Superintendent & Assistant Superintendent

Dr. Noss became superintendent of the Corvallis School District on July 1, 2016. Prior to his appointment as superintendent, he served as the district’s Director of Teaching and Learning during the 2015-2016 school year.

Superintendent Noss has spent over 20 years serving in public education. During that time, he has been a teacher, principal, director of curriculum and student services, and currently superintendent.

Under Superintendent Noss’ leadership, the district has achieved the following:
• High school graduation rates have reached an all-time high of 90%.
• The district continues to progress in closing the opportunity gap through a focus on decisions rooted in equity.
• The district has received Corvallis community support through passage of a $200 M facilities bond in 2018, resulting in two new schools being built, and improvements to twelve other schools.
• The addition of a mental health program in 2019 which has permitted the district to better address the social emotional needs of students, and thus improve academic outcomes.

Dr. Noss recognizes that Corvallis is a special community that supports public education. He and his wife Windy have two college aged children that began their schooling in Corvallis as kindergarteners. As a dad, educator, and superintendent, Dr. Noss is committed to ensuring all students are valued and accepted with an array of future opportunities.

Melissa Harder started as Assistant Superintendent on July 1, 2019. With nearly 30 years of experience in public education, Mrs. Harder has been a high school social studies teacher, an assistant principal at Crescent Valley High School, and the principal of Kathryn Jones Harrison elementary school. She has been a proud employee of the Corvallis School District since 1998.

As the Assistant Superintendent, Mrs. Harder leads the Teaching and Learning department which includes elementary and secondary education, special education, and the districtwide mental health program. Mrs. Harder’s office also manages the district’s policies, complaint procedures, and health and safety protocols.

Mrs. Harder is a champion of inclusion and racial equity and is honored to work in a school district where these tenets and the student experience are at the center of all decision-making. Mrs. Harder and her husband Steve Harder have raised two children, both proud graduates of Crescent Valley High School.