Despite uncertain financial times, Oregonians mostly seem to remain supportive of public education.
Of 13 school bonds and levies on the ballot, 10 appeared to be passing as of Thursday morning’s vote count. Official results won’t be known for days, but the majority of ballots have been counted.
The failures, though, highlight a problem the Legislature has been discussing this year. Oregon school buildings average more than 40 years old with many of the oldest in communities that can’t pass a bond for basic maintenance, much less to actually replace a school.
In general, school districts and community colleges must use bonds for capital projects that they cannot afford in their operating budgets. After years of lean budgets, that would be most facility work beyond annual maintenance. Local option levies can be used for ongoing expenses, most often to pay for staff.
This election cycle there were 11 bonds and two levies.
Portland Public Schools’ eye-popping $1.83 billion bond proposal to replace three high schools received much of the public attention this spring. As of Wednesday morning, 55% of ballots said yes.
The Tigard-Tualatin School District’s $421 million bond was pitched to replace a 50-year-old middle school as well as substantially renovate four of its elementary schools. As of Thursday morning, the bond had 52% approval.
The Morrow County School District’s $204 million bond proposal also included a major building project, planning a new K-12 campus to replace the Heppner Junior/Senior High School as well as significant work at the district’s other schools. The vote is too close to call but the bond appeared to be winning with a bare 50.3% yes vote, a difference of about a dozen votes.
Most of the bond proposals were more mundane, though, such as seeking to repair leaking roofs, upgrade security for entrances or add learning spaces to existing schools.
Chemeketa Community College appears to be winning, with 51.4% of the vote counted so far. Mt. Hood Community College, after appearing to lose, pulled ahead Thursday. But with just 50.01% approval, a difference of fewer than a dozen votes out of more than 40,000 cast, it’s still too close to call.
The Sheridan School District, likewise, flipped an apparent losing result on Wednesday into apparent victory Thursday, with 52% approval.
The Lincoln County School District easily won with about 67% approval for a $73.3 million bond that will replace an existing bond and will build performance spaces for three of its schools.
The Tillamook School District also won easily with 56% approval to replace an existing bond. Its $23.5 million bond will be used for upgrading security, expanding gym and cafeteria space, and adding restrooms among other things.
The Neah-Kah-Nie School District passed a levy with 57% of the vote to provide roughly $2 million a year to replace declining timber revenue in its budget.
The Crow-Applegate-Lorane School District also passed a $2 million a year levy, with a whopping 72% of more than 400 votes cast.
In the same county, though, the Junction City School District showed the problem many Oregon districts face. The district’s bond proposal last year was rejected, so the district scaled back its plan to $40 million for just the most essential repairs and upgrades.
Junction City also had a promise of a $6 million matching grant from the Oregon School Capital Improvement Matching Program to sweeten the pot. Voters still said no, with roughly 63% against.
The OSCIM grants have been a key selling point for districts in recent years, but they have not been able to budge the needle in some communities that simply don’t have the tax base or the will to make necessary facility investments.
The Central Linn School District has not passed a bond since 1996, and it recently lost votes in 2016 and 2017. More than three-quarters of voters rejected this year’s $34.5 million proposal to modernize facilities.
The Gladstone district failed in its $60 million effort, with 62% opposed.
Ballots postmarked by Election Day are still coming in. Unofficial final results are not expected until May 28, and the certified final results won’t be ready until about June 16.
– Jake Arnold, OSBA
[email protected]
*This story was updated Thursday, May 22.
