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Lake Oswego board votes to refer $245 million school bond to November ballot, keeping tax rate steady
Summary
The Lake Oswego School District board voted to refer a bond measure estimated to raise about $245 million to the November ballot, with district leaders saying the measure would maintain the district's current tax rate and fund safety, repairs and career-technical learning spaces.
The Lake Oswego School District Board on July 21 voted to refer a bond measure to the November 2025 ballot that district officials estimate could raise about $245 million if sold in two tranches.
District Superintendent Dr. Jen Shealy, presenting the resolution, asked the board to put the measure before voters and described the next steps if the board approved the measure. "It's our pleasure to be here today to officially ask your...action to refer the bond to the ballot in November. Before you, we have the resolution. Should you take action on it, the next steps would be we would file it with the county, and there would be a 10 day publication period," Shealy said during the meeting.
Why it matters: District officials told the board the measure is designed to preserve the district's current estimated tax rate and to fund three priorities emphasized in community outreach — safety and resiliency upgrades across older buildings, repair and replacement of high-priority aging facilities, and expanded career and STEM spaces at both high schools. The board approved the resolution by voice vote; the chair declared the motion carried.
What the measure would fund: District financial staff and the superintendent said recent polling and community meetings informed the package and its language. Stuart, the district finance presenter, told the board updated revenue projections and market assumptions support an estimated principal amount of about $245,000,000 across multiple bond series and projected sales. "We do estimate at at this time ... the first bond sale ... and then the second sale in May 2029 would support a principal...amount of 245,000,000," Stuart said. He also said the district intends to maintain its current tax rate, noting the bond structure is intended to keep the levy roughly where it is now.
Process and timeline: If the board-approved resolution is filed with the county elections office, the district said the notice will run in The Oregonian for the required 10-day comment period. After that period and any required follow-ups, the county will assign a bond measure number; the district said its campaign and outreach activities would shift to active advocacy once the measure number is official.
Public outreach and polling: Presenters said the bond language (caption, question and summary) reflects months of community engagement and multiple message and voter polls. The district reported consistent positive results in likely-voter polling, and officials said that maintaining the current tax rate while addressing school safety and instructional space scored highest in tests of voter messaging.
Board action: A board member moved to approve the bond-referral resolution and a second was recorded. The board then approved the resolution by voice vote; the chair announced the motion carried.
Next steps: Staff said the district will file the resolution with the county elections office, publish the notice, and, pending any substantial feedback, proceed to finalize the bond measure for the November ballot. District officials said a citizen-led campaign team is prepared to begin outreach once the measure number is assigned.
Speakers quoted above are identified in board meeting materials and the public transcript.
