The David Douglas School District bond is funding important safety and security improvements, such as secured entries at schools that lack them, emergency communications, and fire safety. It is helping to extend the life of our aging schools through large scale basic repairs like HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and roofs. Our students will benefit from expanded educational opportunities through a new Future Careers Center building, with spaces for hands-on learning, Career and Technical Education (CTE) training, STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) at David Douglas High School, and expanded education spaces at elementary schools across the district. David Douglas School District is also making necessary investments in our Early Learning Program and building a preschool hub at North Powellhurst.
As with all smart investments, there is a responsible cost, and this bond is a district-level investment in the safety and security of our buildings, the lifespan of our aging schools, and the academic future of our local students. The cost is $0.88 per $1,000 assessed value. Every dollar spent stays right here in the David Douglas School District and cannot be spent on other projects, staff salaries, PERS benefits, or anything else. The bond measure makes our local tax dollars stretch further, leveraging a $8 million dollar grant from the state for this project as well as additional state and federal grants. A Bond Oversight Committee and regular audits ensure accountability to the taxpayers in our community.
The David Douglas School District bond measure passed on November 8, 2022, raising over $140 million for needed investments. The district also received $8 million from the State of Oregon in matching funds.
Health, Safety & Security Upgrades
There are 11 schools in the David Douglas School District that do not have secured entries, and in most schools our fire safety systems, intercoms, and other safety measures are either aging, do not meet current standards, or don't exist at all. Classroom temperatures vary widely because our HVAC and air handling systems are aging, inefficient, or in some cases nonexistent. The bond invests in these urgent upgrades.
Repair Aging Buildings
The average age of a school in the David Douglas School District is 60 years. Some schools are over 70 years old. Buildings across the District have aging electrical, heating, and plumbing systems. These same buildings also have windows, siding, lighting, and physical education surfaces that have reached the end of their usable life. The bond makes these necessary repairs, extending the usability of our current buildings.
Hands-on Learning & Future Careers at the High School
Education is changing. Students are now able to seek a variety of college and career pathways through the addition of vocational programs and job training programs. The main buildings at David Douglas High were built in 1954 and are out of date for today’s educational needs. Spaces for hands-on learning like Career and Technical Education (CTE), trades, and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) are either too small or nonexistent. The bond is funding a new Future Careers Center on the high school campus.
Room for Preschool Expansion
Currently, the demand for early childhood learning exceeds available space at our elementary facilities. The David Douglas community has consistently listed expanded preschool spaces at our schools as a top priority, and we know there are local dollars coming from Multnomah County for expanded preschool. The bond will renovate the North Powellhurst building and create preschool hub for David Douglas School District.
In Oregon, a capital improvement bond is how school districts pay for major construction projects.
Capital improvement bonds like this one are totally separate from operating budgets for schools, where the State gives each district money for running the schools on a per student basis determined by number of students attending. This money simply pays for the nuts and bolts of education and yearly building maintenance, not the major construction projects and large-scale repairs our district urgently needs.
Districts must pass bonds to update and renovate our aging buildings. It is the legal process in Oregon.
The Student Success Act (SSA) provided historic investment in the state’s preK-12 education system. These funds, managed in a partnership between the State of Oregon and David Douglas School District, are aimed at addressing educational disparities, reducing class size, and creating well-rounded academic supports. For information about how David Douglas School District is using the Student Success Act funds, click here.
The Student Success Act was NOT designed to go toward capital construction as this bond is proposing and SSA funds cannot be used for other purposes.
David Douglas School District received COVID-19 relief money through the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) fund, a federal government program providing school districts with emergency funding to offset the costs incurred by the pandemic. In addition, the funds may be used to support continuity of learning, additional instructional staff, additional custodial support, technology devices and equipment, virtual school options, nursing support, and supplies and air filters in classrooms. To read about David Douglas School District's plans for ESSER funds, click here.
Funds are NOT able to be used for the large-scale construction projects, urgent safety and security improvements, or other needed repairs proposed in this bond.
Yes! The State of Oregon offers matching funds through its Oregon School Capital Improvement Matching Program. David Douglas School District applied for this grant, and was approved for $8 million in matching funds.
An independent Bond Oversight Committee has been established to make sure the bond funds are used legally and properly. In addition, the Bond funds are subject to regular, independent audits. David Douglas School District has a history of delivering on bond projects and a reputation for prudent fiscal management. Projects on our 2012 bond list were delivered on time and under budget.
Every penny counts for our kids, and we will make certain we stretch taxpayer dollars for maximum benefit.
Early in 2022, following the district's Bond Committee recommendations, the David Douglas School Board voted to place a $152 million dollar measure on the May, 2022 ballot. However, worldwide economic conditions changed dramatically in the Spring, and the Board soon realized that the District would no longer be able to build all the projects promised in the bond for the cost proposed. The new estimate of the total cost for proposed bond projects jumped from $152 million to $195 million. So, the David Douglas School Board pulled the bond measure from the May 2022 ballot to dig into the financial details.
The Bond Committee reconvened and took into consideration inflation and rising costs, supply chain issues, anticipated bond rates, and the overall economic outlook. The projects were refined to lower the costs, ensuring that everything in the new bond package promised could be delivered. With a new plan in place, the districted checked in with voters, polling the community to guage the level of support. In July, the David Douglas School Board voted to place the now $140 million bond measure package on the Nov. 8, 2022 election ballot.
The district is committed to addressing every project in this proposal. The $8 million dollar state grant will go toward these projects which will help offset any additional costs the district might entail. Every dollar is important, and all projects will be completed. So far, we are on time and on budget!
David Douglas School District has a reputation of fiscal resopnsibility and every year our district earns the highest level of assurance that auditors can provide during required annual reviews. We have a track record of delivering on bonds, and our 2012 projects were completed on time and under budget.