Centennial School District 28J, Oregon, Measure 26-208, Bond Issue (May 2020)

Centennial School District Measure 26-208
	Election date; May 19, 2020
	Topic; Local school bonds
	Status; Approved
Type; Referral	Origin; Lawmakers
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A bond issue was on the ballot for Centennial School District 28J voters in Multnomah and Clackamas counties in Oregon on May 19, 2020.^[1]It was approved.

A "yes" vote supported authorizing the district to issue $65 million in bonds and requiring a tax rate of $1,119 per $100,000 of assessed property value for bond repayment.

A "no" vote opposed authorizing the district to issue $65 million in bonds and requiring a tax rate of $1,119 per $100,000 of assessed property value for bond repayment.

Since the measure was approved, the school district received a matching grant of $7,464,690 from the state. A simple majority was required for the approval of Measure 26-208. The school district will have paid off older bond obligations before these bonds are issued. This means that the property tax to repay the bonds will not increase the existing rate of $1,119 per $100,000 of assessed property value.^[1]

Election results

Centennial School District Measure 26-208
Result	Votes	Percentage
Yes	5,698	53.37%
No	4,979	46.63%

Results are officially certified.

Source

Text of measure

Ballot question

The ballot question was as follows:^[1]

“

Shall the District issue $65,000,000 bonds for school security and facility improvements and receive a $7,494,690 State matching grant? If the bonds are approved, they will be payable from taxes on property or property ownership that are not subject to the limits of sections 11 and 11b, Article XI of the Oregon Constitution.^[2]

”

Ballot summary

The ballot summary was as follows:^[1]

“

It is estimated that this measure would not increase current tax rates due to the expiration of existing debt.

The State awarded Centennial School District No. 28Jt a $7,494,690 matching grant if the bonds are approved. If bonds are not approved, grant funds will be distributed to another district.

If approved, the bonds will fund school facility capital projects, including:

Repairing and replacing roofs, boilers, foundations, windows and flooring, and other school facility improvements
Upgrading school safety and security systems
Adding gymnasiums to four schools that have no dedicated gyms
Repurposing Oliver Elementary back into a middle school, including library, science, locker rooms and career technical improvements
Refinancing existing capital obligations and paying bond issuance costs

Bonds would mature in 30 years or less from issuance date and may be issued in one or more series. The existing tax rate of approximately $1.19 per $1,000 of assessed is projected to continue with no expected increase. Actual levy rates may vary based upon interest rates incurred and changes in assessed value.^[2]

”

Full text

The full text of the measure is available here.

Support

Yes for Centennial Kids led the campaign in support of Measure 26-208.^[3]

Supporters

Centennial Education Association^[4]
Gresham Area Chamber of Commerce^[4]
NW Oregon Labor Council, AFL-CIO^[4]

Official arguments

The following arguments in support of the measure were included in the 2020 Voters' Pamphlet provided by Centennial Education Association:^[5]

“

We are the Centennial Education Association (CEA) and we support the Yes for Centennial Kids campaign in support of Bond Measure 26-208. We do so because we appreciate and value the commitment our communities have invested in our schools over the years. As educators, we know students need educational environments that support their learning. This proposal is based on high levels of community input. The following are just a few of the most important reasons teachers are supporting this bond proposal:

The bond was designed to make critical repairs to schools and extend the life of our school buildings. The projects are necessary to prepare students for the future and reduce future costs for rebuilding the buildings if we don’t repair them.
The bond will improve school safety with infrastructure projects, suggested by security experts and community groups, such as safety and security systems, intercoms, fire alarm systems and security cameras.
The bond will fund projects to improve the energy efficiency of aging buildings and help save many thousands of dollars a year, which will reduce costs and put more money in the classroom for student learning. We also recognize these important benefits for our community:
This WILL NOT raise your tax rate. Centennial School District has designed the bond to replace and maintain an expiring bond.
The district has, and will continue to be, financially responsible to our community by establishing a citizens’ bond oversight committee, which will ensure bond proceeds are used to fulfill construction plans.
Our schools, and the services they offer to students and community members, provide a public good by providing appropriate and updated community spaces.
This investment will help strengthen home values and promote a powerful sense of community within our schools.

For more information please visit www.yesforcentennialkids.com and www.csdbond2020.com. Please join Centennial teachers in supporting Centennial students, schools, and the community by Voting YES on Measure 26-208!^[2]

”

Opposition

Ballotpedia did not identify committees, organizations, or individuals opposing the ballot initiative. If you are aware of any opponents or opposing arguments, please send an email with a link to editor@ballotpedia.org.

Official arguments

No official arguments were submitted to be included in the 2020 Voters' Pamphlet.^[5]

Background

Proposed bond projects

The Centennial School District 28J proposed the following projects to be funded by the bond:^[6]

re-purpose Oliver Elementary School as a middle school;
build gymnasiums for Meadows, Parklane, Patrick Lynch, and Powell Butte Elementary Schools;
repair roofing;
repave school parking lots;
update drainage systems; and
modernize heating units.