$6 Million Grant To Hillsboro School District (If Capital Bond Measure Passes)

HILLSBORO, OR — The Hillsboro School District on Thursday announced it was recently awarded at least $6 million in state matching grant funds to put toward infrastructure and facility improvements at Hillsboro's schools, thanks to the Oregon Schools Capital Improvement Matching Grant program (OSCIM). There is, however, a catch.

In order for the award to be given to the district, voters must approve a $408 million capital construction bond in the November election. According to district spokeswoman Beth Graser, state lawmakers designed the OSCIM program this way to encourage greater community support for local school bond measures.

"This bond is part of a long-term strategy for investment in our schools that started with our bond campaign in 2006," HSD Superintendent Mike Scott told Patch in an email. "We have identified more than $700 million in needs for our district over the next 20 years. This bond for $408 million is expected to provide us with what we need for the next nine years, at which time the 2006 bonds will have been paid off and there will be another opportunity to invest in our system without raising current tax rates."

If passed in November, the new bond and state grant award will go toward land purchases to expand schools' capacities; upgrades and improvements to school sidewalks and other infrastructure, including roofs, windows, and portable classroom replacements; repairing sports and recreational facilities; and seismically upgrading new elementary school gyms to an "immediate occupancy seismic standard to potentially allow those gyms to serve as community shelters in the event of a major earthquake," Scott said.

Hillsboro could also receive an additional $2 million if other districts are unsuccessful in their respective community's bond measures, Graser said.

"The most exciting thing about this bond is what it would mean for our students: safer and more secure schools; modern classroom environments; and expanding access to career-related learning opportunities in fields where there are high-wage, high-demand jobs in the Hillsboro community and beyond," Scott said. "Our community is growing, and our schools need to grow with it so that we can best serve all of our students."

The grants are being awarded in two ways, Graser explained. Sixty percent of the grants are being awarded based on priority among small, rural districts with lower property values, she said. The remaining 40 percent will go to districts based on the order in which their grant applications were submitted.

The maximum any one district can receive is $8 million, Graser said.

"There is a lot to be proud of and excited about with this bond," Scott said. "I urge our community to take a look at the details on our website: www.hsd.k12.or.us/bond."

This post was updated to include comments from Hillsboro School District Superintendent Mike Scott.

Photo Courtesy: Hillsboro School District