BALLOT TITLE
CENTENNIAL SCHOOL DISTRICT GENERAL OBLIGATION BOND AUTHORIZATION
QUESTION: Shall Centennial School District be authorized to issue general obligation bonds not exceeding $31,000,000 to expand and improve its facilities? If the bonds are approved, they will be payable from taxes on property or property ownership that are not subject to the limits of Section 11 and 11b, Article XI of the Oregon Constitution.
SUMMARY: If approved, this measure provides funds to add classroom space to keep pace with student enrollment growth and renovate and expand Centennial High School's aging facilities. Specifically, this measure will:
• Construct, equip and furnish a new elementary school building to house approximately 600 students and relieve overcrowding in the district's other elementary schools.
• Renovate and expand the high school to protect the community investment in that facility and extend the life of the school for approximately 30 years. Improvements will:
• Upgrade electrical wiring to improve student access to technology.
• Replace outdated heating, ventilation, plumbing systems and make other health and safety improvements.
• Construct, equip and furnish new classrooms.
Bonds will mature in 21 years or less from the date of issuance and may be issued in one or more series.
EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
Centennial School District faces a number of problems as a result of:
OVERCROWDED CLASSROOMS
AGING HIGH SCHOOL
The proceeds from this bond measure will enable Centennial Schools to correct these problems.
Voter approval of the bond measure will permit Centennial Schools to:
Reduce crowding and protect our community's investment by extending the life of Centennial High School.
• Renovate, expand and improve Centennial High School. The school was built in 1959 and the original part of the building has never been remodeled.
• Upgrade fire alarm, lighting, heating, ventilation and plumbing systems. These basic systems are not up to current codes or are inadequate for today's needs.
• Upgrade wiring to improve student access to technology and provide enough power for current needs. Computers, copy machines and other instructional technology now overtaxing the building's electrical systems did not exist when the high school was built.
• Add classrooms and instructional space to increase capacity by approximately 400 students.
• Remodel current classroom and instructional areas including updating science labs.
• Increase safety by upgrading fire and life safety systems and improving traffic flow with a reconfigured entrance and a new traffic light at the Centennial High School entrance on 182nd St.
Build a new elementary school to reduce crowding
• Construction of a new 600-student elementary school on Butler Road will reduce crowding in existing elementary schools. All of the classrooms in our existing elementary schools are full and Lynch Meadows has four portable classrooms. More students are coming, about 1.8 percent per year.
• Construction of the new elementary school will be on land the district already owns. There is no money in the bond measure to purchase land.
The principal amount of the bond issue will not exceed $31 million. The term of the bond will not exceed 21 years from the date of issue.
The estimated cost of this bond is $1.56 per $1,000 of assessed value. A bond issue (costing approximately 47 cents per $1,000 of assessed value) was paid off in February, so the actual net increase is estimated to be $1.09 per $1,000 of assessed value.
Submitted by
Keith E. Robinson
Superintendent
No arguments AGAINST this measure were filed.
ARGUMENT IN FAVOR
We endorse Centennial's school bond measure because ….
"Centennial classrooms are packed. The district is using portable classrooms and moving new students out of their neighborhood schools to help shift heavy enrollments. This is a temporary fix, not a good long-range solution. We need a new school to make room districtwide for students and teachers."
"Our high school is not only overcrowded—it shows the wear and tear of an old building. The water tastes bad, the heating and ventilation needs improvement and electrical "brownouts" are common because today's technology requires more electricity than when Centennial High School was built 40 years ago. Remodeling the high school and adding classrooms will make the building safer, bring it up to current building codes and extend its life for another generation of children. Let's protect our investment in our community's sole high school."
Julie Dechant, Lynch Wood Boosters
Vicki Dettmann, Lynch Meadows Boosters
Kelly Carter, Lynch View parent
Gabriella Fork, Harold Oliver Parents and Educators executive board
Phyllis Woodell, Pleasant Valley PTA
Linda Newman, Centennial Middle School Boosters
Grace Kamp, Centennial Learning Center parent
Vicky Tilden, Centennial High School Boosters
"As community volunteers we see the school's genuine effort to maintain quality in teaching and in facilities. To maintain this quality we must have classrooms that aren't crowded, that are safe, and provide the tools and technology today's youth need to succeed as adults."
Lonnie Barron, Centennial Basketball Association
Dan Miller, Centennial Soccer Club
Scott Wilson, Centennial Little League
"Schools are the best investment a community can make to ensure economic well-being. Good schools are a major reason people and businesses move to an area. We support Centennial's effort to improve safety, preserve the quality of education and create a learning environment compatible with today's higher standards. These efforts benefit an entire community, not just kids."
Carol Nielson-Hood, Gresham area and East Portland Chamber of Commerce Public Affairs Council and Board of Directors
(This information furnished by Pamela Burback, Citizens for Centennial Schools)
The printing of this argument does not constitute an endorsement by Multnomah County, nor does the county warrant the accuracy or truth of any statements made in the argument.
ARGUMENT IN FAVOR
A MESSAGE FROM CITIZENS FOR CENTENNIAL SCHOOLS
Protect the community's investment in our only high school
and
Reduce crowding in our existing schools!
Your YES vote will do this by renovating and expanding Centennial High School and building a new grade school.
Our schools are well-maintained but after 40 years many basic things wear out. Centennial High School needs a major renovation so it can provide students a safe and healthy learning environment for many more years.
Old systems ….such as plumbing, heating and ventilation need fixing in order to meet current building codes. The electrical system needs upgrading so students have better access to technology and computers.
Classrooms, such as science labs, need remodeling so students have the tools they need to succeed.
Provide classroom space for kids to learn!
Crowding is a problem at the high school and the grade schools. Additional teachers can't be hired in most grade schools because there is no place to put them. The bond will pay for a new elementary school on land the district already owns. This will reduce crowding in existing grade schools.
Enrollment continues to climb upward. As more newcomers move here, they will pay their fair share of the bond, potentially reducing the cost for current taxpayers.
It's our turn to help
Not all of us have children that will gain directly from these improvements.
As a community we ALL benefit from local schools that produce students who are civic-minded neighbors, productive employees and future leaders. We need to make sure our schools are equipped to do the best job possible.
Jody Bringhurst, co-chair
Mike Salsgiver, co-chair
Rod Boettcher
Pam Burback
Ed Hanney
Connie Oswalt
Al Prilliman
Mary Scott
(This information furnished by Pamela Burback and Mary Scott Citizens for Centennial Schools)
The printing of this argument does not constitute an endorsement by Multnomah County, nor does the county warrant the accuracy or truth of any statements made in the argument.