FAQs

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 (Teaching and Learning): 1959

    Eastham (home 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.

    https://www.ocsd62.org/long-range-capital-planning-committee

    The report concluded that while our schools were built between 1938-1975 (with exception of the high school built in 2000 and Gardiner which was rebuilt in2021), 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.

    If passed, 100% of bond funds would be used locally.

    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. To learn more about our budget and budgeting process, please visit www.ocsd62.org/budget

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 proposed bond measure, 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.

  • Our proposed projects do include updating and upgrading the fields and grounds at Oregon City High School and Pioneer Memorial Stadium.

  • 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 the property is now the new home of the Oregon City Police Department.

    The Park Place school is still owned by the district and leased by Alliance Charter Academy.

    King school is still owned by the district and was formerly the home to Oregon City Service Learning Academy. During the summer of 2024, OCSLA moved to our Eastham building and now Teaching and Learning inhabit King.

  • 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.

  • The 2018 bond was passed to address safety and security at each school, reduce overcrowding at our middle schools, and updated school buildings and learning spaces.

    The 2018 bond allowed for all schools to have a secure vestibule installed at every entrance, and added intercom systems, emergency radios, and interior door locks.

    It also allowed for significant renovations to both Gardiner Middle School and Tuwmata (formerly Ogden) Middle School. These renovations increased the capacity of the buildings and reduced overcrowding.

    It also allowed for the expansion of our Career and Technical Learning spaces. Two of our elementary schools received pilot maker spaces, our middle schools and all our high schools also received updated CTE areas. Some of these areas included new culinary labs, wood shops, expanded machining areas, and media labs.

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

  • This bond was the first phase in a mulit-phased approach to updating our facilities. This bond provided the community with a new high school, seismic upgrades for most schools, and electrical upgrades district wide.

    Election:  May 16, 2000

    Bond issue date: June 13, 2000

    Bond issue amount: $67,500,000

    Term/expiration date: June 15, 2020  

    Bonds were refinanced several times over the 20 years and saved taxpayers millions in interest.

  • This bond was the second phase in a multi-phased approach to updating our facilities. This bond provided the community significantly renovated middle schools, secure vestibules at every school entrance, acquired land for a future school building (middle or elementary), and expanded CTE opportunities.

    Election:  November 6, 2018

    Bond issue date: December 20, 2018

    Bond issue amount: $157,995,950 ($158 million)

    Term/expiration date: June 15, 2049  

  • This proposed bond would be the third phase in a multi-phased approach to updating our facilities. This proposed bond could provide the community with critical updates and repairs to our aging elementary school buildings, expand student opportunities, and update and upgrade fields and grounds at OCHS and Pioneer stadium.

    Election Date:  November 5, 2024

    Potential proposed bond issue date (to be formally decided after election, if passed): March 15, 2025

    If passed, proposed bond issue amount: $163,000,000

    Potential term/expiration date (to be formally decided after election, if passed): June 15, 2049   

    Bonds were refinanced several times over the 20 years and saved taxpayers millions in interest.

Other 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.

    The Oregon City School District cannot pay for these improvements with funds from the general fund revenue that comes from the Oregon Department of Education.

     In Oregon City School District's budget, about 80% of funds are used for district staff.  This includes bus drivers, teachers, leaders, counselors, nutrition staff, staff who support our students who need special education, custodians etc.  

    The remaining 20% is used for expenses such as electric and water bills, computers, buses and bus fuel, classroom supplies, maintenance equipment, library books, playground bark chips and jump ropes etc. Oregon City School District does allocate some funds into accounts for emergencies and high cost items such as broken water pipes and preventative maintenance to ensure longevity and good stewardship of our facilities. This included actions such as resurfacing a gym, repairing roofs, addressing HVAC issues or replacing fire panels.  The amount of funds needed for  installing new heating systems or adding AC, replacing an entire school roof, or building a new school would not be possible by using our working funds for district wide upkeep and repair.

    In the state of Oregon, and here in Oregon City School District, districts must ask taxpayers for Bonds for funding for major repairs, replacement or renovations to buildings. The way funding and bond approval work in Oregon is not the same as it is in other states.  

    All bond money must be spent on “things” bond money cannot be spent on people.  Oregon City School District recently completed all the projects related to our 2018 bond- on schedule and on budget- that supported the second phase of our multi phased capital projects plan primarily focused on our middle schools.  

    Some districts also choose to ask voters for a “levy”.  These funds can be spent on people or things including classroom teachers, art programs etc. Oregon City School District does not have a levy and is not asking taxpayers for a levy. 

    At times, specific grants are offered such as the Seismic Rehabilitation Grant, the Energy Efficiency Grant (SB1149), or Technical Assistance Program (TAP) Grants which Oregon City School District has applied for and, when granted, help us with upgrading our lighting and heating to be more energy efficient or for safety upgrades.

  • 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.

  • In 2000 Oregon City began a multi-phased bond approach to maintaining the community's school facilities. The 2000 bond funded the construction of a new high school for the community. The 2018 bond funded the rebuilding of the district's two middle schools and security updates at every school in the district. This third phase of the long-range facilities plan is to update the district's elementary schools for the community's youngest learners.

  • If passed, yes. The potential bond would invest $163 million in Oregon City Schools which would raise taxes $1.23 on top of the current tax rate of $1.20 for a total of around $2.43 per thousand dollars assessed value. 

    Note: A property’s assessed value is very different from the real market value. A home that sells for around $450,000, might have an assessed value of much less- often around half of the real market value.

    The average assessed property value in Oregon City School District limits is around $257,677 according to the county taxation office.

    A property owner with an average assessed property value of $257,677 would pay an additional $26.41 per month or $316.94 per year.

  • The proposed tax bond would apply to property owners living within the Oregon City School District boundaries.

    You may find our boundary information here: www.ocsd62.org/boundary-map

  • Yes, the state offers funds for school districts that pass bond measures. These funds come from the Oregon School Capital Improvement Matching (OCSIM) Program. The district has been promised an additional $6 million in matching funds from this program if this proposed bond measure passes.

    If the proposed bond measure does not pass, the district will not be eligible to receive these funds.

  • No, the projects would not be completed as proposed.