dad spoke under conditions of anonymity, disclosing only, “Look, we’re talking almost three hours of hiking without even one reference from either of my kids to the Bataan Death March, it was amazing to watch them pull off that kind of self-restraint.”
Also, fathers of most varieties seem to like food, and there are some pretty tasty local options this weekend.
Nick’s Soul Food at Compton Family Wines: Nick will be boiling up 150 lbs. of crawfish, hot links, andouille sausage, red potatoes, corn, garlic and more. Starts as 12 pm, first-come, first-served, so get there early. $15 a box, filled to the brim. This one is in Philomath. Click here for details.
Grazing Oregon Charcuteries: Pops may prefer something a little more gourmet. Awaiting him in Albany, a four-course brunch, the main course being a nine-hour house roasted Suckling Pig served with herb roasted garlic potatoes and pickled cucumber dill salad and challah bun sliders. The other courses look just as appetizing. You’ll want a reservation, this one is $45 per adult. Click here for details and reservations.
Also, a Couple of Dad’s Day Events: Airlie Winery is offering a Father’s Day Fishing Derby. This “Catch and Release Event” is for all ages, it runs from 1 to 4 pm. Poles and lures not included. Prizes will be awarded for the largest catch. Click here for details.
Also this Sunday, the Corvallis Knights host opponent Walla Walla here in Corvallis. Gates open 12:30 pm, first pitch is at 1:05 pm. Also, this is Squires Club game – the club is essentially a discount package of stuff kids like, so click here to find out about that. And, you can click here to buy tickets.
And, There’s a School Board Meeting Tonight: They kick-off at 6:30 pm, Wednesday, June 15 at the Lincoln Elementary School gym, 110 SE Alexander Ave., with an executive session. Once they welcome the public in, they’ll begin with a resolution acknowledging Pride month, and then proceed to a mix of items – some pro forma, others not so much.
Earlier this year, the City of Corvallis asked the School Board to consider property tax exemptions for affordable housing projects – and the Board tasked Superintendent Ryan Noss and District legal counsel to do just that, which they now have.
Of three options, one would be, according to Noss, “If the City of Corvallis passes an application along to the District, assuming that the Board generally favors the MUPTE and LIRPTE programs [These are City affordable housing programs] and uses metrics decided by the Board, if there would be a net financial gain or net financial neutrality from the approval of the LIRPTE application, the superintendent would be delegated the authority to approve the LIRPTE. If there is projected financial loss, then the Superintendent is not delegated the authority to concur with the LIRPTE, and the application must go before the Board to develop the District’s opinion.”
This is the option preferred by Noss, and legal counsel will present two other alternatives at the meeting.
School Board, Otherwise: Meeting attendees can also expect budget considerations, employee contract items, a bond update, curriculum adoptions as we’ve been covering for the last several months, and acceptance of last month’s election results. Notably, there will be a farewell to retiring Board Members Vince Adams and Tina Baker.
Another notable item, 2.2% of students living in the District are enrolled in a virtual charter school, which is below the 3% threshold for Board review.
Even With the Walkout, State School Fund Looks Secure: Media reports that the $10.2 billion State School Fund may fall victim to this year’s Senate stalemate appear to be overblown, here’s a bit of reporting from Oregon School Boards Association legislative analyst Jake Arnold…
House Bill 5015, the State School Fund bill, passed the House 52-6 on Wednesday, June 7.
“This investment will stabilize funding for our schools and allows us to continue to respond to significant equity gaps still lingering from the pandemic,” said Rep. Zach Hudson, D-Multnomah County, in a news release.
The amount comes close to what school business officials said most school districts needed to avoid shortfalls. Coupled with other education funding sources that have grown, school finances are looking healthy.
HB 5015 now goes to the Senate, which is stalled by a Republican walkout. The State School Fund’s passage could be delayed until a special session, but its ultimate amount looks secure. Republicans’ only grumble with HB 5015 was that some wanted it to be more.
That Doesn’t Mean Everything is Rosy: HB 3198 dedicates $140 million to a host of early learning supports for infants through grade three. The bill takes its money from the Student Success Act, including rewriting the terms of the Student Investment Account. The SIA was set up to give at least half the available money from the corporate activity tax directly to school districts for local initiatives.
In a surprise amendment delivered Sunday, June 4, the early literacy initiative would permanently tap the SIA. Education advocates cried foul over the funding while everyone praised the bill’s policy goals. Even Kotek’s representatives said don’t do it this way.
The amended bill moved out of the Joint Ways and Means Education Subcommittee but not before legislators expressed some concerns.
Sen. Michael Dembrow, D-Portland, voted for the amended bill Wednesday but with reservations, especially because the Legislature is funding early learning “through the backdoor, as it were, through an amendment that came up at the last minute.”
Rep. Emily McIntire, a Republican and Eagle Point School Board member, was even more blunt in the Monday hearing, reminding legislators this shifts money from locally controlled decisions to a statewide initiative.
“We’re sabotaging our school districts,” she said.
The bill’s future is far more nebulous than the State School Fund.
HB 3198 has not been scheduled for a Joint Ways and Means Committee hearing as of press time.
The Legislature is in serious talks to resume work, but nothing has been announced yet. If HB 3198 makes it to the Senate, it could still be killed by the Senate Republican blockade. At this point, the sheer backlog of bills could affect what goes through if the Republicans return to the chamber. There’s no guarantee the bill would reappear if the Legislature goes to special session. The Legislature will have to hear budget bills, but everything else will be a negotiated dance. HB 3198 represents one of the governor’s top priority goals, but her representatives have opposed the funding mechanism.
Kotek could fight for the bill to be heard, including in a special session, or let it drop. She could even potentially wield her line-item veto if the bill makes it to her desk. Parts of the bill could also be tucked into budget bills.
The governor’s office has not revealed its next move. Pooja Bhatt, Kotek’s education initiative director, said the governor “has been clear that the Early Literacy Success Initiative should come from new resources and not compete with other critical programs.”
Education advocates always remain on guard for end-of-session bills or funding surprises in the omnibus budget bill known as “the Christmas tree bill.” This session, though, provides extra complications with hundreds of bills gasping for air as the Republican walkout denies a Senate quorum.
Whether it’s a mad rush at the end or machinations during the special session, some desperate legislators could be looking to slip a policy past. Policies tend to have costs, and that money must come from somewhere. Education has the biggest funding pot to guard.
Do you have a story for The Advocate? Email editor@corvallisadvocate.com