Editor’s note: Our Town is presenting a school-by-school review of the facility challenges at each building covered by the Silver Falls School District bond proposal on the Nov. 7 ballot. For previous stories go to ourtownlive.com.
By Stephen Floyd
Mark Twain and Robert Frost elementary schools both recently had extreme examples of building failures during the start of a school year.
In fall of 2022, the boilers at Robert Frost had to be replaced after a routine maintenance check revealed they were disintegrating. Supply chain shortages still rippled through the economy and facilities staff had to scramble to find parts and contractors.
They succeeded in finishing repairs before winter set in, but at great cost to the Silver Falls School District’s (SFSD) facilities budget. The unexpected expense derailed a planned resurfacing of the parking lot at Silverton High School.
Then on Sept. 5 of this year – the first day of school – a glass skylight fell 16 feet to the floor of a classroom at Mark Twain, shattering directly next to a table used for group instruction. The window frame, likely original to the 1958 building, suffered from undetected dry rot and simply gave way.
No one was in the room at the time. School had let out just minutes before. Other skylights in the building were assessed by a specialist and are not considered immediate problems, but are being kept closed unless they can be replaced.
SFSD officials said there are few examples more vivid than these of the need for facility improvements at its schools.
District spokesperson Derek McElfresh said, when a pane of glass drops where minutes before a 6-year-old stood, “obviously there are things that need to be done.”
“That’s what bonds are for,” he added.
Over the last several months the SFSD Bond Advisory Committee and district officials – following a series of school-by-school community listening sessions – constructed a plan to address critical facility challenges to student safety and well-being.
After reviewing the proposal, the SFSD board decided to put the $138 million bond measure necessary to carry out those plans before the voters on the Nov. 7 ballot. If passed, a state grant of $4 million would also be awarded.
The bond addresses repairs and renovations at 10 district-owned schools, and replaces Silverton Middle School.
For property owners within the district, the estimated cost per thousand tax increase over the current rate is $1.60 per $1,000 in assessed value.
The plan calls for $9.3 million for Mark Twain and $16.3 million for Robert Frost.
Mark Twain
Falling skylight aside, Mark Twain is in need of multiple upgrades common to a 65-year-old building.
Facilities Director Jeff Alderman said the school is notorious for roof leaks and during the wet season his workers are often forced to triage which leaks actually get fixed. He said they sometimes get calls about leaks daily and may have to hire third-party roofing companies just to keep up.
Replacing the roof is high on the list of bond projects at Mark Twain, as well as a new HVAC system and the replacement of windows like the erstwhile skylight. There are also walls and flooring that require asbestos abatement, while plumbing, electrical and other utilities would also be replaced.
The building also has significant security needs, with many unsecured doors that lead directly outside, potentially allowing adults and students in or out unnoticed. Proposed security upgrades include key card access for these doors, as well as security cameras throughout the building.
And as is common with structures built before 1990, Mark Twain has multiple ADA access challenges.
The gym, music room and sensory room are all on one level below the rest of the school, and the only ramp access is through an exterior door. And there are no restrooms on this level, so any student who requires ramp access would have to go back outside then down a first-floor hallway to relieve themselves.
Then at the main entrance, ADA access requires use of a gravel path that could be difficult to traverse for students in wheelchairs. The bond proposal includes sidewalk improvements and new entry ramps among other accessibility upgrades.
Robert Frost
The classrooms at Robert Frost get so warm on sunny days parents are encouraged to send kids to school with water bottles to stay hydrated during class. This is due to poor ventilation after the HVAC system deteriorated following the building’s construction in 1970.
Principal Jamie McCarty said some parents keep kids home on hot days because the temperature in a classroom can be 10 degrees warmer than outside, or worse in a crowded class.
“You go into a classroom of 30 (students) and it’s just roasting,” he said. “…It’s brutal”
McCarty said warm classrooms have led to “tough days” for teachers when it is already challenging to keep kids engaged. There was even one teacher who, during hot days this September, brought an AC unit from home to cool down her class.
An HVAC upgrade is one of the highest priorities at Robert Frost, as well as the replacement of other utilities like electrical, sewer and plumbing. There are also plans to improve security and ADA accessibility and to perform hazardous material abatement.
One improvement both teachers and administrators called a potential “game-changer” would be a new gymnasium, which would allow the current gym to become a dedicated cafeteria.
When the school was first built, the gym was intended to be multi-use and a kitchen was installed across the hall. Then in 2019 the state increased the minimum hours of PE necessary for elementary students and the gym had to be dedicated to classes.
This forced the school to install a cafeteria in what was once half of the library, which is in a central, open area in the classroom wing. The smaller space requires more frequent lunch periods to accommodate all students, resulting in three hours each day of students coming, going, eating and talking right outside classrooms.
The bond would fund a new gymnasium that would allow the cafeteria to move back to its old space full time, and allow the current cafeteria to be restored to quieter, calmer learning activities.
McCarty said approval of the bond would allow Robert Frost to “better-serve our students in all capacities” and encouraged voters to cast their ballots.
SFEA endorses bond
The teachers’ union for the Silver Falls School District has come out in support of a proposed $138 million facilities bond on the Nov. 7 ballot.
During the Sept. 11 meeting of the SFSD board, Lori Wyer, president of the Silver Falls Education Association, said a two-thirds majority of members had voted to endorse the bond.
The proposal would address infrastructure needs at all 11 schools and Wyer said these improvements were vital for education.
“We feel strongly that this bond is in the best interest of our students and it’s what they deserve. Period,” Wyer said. “We’re anxious to see how it turns out in November, but we’re very hopeful we’ll be able to achieve this.”
