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North Clackamas board reviews $245 million bond proposal to address roofs, HVAC, safety and tech
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Summary
School officials presented a $245,000,000 capital construction bond package proposed for the November ballot that they say aims not to raise the current tax rate; the package targets roofs, HVAC/thermal comfort, critical maintenance, safety and technology upgrades and will return to the board in June for potential action.
Chair opened a presentation on the district’s proposed November capital construction bond. Teresa Webster, chief of operations, described the district’s long-range facilities planning process, building condition assessments (completed in 2022) and the recent addition of an Incident IQ work-order system to link assessments to real-time maintenance data.
"We have put together a $245,000,000 proposed construction bond," said Simona Beatty, an advisory committee parent, who added the package is designed "not to increase the current tax rate" and to address the district’s critical infrastructure needs so schools remain safe and accessible.
The board heard committee-collected priorities grouped into five categories: roof systems; thermal comfort and ventilation (upgrades for HVAC and cooling during extended hot-weather events); critical maintenance (mechanical, electrical, windows, accessibility and wooden stadium renovations at Milwaukee and Rex Putnam High Schools); safety and security (camera standardization, lock boxes for first responders and expansion of a vape-sensor pilot at Milwaukee High); and technology infrastructure including network upgrades and cybersecurity.
Consultant Jeremy Wright said January polling showed even initial support that increased when respondents learned the tax impact, and recommended a renewal structured at the existing tax rate because higher bond amounts failed support thresholds in testing. Wright summarized survey priorities as ADA accessibility, basic building functionality ("warm, safe and dry"), security and career-technical education supports.
Board members thanked student and community advisory members for outreach and asked clarifying questions about confidence intervals in polling and how school-level project priorities will be published. Teresa Webster said a school-by-school listing of proposed projects will be published on the district website in early April and the board will receive a follow-up presentation in June before any ballot decision.
Why it matters: the package is the district’s principal tool for major renovation and new-build financing and would fund deferred maintenance and upgrades that district staff say cannot be financed with general operating funds.
Next steps: additional community presentations are scheduled through April and May, the district will update its website with school-by-school proposals in early April, and the board expects to revisit the proposal in June ahead of a possible November ballot placement.
