In the last 40 years our community has passed one bond, and that was 23 years ago, for $23.9 million. That bond was paid off on time, in November 2021. The voters were close to passing the 2020 bond measure. That measure fell short by just a few hundred votes.

The district placed a bond measure on the 2022 May ballot in hopes of taking care of many of our schools’ needs. But due to record-high inflation and some concerns about the size of the bond, the voters declined to support that bond measure.

Many voters came forward and provided feedback asking the district to trim down their request. They also asked us to focus on major maintenance and job skill training. The current bond measure request is consistent with what taxpayers asked for. If we don’t pass this bond now, the costs to make major updates and repairs to our schools will continue to rise every year.

This bond measure would allow the district to raise $75.51 million for proposed projects. By voting YES, you will ensure the district also receives over $5.8 million in matching funds through the Oregon School Capital Improvement Matching (OSCIM) Program.

All schools will receive updates to security and safety standards. Healthy, safe schools allow students to focus on growing basic learning skills instead of worrying about threats to their safety or being too distracted by overheated or frigid classrooms. The total cost for updates district-wide is $49.8 million. To put this into perspective, a new elementary school that serves 600 students would cost an estimated $47.45 million. Our district currently serves about 2,670 elementary students.

The bond also calls for new learning space at Roseburg High School, attended by 1,600 students each year. Nearly every student attending schools in our district will eventually use this space. The cost to replace the Old Main building at RHS is $31.5 million. The Old Main was built about 100 years ago. Nearly all classes were moved out of the Old Main this school year because the facility is no longer considered safe for students and staff. The new facility will expand space for quality learning and additional job-skill programs.

School districts in Oregon have only one way to raise funds for large-scale renovations and new construction: Community school bonds funded over time through property taxes. The majority of school districts in Oregon receive funds from their communities to fund facility improvements. The local, state and federal funds that school districts receive for annual operations costs is intended to pay for student instruction and support, not buildings.

Roseburg School District’s permanent tax rate is lower than all other districts in Douglas County and neighboring districts in other counties. Communities including Coos Bay, Winston-Dillard, Reedsport, Glide, Elkton, Glendale, North Douglas, Myrtle Point and Bandon have higher permanent tax rates than Roseburg and also pay additional tax levies for their local school bonds.

Taxpayers in our district are currently paying the second lowest tax rate for schools out of all similarly sized school districts in the state of Oregon. If the bond is passed, Roseburg School District would still fall among the lowest tax rates out of all similarly sized school districts in the state.

The average age of our schools is 74 years old. One building constructed in 1909 is still in use, and the original high school building, the Old Main, was built in 1926. Our newest elementary building, Sunnyslope, was built in 1978, making it 44 years old. And although they have been incredibly maintained to an outside observer, they all have electrical, roofing, heating, cooling, and plumbing system inadequacies and failures. Safety and security concerns are becoming even more important as schools in our region and around the country face threats from intruders, wildfire smoke and airborne illnesses.

The Old Main building at RHS has more than surpassed its useful life as an academic building and is also a potential seismic hazard. The facility, built in 1926, no longer meets modern educational standards or building codes. In the 2022-23 school year, nearly all classes were moved out of the Old Main into temporary spaces around campus. 

No. These projects will not be completed if the bond measure fails. The district will NOT receive the $5.8 million matching fund provided by the State of Oregon.

The district will still have to maintain the buildings as they exist now, and another year of use will be added to them as building costs continue to rise.

In Oregon, a capital improvement bond is how school districts pay for major construction projects such as building new schools or renovating old ones.

The capital improvement bonds are totally separate from operating budgets for schools. 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, not the buildings, except for yearly maintenance as needed.

Our district must pass a bond to update and renovate our aging buildings. It is the legal process in Oregon.

The Student Success Act funding provided funds for Oregon school districts to invest in early education and K-12 education. These funds are managed in a partnership with the State of Oregon and Roseburg School District. The funds are meant to add teaching staff and increase learning opportunities for students. The purpose of the Student Success Act is to develop health and safety programs, adequate class sizes, improved instructional time.

The Student Success Act was NOT designed to go toward capital construction as Bond 10-206 is proposing.

The Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) is a federal government relief program providing school districts with emergency funding to offset the costs incurred by the COVID pandemic. ESSER funds were intended to support districts as they safely reopened as well as to sustain the safe operation of schools.

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.

In 2022, following the Uvalde, Texas, school shooting, the Roseburg School Board directed the district to use some remaining COVID relief funding to immediately begin improving security. These one-time funds are being used on new fencing and secure front offices for controlled access to our schools. To complete the security projects, the district will need the additional funding provided by this school bond. 

Yes, the State of Oregon offers matching funds through its Oregon School Capital Improvement Matching Program. Roseburg School District applied for this grant, and was approved for over $5,800,000 in matching funds.

Yes. If the Bond passes, an independent citizen Bond Oversight Committee will be established to make sure the bond funds are used legally and properly. In addition, the Bond funds are subject to regular, independent audits.

We want to make sure every penny is accounted for, as well as make certain we stretch every dollar for maximum benefit.

The district is committed to addressing every project in the bond proposal. The $5.8 million state grant will go toward these projects which will help offset any additional costs the district might face. Every dollar is important, and all projects will be completed

The permanent tax rate for Roseburg Public Schools is the lowest in all other districts in Douglas County as well as most neighboring counties.

The district repeatedly earns the highest level of assurance that auditors can provide during required annual reviews.