School Board Approves Bond Measure for May 15 Ballot

Long Range Facilities Plan Approved

The Corvallis School Board adopted the recommended Long Range Facilities Plan at the January 11, 2018 meeting. The plan is a living document that will be used by Facilities and Transportation Director Kim Patten to prioritize projects throughout the district. A final version of the plan will be published to the web soon.

Board Approves $199 million Bond Measure

In a separate action, the board voted to place a general obligation bond on the May 15, 2018 ballot for school facilities improvements as prioritized in the Long Range Facilities Plan.

The total amount of the bond is $199,916,925. Based on a levy rate analysis by Piper Jaffrey, if approved, this bond would result in a $1.98 levy rate which is an increase from the average levy rate of $1.64 for the current facilities bond that will fully expire in 2019. For example, the owner of a home assessed at $240,000 would pay $475 annually which is $81 more per year or $7 more per month when compared to the average cost of the last bond.

Projects in the bond are designed to:

• increase safety for students and staff, including secure school entrances, controlled access locks, lighting, and security cameras;
• address overcrowding and replace all unsecure and inefficient portable classrooms and include dedicated spaces for music and art/science instruction, and multi-purpose dining commons separate from physical education/gym spaces at Adams, Garfield, Jefferson, Mt. View and Wilson;
• replace two inadequate elementary schools (Lincoln and Hoover), schools will be constructed on same sites, with construction phasing that allows students to remain on site;
• improve career and technical education spaces in middle and high schools;
• and address critical maintenance issues to extend the life of school buildings and increase energy efficiency. Projects replacing leaking roofs and pipes, replacing outdated and inefficient boilers and removing asbestos floor tiles.

More information about bond projects will be available in the coming weeks.