School Board Approves Bond Effort For Critical Facility Upgrades District-wide

With a goal of bringing district schools up to basic levels of present-day construction, health and safety standards, the Roseburg School Board voted unanimously Wednesday to place a capital improvement bond measure on the May 2022 ballot. The Board, in a 7-0 vote, approved a resolution calling for a $154 million measure to fund improvements in health and safety, updates and repairs to aging schools, and expanded student learning opportunities at every school in the district. The estimated tax rate would be $1.85 per $1,000 of assessed property value. The district would also receive state matching funds of over $5.8 million to address seismic upgrades if the bond is approved. Board Chair Rebecca Larson noted that the process leading up to Wednesday’s vote included extensive research as well as community outreach and participation. “We have invested months of work and many hours in preparation of this bond and bringing this bond to vote as a board to decide to take it to the public,” Larson said. “There are so many good things happening educationally in our schools; it’s time to help our buildings reflect that.” Bonds are the way school districts in Oregon pay for major construction projects like building new schools and upgrading existing ones. Bonds do not pay for employee salaries or day-to-day operational costs, which are funded primarily through state and federal sources. The last bond measure to pass in Roseburg was in 2000. That bond raised $23.9 million to fund major construction and restructuring projects primarily at Roseburg High School. That bond was retired in November 2020. Since then, the district has not been drawing taxes for facility improvements. The May bond would fund critical improvements at all schools in the district. Following is a breakdown of planned projects: - Improve Health and Safety o Air quality improvements; filtration, heating, cooling. o Emergency generators. o Secure entrances throughout the district to ensure access control. - Update, Repair Aging Schools o Electrical, roofing, flooring, lighting, plumbing. o Playground improvements at elementary schools, middle school track replacements and new synthetic turf fields. - Expand Student Opportunities o Learning space improvements at all elementary, middle schools. o Career and technical education/vocational education spaces. o Multipurpose gym facilities at elementary schools with currently combined cafeteria and gym space. - Honoring Past, Building for Future o Replacement of Old Main at Roseburg High with a modern educational facility that maintains and honors historical architectural elements. A citizen oversight committee will be created to oversee the construction and renovation process, with audits also required to ensure the district remains accountable to taxpayers and spends the funding appropriately. The current bond proposal is the result of a community development process. In August, a Community Bond Development Committee was formed to examine the district’s facilities needs. In December, the group of school staff, parents, and community and business partners recommended a final proposal to the School Board that covered about half of the most critical projects identified through the district’s long-range facilities planning process. More than $300 million in critical renovations and upgrades were identified, but the group agreed a $154 million package would help bring the district up to modern building and educational standards while aligning with the community’s needs and expectations to invest prudently. “It was very important to us to make sure our community had the chance to help guide this process, because the quality of our schools has a direct impact on our community,” said Superintendent Jared Cordon. “We are so thankful to the local residents who volunteered their time to identify these priorities for our district.” The majority of school facilities within the district were constructed in the early to mid 1900s and do not meet current building codes; seismic requirements; modern expectations for air filtration, heating and cooling; and the need for security systems to prevent intruders. The bond would also help the district improve ADA accessibility. Although the district has worked hard to maintain facilities over the years, much of the infrastructure such as roofing, electrical systems and boilers have far surpassed their service life. Board member Andrew Shirtcliff, who chaired the Community Bond Development Committee, said quality schools are something the community can unite around. “We have old schools that need repairs and everybody, regardless of what side of any issue you're on, we can all agree that our kids need to have better schools,” Shirtcliff said. “We all want our kids to be better and be in a happy, safe, fun environment. And that’s what we’re trying to do here.” In addition to addressing the most critical and necessary facility issues, funded projects would expand opportunities for students and the community as a whole. New multipurpose facilities at elementary schools that do not currently have separate gym and cafeteria spaces, for example, would also be available for community events, athletics and meetings, and could also serve as emergency shelters. New tracks and turf fields would expand athletic opportunities community-wide while upgraded playground equipment would provide safe and engaging places for children to play within their school neighborhoods. “This is an opportunity to make our community better, and I hope that as a community we take full advantage of this opportunity,” Board member Brandon Bishop said. The district will continue to share more information about the proposed projects in the coming months. To learn more about the bond, visit https://www.roseburg.k12.or.us/community/may-2022-bond.