Public school districts use school bonds to pay for school building projects. Bond measures are put on a ballot for the public to vote on. The measure must include details about projects that would be done if voters pass the measure. Bond measures allow school districts to pay for expensive building projects across time.

If the proposed bond measure is passed, Roseburg School District would use the funding to complete several security and building health and safety projects, including: 

SECURITY ($4.4 million) (projects are in addition to completed and ongoing fencing, secure entrance vestibules, visitor management system updates. Projects currently underway are funded through one-time ESSER (COVID relief) grant funds).

• Controlled access systems district-wide ($3.2 million)
  • Electric strike exterior and interior doors throughout all buildings (allows for one-push emergency protocol response action).
  • Protective window film
• Camera system completion district-wide ($500,000)
• Perimeter fencing installation around athletic properties at secondary schools ($700,000)

HEALTH & SAFETY ($45.4 million)

• Air quality: Upgrade and install heating/cooling/air exchange systems district-wide ($25 million)
• Roofing: Immediate and long-term projects ($13.3 million)
• Plumbing ($1.8 million)
  • Pipe, fixture, hand-washing station replacements district-wide
• Electrical ($1.2 million)
  • Panel upgrades district-wide
  • Additional classroom circuits and outlets district-wide
  • Upgrade facility electrical service
• Fire alarm detection and notification system upgrade district-wide ($2.5 million)
• Asbestos removal district-wide ($1.6 million) 
  • Including new flooring for abated areas
  • Including new piping insulation as a result of asbestos abatement 

OLD MAIN REBUILD ($31.5 million)

• Rebuild the Old Main at Roseburg High School to create a modern educational facility that includes historical architectural elements ($31.5 million)

If passed, the bond would raise approximately $75.51 million for proposed projects. Roseburg Public Schools would also receive over $5.8 million in matching grants from the state.

The bond would cost an estimated $0.99 per $1,000 of assessed property value for properties within the Roseburg School District. For example, owners of a home with an assessed value (not market value) of $250,000 could expect to pay approximately $247.50 per year or about $20.60 per month. 

The last bond measure to pass in Roseburg was in 2000. That bond raised $23.9 million to fund major construction and restructuring projects primarily at Roseburg High School. That bond was retired in December 2020. Since then, the district has not been drawing taxes for facility improvements. 
 

The May 2022 bond proposal sought $154 million with an estimated rate of $1.85 per $1,000 of assessed property value. For example, owners of a home with an assessed value (not market value) of $250,000 could expect to pay an estimated $462.50 more per year or about $40 more per month. The May 2023 proposal is roughly half the rate and total proposed in 2022. 

The May 2023 proposed measure includes many of the same security, health and safety projects listed in last year’s proposal. However, several projects from last year are not included in this year’s proposal. Projects that are NOT included in the May 2023 proposal include:

• New generators at 11 schools — $1.7 million
• Elementary school playground updates and replacements — $4 million 
• Replacements for outdoor athletic, PE and community spaces including school tracks and new synthetic turf fields at middle schools — $7 million
• Drop-off safety projects at elementary schools — $1.2 million
• Projects to expand student opportunities: 
  • Educational and facility updates at all elementary schools and middle schools — $30.8 million
  • Career and technical education/vocational ed resources — $3 million
  • New multipurpose facilities at five elementary schools — $23 million

No. All funds raised by the proposed bond would finance projects in the Roseburg School District. Funds would only be spent on the projects listed above. Bond funds would not be used for operating costs, salaries, retirement benefits or other expenses.

Yes. The district would create an independent Bond Oversight Committee. The committee would review how funds are used, if the bond is passed. District spending would also be independently audited each year.

The district has a facilities plan with guidelines and maintenance schedules for our schools. Our district maintenance team is tasked with keeping buildings in working order.  

If the bond is passed by voters, the new levy rate would likely go into effect in November 2023. 

Work would begin as soon as possible if the bond is passed. Time frames for starting projects would depend on several factors. Some factors include supply chain conditions and contractor availability. State rules compel districts to finish projects within three years of a bond measure being passed. 

Oregon school districts must put certain projects out to bid. This requirement kicks in when projects cost over $50,000. Prevailing wages must be paid on such projects.  

Bonds are for buildings. Bonds are the way most Oregon school districts pay for major construction projects. This can include new schools and upgrading existing buildings. The bond would only pay for these projects. Bond funds would not be used for operating costs, salaries, retirement benefits or other expenses.
 
The average age of schools in the district is 74 years. The district budgets for yearly repairs to keep schools running. The local, state and federal funds that districts receive each year are intended for instruction and programs. It is not intended for large building projects. That’s why school districts seek bond measures.  
 

New schools are expensive. A new elementary school for 600 students, for example, would cost an estimated $47.45 million. Our district currently serves about 2,670 elementary students.

Yes, the state offers matching funds for school districts that pass bond measures. These funds come from the Oregon School Capital Improvement Matching (OSCIM) Program. The district applied for and received a $5.8 million commitment from the program. The district would not receive these funds if the bond is not passed.

No. Annual building maintenance would still occur, but the proposed projects would not be completed. Taxes would not increase, and the district would not receive the $5.8 million state matching funds, if the bond is not passed. 

No. All funds raised by the bond would go to improve schools in our district and can only be spent on projects approved by voters.

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.

You can compare current tax rates with Douglas County and neighboring districts here. You can compare current tax rates of similarly sized school districts in Oregon here.

The property tax rate to pay off the bonds is currently calculated using estimates of assessed value and estimates of actual interest rates when the bonds are sold. Currently, if the bond is passed, the district would sell the bonds in summer 2023, when the interest rates and bond payments would be locked in. Therefore the new rate would apply to property taxes due and payable in November 2023. 

Similar to the 2000 bond rate, which decreased over a 20-year period from $0.86 per $1,000 of assessed property value down to $0.48 per $1,000 of assessed property value, it is possible that the bond rate would change. Housing construction, area growth/decline, and home values could all contribute to changing the rate per $1,000 of assessed value.

The 2000 bond was paid off in 2020. The proposed 2023 bond would also be paid off over a 20-year period. 

Property in Oregon is taxed on its assessed value. A property’s assessed value is the lower of its real market value or its maximum assessed value. Each year, the county assessor determines the property’s real market value and calculates its maximum assessed value. You are taxed on the lesser of the two, which is called the assessed value. Real market value is typically the price your property would sell for in a transaction between a willing buyer and a willing seller.

You can determine your assessed value by visiting the Douglas County Assessor's website at https://orion-pa.co.douglas.or.us/Home. 

If the bond measure is passed, the bond would be paid off over a 20-year period. 

Similar to the 2000 bond levy rate, which decreased over a 20-year period from $0.86 per $1,000 of assessed property value down to $0.48 per $1,000 of assessed property value and was paid off in 2020, it is possible that the bond levy rate could change. Housing construction, area growth/decline, and home values could all contribute to changing the rate per $1,000 of assessed value.