The Corbett School District has placed a $4 million dollar bond measure on the November 3, 2020 General Election ballot. It is ballot measure 26-220 “Bonds to Construct, Renovate, and Improve District Facilities.” The measure can be reviewed at https://multco.us/file/91730/download.
The buildings are in disrepair from age and heavy usage. The district’s last bond to fund construction of the grade school was approved 26 years ago. This new $4 million bond is estimated to cost voters approximately $1.02 per $1,000 of assessed property value annually. This is less than the average $2.58 per $1,000 of assessed value Corbett taxpayers paid annually over the life of the previous grade school bond. Our facilities are also outdated, as a result of increased technology applications, state and federal mandates, and changes in educational standards, curricular focus, and student demographics.
Corbett School District has also secured a $3,878,367 capital improvement grant from the state, but these “matching funds” will become available only if this bond is approved. If district voters do not approve this measure, these funds will be diverted to another school district. This grant was allocated based on a lottery; we may not have this opportunity at a future election.
With the combined $7,878,367 of bond and grant funds, the district plans to relocate the middle school and district offices to the Woodard property (permanent facilities are expected to be created at the main campus if future bonds are approved), and begin to address a portion of approximately $28 million of identified long-term capital improvement needs.
More specifically, if approved, bond and grant funds are expected to finance or refinance the following capital costs:
- Relocation of middle school to Woodard property
- Relocation of district offices to Woodard property
- Renovation of high school facilities
- Grade school roof repairs
- Seismic improvements to multi-purpose building main campus
- Decommission existing middle school facility
- Furnishing, equipping, and improvements to facilities, including for CTE, Title IX and ADA
- Site improvements, refinance loan for land acquisition and improvements, demolition, and bond issuance costs.
Bonds would mature in a period not to exceed eleven years from issuance and financial audits and oversight will be required. If the bond is approved, the district would establish a citizen oversight committee to ensure that bond proceeds are used for the purposes indicated. The citizen oversight committee would make regular reports to the school board throughout the design and construction process. If our proposed use of Woodard property is not approved by authorities having jurisdiction, including Multnomah County, then funds planned for relocating middle school and district offices to Woodard will be used to accommodate them at the main campus.
