The Hillsboro School District 1J board of directors on Tuesday gave a preliminary nod to using a $1.97‑per‑$1,000 tax-rate framing for community outreach on a proposed bond package, district staff said. The work session ran from 12:03 to 12:58 p.m., and staff said polling and public engagement are slated for late January and early February.

District staff member Beth, who led the presentation, said the board was being asked for a general sense of a dollar amount to build outreach packages around and that “this by no means locks us into anything at this point.” She told board members the district would produce multiple packages for public feedback and that the recommended figures (roughly $411 million or $430 million) would be refined after community input.

The district’s communications consultant, Jeremy Wright, said the planned survey will measure both strength of support and strength of opposition, asking voters whether they are “strong yes, maybe yes, undecided, maybe no, [or] strong no,” and track whether respondents move toward or away from support once they see what the bond would pay for. “We look at a couple things,” Wright said. “Does that move people from soft yes to strong yes?”

Board members questioned how recent fluctuations in assessed value — including the addition and subsequent depreciation of a large Intel parcel to the tax rolls — affect projected tax rates. Board member Mark said he was reluctant to ask taxpayers to pay more now that many residents have seen lower bills. Staff and consultants advised caution about basing a 20‑year bond on a single low year and recommended using longer averages to present a clearer historical picture to voters.

Beth described three package tiers: an immutable core of high‑priority projects, a mid‑level package that restores items removed from a smaller core (including additional technology-device replacement cycles and later years of bus replacement), and a larger bolt‑on package for additional roofing, kitchens and extracurricular-support projects. She said project sequencing (early, mid, late across a five‑year buildout) does not change with the dollar amount — the amount only affects how many projects the district can complete.

The board indicated consensus to proceed with the $1.97‑per‑$1,000 framing for community outreach; members used thumbs‑up reactions and verbal confirmations to record support, with one member expressing reluctance about the higher figure. Beth said staff will gather the community feedback and return with a report and recommendation next spring.

The board adjourned at 12:58 p.m.