Crestview Heights Elementary School in the Lincoln County School District is getting a new roof thanks to a successful bond measure in the May 2025 special election.
Rich Belloni
With summer officially underway, students are out of the classroom and construction crews are in. The race is on to renovate buildings, improve security systems and upgrade student and community spaces before kids return to class later this summer.
The vast majority of construction projects taking place at districts throughout Oregon are fueled by voter-approved local bond measures. Some of those bonds are backed by additional funding from the state.
On Oregon’s central coast, the Lincoln County School District has already started work on a variety of remodels and renovations across its facilities. Some of the district’s summer projects will be funded by a successful bond measure from last May’s special election. Voters there approved the $73 million construction bond by a wide margin.
“The roof at Crestview Heights down in Waldport needs to be replaced,” said LCSD Superintendent Majalise Tolan. “That needed to happen if we passed the bond or not. So we’ve already done the bid work to be able to get that project started.”
The district is also moving forward with plans to expand career and technical education spaces, as well as the construction of new bathrooms and theaters.
Related: Late to the party? Here’s what you need to know about Portland Public Schools’ 2025 bond
The state’s largest district, Portland Public Schools, is planning to continue ongoing health and safety work funded by a 2020 construction bond, according to a district spokesperson.
Projects include the construction of American with Disabilities Act-compliant restrooms, sinks and entryways at a handful of elementary and high schools. Across PPS, crews are continuing education technology upgrades in classrooms, as well as the installation of alarms and security cameras at all district schools.
Larger PPS projects like the overhaul of Jefferson, Cleveland and Ida B. Wells high schools should begin their construction planning phase this summer. Those major projects are moving forward thanks to the district’s successful May bond, which asked voters to continue a property tax and authorize nearly $1.83 billion in construction bonds.
Some districts, such as PPS, have successfully relied on their surrounding communities to approve these tax measures. But other districts in the state can have a difficult time passing a local tax to pay for school upgrades.
The Tigard-Tualatin School District was able to build the new Art Rutkin Elemenrary School with funds from its 2016 construction bond.
Josh Partee
In the May special election, the Tigard-Tualatin School District barely made it across the finish line with its construction bond measure. Just over half of voters there approved of the bond. Now district leaders are working on ways to involve the community and increase awareness on bond projects.
“This is a big commitment [from voters] and we’re gonna do everything we possibly can to spend their money the way that we said we were going to — and in an efficient and effective manner,” said TTSD’s Director of Operation and Bond Kevin Montague.
Tigard-Tualatin’s $421 million bond will revamp four elementary schools and allow for security, HVAC, plumbing and technology improvements. Some projects, like replacing failed windows and roofs at a few schools, are already underway.
PPS, Tigard-Tualatin and Lincoln County school districts were three of six districts that received an extra boost of funding this year from the state through the Oregon Department of Education’s school bond matching program.
The Oregon School Capital Improvement Matching Program first started in 2016. ODE administers the grant program, awarding anywhere from $6 million to $12 million in additional funding to eligible school districts that can get local voters to pass a construction bond.
It’s intended to be an incentive program that districts can use to help sway voters in their direction.
“State money is reserved for districts if they pass their bonds,” said ODE school facilities and finance director Michael Elliott. “Districts can tell their communities, ‘If you vote for this bond, we’re gonna get extra dollars from the state to help us with our projects.’”
Since its launch, the program has awarded $494 million in matching funds to over 100 school districts in Oregon.
Leaders at both Tigard-Tualatin and Lincoln County school districts say the match had a big impact on their voters.
“It was great to be able to tell people that, if this passes, we will be able to get another six million for our project,” said Tolan. “I think it showed that we’re finding other ways to fund projects.”
