Hillsboro School District Bond Proposal to Cover $408 Million in Projects

HILLSBORO, OR – Voters in Hillsboro could see on their November ballots a capital construction bond to support the Hillsboro School District’s efforts to update and modernize its facilities to accommodate the growth school district officials expect over the next 10 years.

Coming in with a $408 million price tag, the bond would cover 34 projects that would "ultimately touch each school throughout the district with some level of physical improvement," according to the Bond Advisory Committee’s recommendation to district Superintendent Mike Scott –– who shared the bond proposal with the Hillsboro School Board on April 25.

"I was very pleased with the bond proposal that was put forth by the Bond Advisory Committee (BAC) and was happy to present it to the School Board on April 25," Scott said in an email to Patch. "Because two board members participated on the BAC and because we had been providing progress reports along the way, the response was quite positive. Board member comments reflected that they felt the process was thorough and provided several opportunities for community feedback, and that the final package includes necessary and meaningful projects that will enhance every school in our district."

Additionally, the committee’s recommendation would renew the bond tax rate of $2.24 per $1,000 of assessed property value that is already in place, avoiding any kind of tax increase for district voters.

According to school district spokeswoman Beth Graser, the committee initially brought forth two proposals: One that would keep the current tax rate and would that would slightly raise it. Following a survey period –– wherein 600 district voters likely to participate in an off-year election were asked whether they'd support the bond at either tax rate –– the committee learned that although support waned only a few percentage points it was still the better proposal to keep the tax at its current rate.

Essentially, Graser told Patch Tuesday, raising the tax rate wasn't worth risking the whole bond just to add roughly $30 million more to the bond proposal.

As it is, the bond would allow district officials to address safety and seismic concerns across all schools, as well as add "things that could help students focus on learning," Graser said, such as new classroom furniture to replace desks and chairs that have been in use since the 1970s.

Improvements listed in the committee's recommendation include:

• $68 million in safety and security projects, such as cameras and GPS devices in school busses, and new or upgraded fencing around some schools;
• $30 million for classroom and infrastructure technology, like student Chromebooks and classroom projectors;
• $178 million for new school facilities in North Plains and South Hillsboro, additions/expansions to Glencoe High School and Evergreen Middle School, the replacement of so-called "gym-a-cafe-toriums" (gym and cafeteria hybrids required at some schools) for proper stand-alone gymnasiums at one-third of the district's elementary schools, a new kitchen and cafeteria at Reedville Elementary School, and to build an entirely new Brookwood Elementary School;
• $24 million for high school career and technical education programs and "flexible classroom furniture" –– jigsaw puzzle-like desks that can be moved and contorted around a classroom to suit its needs, and ergonomic chairs to support student posture whilst they sit and learn for hours a day;
• $89.6 million for current infrastructure improvement projects, such as the Hillsboro High School remodel (which includes a track for the first time in the school's nearly 50-year history), HVAC system upgrades, and the construction of lighted turf athletic fields at Glencoe, Hilhi, and Century high schools; and
• $17 million for administrative costs associated with implementing the bond.

Based on the committee’s forecasts, these improvements would help the district accommodate an expected increase of more than 1,800 students by 2026.

The committee’s recommendation follows months of inter-district planning, community open houses, and various school district meetings all aimed at refining project priorities and whittling down the estimated total cost for improvements, which initially came in at more than $700 million.

This post has been updated to include comments from Hillsboro School District spokeswoman Beth Graser.

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