Question-and-Answers

A: The local, state and federal funding that school districts in Oregon receive is intended to pay for the operation of schools, including staffing and programs serving students. 

School districts, including ours, also direct some funds toward major maintenance. In addition, school districts can apply for a variety of grants to support building upgrades. You can view a list of upgrades our district has made using grant funding in the past five years here. 

For school districts in Oregon to build or replace schools or complete other major construction projects, they must work with their communities to pass capital improvement bond measures that temporarily increase local tax rates. The majority of school districts in Oregon receive funds through bond measures to pay for such projects. The last time our community supported a bond measure was over 20 years ago. That funding primarily paid for the New Main and Student Center at Roseburg High School. The tax from that bond measure has since expired, and our district does not receive any additional local taxes for building upgrades.  
 

A: The average age of our schools is around 75 years old. As of 2022, the district had identified an estimated $150 million in projects to make the kinds of improvements necessary to address safety, security and modern learning needs. For context, consider that the estimated modern-day cost for a new 6A high school is around $250 million to $300 million; $150 million for a new middle school; and $40 million for a new elementary school. 

A: The district will continue to seek as much grant funding as possible to address the needs of our buildings. You can view a list of upgrades our district has made using grant funding in the past five years here. The district will also continue to set aside funding each year in the major maintenance funding. Any funds that do not come from grants or a capital improvement school bond measure are funds that directly pay for staffing and services to students.  

A: The district sets aside an estimated $1.5 million for its major maintenance fund each year to make repairs as needed and upgrades to buildings whenever possible. Any additional funding set aside could result in a reduction of staffing and student support services. For context, consider that out of the 2024-25 district general fund budget of $77,688,246, over 73% is directed toward staff salaries.