FAQs

Top Questions

  • A bond issue is used by a public school district to finance school facility projects or other capital projects. Measures are placed on the ballot along with information about the specific projects that would be completed by the district if approved by the voting public.

    Public school districts use school bonds to pay for school building projects. Bond measures are put on a ballot for the public to vote on. The measure must include details about projects that would be done if voters pass the measure. Bond measures allow school districts to pay for expensive building projects across time.

  • In Oregon, it’s up to each local community to invest their resources, via a local capital improvement bond, to update and build schools. This is why school facilities and conditions vary widely from one community to the next.

  • By law, General Obligation Bond funds can only be used for the capital projects outlined in the ballot explanatory statement. These funds cannot be used for items such as PERS, salaries, or other employee expenses, nor can they be used for routine maintenance or supplies.

The State of Our Schools and Facilities

  • Elementary Schools

    Jennings Lodge Elementary: 1938

    Beavercreek Elementary: 1948

    Redland Elementary: 1948

    Gaffney Lane Elementary: 1965

    Holcomb Elementary: 1966

    Candy Lane Elementary: 1969

    John McLoughlin Elementary: 1975

    Middle Schools

    Gardiner Middle School: 2021

    Tumwata Middle School: 1965 (significant new interior renovation 2021)

    High Schools

    Jackson Campus (Clackamas Academy of Industrial Sciences): 1938

    Oregon City High School: 2003

    King Campus (Oregon City Service Learning Academy): 1959

    Eastham (future location of OCSLA): 1938

  • In 2023 the school board formed a Long-Range Facility Advisory Committee to create a comprehensive analysis of our schools and facilities. The full report can be found online, along with the executive summary. The report concluded that while our schools were built between 1938-1975 (with exception of the high school built in 2000), the district had done a good job maintaining the buildings.

  • The district does not have any schools or facilities not in use.

How Schools Affect the Local Community

  • Large-scale construction projects similar to those in this bond proposal can have many positive impacts on the local economy. A typical new school construction project will employ thousands of people during the design and construction phases.

    Additional indirect benefits to the economy can come from increased patronage to local restaurants, stores and service providers. School construction projects also provide fee revenue for the city as well as systems development revenue for use by local jurisdictions to make necessary improvements to community-wide resources such as roads and utilities.

  • Communities with good schools can impact home values, encourage people to stay and invest in the local area, and can supply the local economy with better skilled workers. Additionally, good schools can improve community pride, connections, and a sense of belonging.

  • A community with good schools can positively affect home values, area pride, business attractiveness and help shape the future workforce. Students can go on to be skilled workers and engaged citizens that contribute to the local economy and community in various ways.

    School facilities provide community organizations gathering spaces for sporting activities and various events. Additionally, our facilities are used by the Community Education department to run after school programs and classes for students and adults.

  • Each taxpayer will have to make their own decision about whether they feel investing in their school facilities is a good investment. Based on the District’s long track record of fiscal responsibility and conservative management our borrowing rates are low. Each year the district invites the community to multiple budget meetings to review and understand exactly how the district manages resources and operations.

Planning, the Future and Community Oversight

  • Bond planning began in 2023 after the successful analysis of our district’s facility needs review. Next our district held public meetings at all elementary and schools, inviting community members to share their ideas and priorities for the future of their neighborhood schools.

    In the fall of 2023, a community bond planning committee to come together and review options and help finalize the path our district should take for the future of our facilities.

    Students, parents, staff and the community members were invited to participate in this committee and their input was invaluable to charting the path and future of our schools.

    Beyond these committee meetings, smaller focus groups took place with staff, parents, and community members to gather feedback and input.

  • In planning the bond, the district took into account cost estimates aligned with construction industry standards. Our district is committed to addressing every project identified in the bond proposal. If the bond is approved by voters, the state will provide additional funds in grants that ensure project needs can be met.

  • The School Board will appoint a long-term Citizens Bond Oversight Committee to review bond expenditures and ensure that bond projects are implemented as voters intended.

  • Our district has a facilities maintenance plan that provides guidelines and maintenance schedules for all of our schools. Our district maintenance team has a strong track record in keeping buildings in working order to serve the needs of our students.

  • No. The stadium update was funded by 13 years of facility rental fees from outside groups and advertising revenue from the new electronic scoreboard. Read the full article published by Pamplin.

  • For the past several decades our district has commissioned annual demographic and enrollment projections. Ten year enrollment projections are included in our report.

The History of Oregon City School Bonds, School Closures, and Boundary Adjustments

  • Years and years of decreased state funding and reduced enrollment have forced many districts, including Oregon City, to close smaller schools, due to their proportionally higher cost of operation.

    The Mt. Pleasant school was sold to Oregon City and will be the future home of the Oregon City Police Department. The Park Place school is still owned by the district and leased by Alliance Charter Academy. The King school is owned by the district and is the home of the Oregon City Service Learning Academy high school.

  • The 2000 bond was passed to build the Oregon City High School on Beavercreek Road, and to improve seismic safety standards at our school facilities. The new high school made it possible to have all four grades together on one campus and created a transformational learning space for our students.

  • Oregon City School District has only one bond in the last 40 years. The previous bond before 2000 was passed in 1976. Our schools were built and funded by the investments of previous generations.