By Stephen Floyd
The Silver Falls School District (SFSD) Board has approved a $138 million bond measure for the Nov. 7 ballot, concluding months of planning and ushering in months of rigorous outreach.
The board’s June 20 decision was unanimous and followed a recommendation from the district’s Bond Advisory Committee.
If the bond passes, revenue would address deferred maintenance and upgrades to critical systems at all schools in the district, including the rebuilding of Silverton Middle School.
Board members said they were grateful to have crossed this threshold on an issue that has been front-and-center during their recent service.
“We’ve all been really supportive of a bond effort for the last two years and it just feels right that it’s our job to [approve the measure], so I’m really glad to move forward with this,” said Board Chair Jennifer Traeger.
The bond measure now goes to voters.The district expects to spend the next five months engaged in vigorous outreach to explain the bond’s scope and goals to the public.
During the board’s June 12 meeting, polling consultants said the bond stood a slim chance of passing amid hesitations about transparency and fiscal impact.
Consultants said voters who were given more details of the bond were more likely to vote in favor, and advised the district to engage in meaningful community outreach through election day.
Following the board’s approval of placing the bond on the ballot, the district applied for a $4 million grant that will only be awarded if the bond passes.
The grant would be through the Oregon School Capital Improvement Matching Program, which is meant to incentivise support for facilities bonds.
