By Stephen Floyd
The Silver Falls School District is getting closer to another facilities improvement bond measure after previous attempts to fund deferred maintenance and building upgrades were rejected.
On Aug. 22, the School Board approved formation of a Bond Advisory Committee to explore potential scope and scale of a bond measure.
The committee, made of district employees, parents, community leaders and other stakeholders, will identify the most urgent capital improvement needs and calculate the funding necessary.
Their work will build on priorities identified by the Long Range Facilities Planning Committee, which met from 2019 to 2022 to identify and define capital improvement needs. Priorities included expanding facilities for grade school and middle school students. Current buildings for these age groups are near or at capacity.
The first meeting of the advisory committee is expected during the last week of September, with meetings to continue through 2022. A public comment period is expected in early 2023. By May, the committee is expected to present a bond recommendation.
At that point the board will discuss the committee’s findings and determine whether or not a bond should go before voters. The earliest possible election for a bond measure, according to the district’s timeline, would be November 2023. Consultants noted school bond measures have higher chances of passing during a May primary.
Voters rejected a $36.9 million bond in May 2013 and a $24.9 million bond the following year.
The Silver Falls School District is getting closer to another facilities improvement bond measure after previous attempts to fund deferred maintenance and building upgrades were rejected.
On Aug. 22, the School Board approved formation of a Bond Advisory Committee to explore potential scope and scale of a bond measure.
The committee, made of district employees, parents, community leaders and other stakeholders, will identify the most urgent capital improvement needs and calculate the funding necessary.
Their work will build on priorities identified by the Long Range Facilities Planning Committee, which met from 2019 to 2022 to identify and define capital improvement needs. Priorities included expanding facilities for grade school and middle school students. Current buildings for these age groups are near or at capacity.
The first meeting of the advisory committee is expected during the last week of September, with meetings to continue through 2022. A public comment period is expected in early 2023. By May, the committee is expected to present a bond recommendation.
At that point the board will discuss the committee’s findings and determine whether or not a bond should go before voters. The earliest possible election for a bond measure, according to the district’s timeline, would be November 2023. Consultants noted school bond measures have higher chances of passing during a May primary.
Voters rejected a $36.9 million bond in May 2013 and a $24.9 million bond the following year.
