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Lincoln County School District outlines $73.3 million bond renewal for May ballot
Summary
District officials presented the proposed 2025 renewal bond to Newport City Council, saying the measure would maintain the current levy rate, secure a $6 million state matching grant and target $73.3 million in locally spent bond dollars for safety, roof and vocational and performing-arts upgrades.
Lincoln County School District board members and administrators briefed the Newport City Council on a proposed renewal bond measure that would appear on the May 2025 ballot and is designed to maintain the current bond levy rate of $0.65 per $1,000 of assessed value.
The district presented the proposal as a renewal — not a tax increase — and said a successful vote would unlock a $6,000,000 state facility grant that has already been awarded and would be combined with local bond dollars to address aging buildings, safety systems and career-technical and performing-arts spaces.
Board member Liz Martin, who serves on the Lincoln County School District Board of Directors, said the district used a long-term facilities study, community polling and demographic analysis to prioritize needs. “We are looking to make sure that we could keep this bond levy at the same tax rate as what you’re paying now,” Martin said. “We feel really confident coming to you and to the voters talking about this bond because we used local contractors. We are a great boost to the local economy and we will go ahead and do that again.”
Superintendent Dr. Myelise Tolan and district staff told the council the district identified $93,000,000 in total capital needs across 11 schools; of that total, roughly $73,300,000 was sized to be covered by the renewal bond without raising the levy rate. District officials said 100% of bond funds would be spent locally on facilities and that the district intends to use a construction-manager-general-contractor (CMGC) process to keep work and dollars in Lincoln County.
District staff highlighted a set of priorities the bond would target if voters approve it: upgrades to safety and lockdown systems (including school “blue buttons” that automatically notify first responders), asbestos abatement, interior and exterior lighting, HVAC and roof repairs (the district said it has 11 roofs needing repair), bathroom privacy upgrades requested in surveys, vocational-technical expansion and three performing-arts auditoriums for Newport, Waldport and Toledo. The board said Taft would not be included because its 7–12 campus already contains two performance spaces that need only acoustical upgrades.
Tolan said bond money can only be used for facility upkeep and not for curriculum, but added that by repairing roofs and other infrastructure, the district expects to free general-fund dollars for priorities such as the purchase of core curriculum materials that the district has been updating.
Board members said the district will continue community oversight through a long-term facility committee and that they expect to manage project delivery without hiring an outside project-management firm as was done in the past. The presentation included links to the district’s FAQ, survey results and long-term facility study for residents seeking more detail.
If voters approve the renewal in May, the district will receive the $6,000,000 matching state grant the presenters said they have already secured; officials reiterated the proposal is intended to keep the tax rate steady rather than increase it.
