Thank you OCSD Community!

We are excited to share that it appears our community’s voters have supported the district’s $163 million bond measure, Measure 3-616! The results will not be officially confirmed until December 2 by the Clackamas County Elections office. This  bond will provide critical funding to repair and update our elementary schools, expand our Career and Technical Education (CTE) spaces, and improve fields and grounds across the district! Additionally, thanks to the bond’s passage, OCSD will receive a $6 million matching grant from the Oregon School Capital Improvement Matching Grant (OSCIM)  to further support these essential projects. (Learn more about that program here.)

To all of our community’s voters, thank you for your participation and support in this November election. Together we are building brighter futures, and we are now able to move forward with the third phase of our long-term facilities improvement plan focusing on essential improvements for our elementary schools, CTE spaces, and our district’s fields and grounds to ensure our schools are healthy, safe, and equipped for future ready education. This third phase follows our community’s previous investments in our high school and middle schools.

In summary, we reached out to inform our community through over 35 community events, thousands of informational fliers, mailings to every voting household, plenty of social media posts, and video ads. We also want to acknowledge the dedication of our many volunteers, parents, and community members who helped share this information and provided input in the creation of this bond measure, especially the 40 community members who served on the Community Bond Planning Committee.

We also would like to recognize that there were many community members that did not vote in support of this bond measure. For many of those folks, it was due to the fiscal impact on their property taxes. We do not want to minimize that this is a very real concern. Other feedback we’ve heard from our community,  was that there was a need for more financial transparency and communication in regards to bond projects. Please know that the team and I are committed to keeping our community updated and informed on our 2024 bond project efforts, including fiscal information, in the following ways:

1. We will maintain and update our current bond website with project progress, details, budget information, photos and videos, and more! This website can be found on our district website or by directly visiting www.ocschoolbond.org. 

2. We will share information through mailed newsletters, digital newsletters, social media posts, and other district communication channels. 

3. We will report progress updates at public board meetings and in the future, hope to invite our community into the redesigned spaces once the process allows.

We are committed to transparent communication and invite you to follow along with our project developments. With this exciting news, we’re sure you’re eager to know what’s going to happen next!  Here is what to expect in the next few months ahead:

1. Request for Proposals (RFPs)
   We’ll soon issue RFPs to bring on board qualified architects, contractors, and other professionals. This process will ensure we select the best teams to help us achieve quality and efficiency as we bring these improvements to life. We will also be hiring a Bond Program Director.
   
   

2. Project Focus Areas
   Starting this  spring/summer, our focus will be on:

• Updating Career and Technical Education (CTE) Spaces to provide students with more hands-on learning opportunities.

• Upgrading Fields and Grounds across the district to create safe, accessible, and welcoming outdoor spaces for students and the community.

• Adding New Roofs and Playgrounds to some of our elementary schools to enhance access, safety and create engaging and accessible play environments for our youngest learners.
  
  

3. Formation of an Independent Citizen Bond Oversight Committee
   In our commitment to transparency and accountability, we are establishing an independent Citizen Bond Oversight Committee. This committee of community members will oversee bond expenditures to ensure that funds are used wisely and in alignment with the goals of the bond. If you’re interested in contributing to the is committee, the application and information will be on our website by the end of the month.
   
   

4. Ongoing Transparency and Progress Updates
   We are dedicated to keeping you informed at each stage of the process. Soon, you’ll be able to follow project progress and specific updates at each school on our dedicated bond website. This platform will serve as a hub for all project milestones, allowing you to see firsthand how your support is creating positive change.

Once again, we want to thank our community for your invaluable support. We are honored to partner with you in this effort and look forward to celebrating the impact these improvements will bring to our district.