The November 2020 ballot includes a Portland Public Schools school improvement bond, Measure 26-215. If passed, the proposed bond would fund additional health, safety, and learning needs in schools across the district, while continuing PPS’s plan to comprehensively address facility needs by modernizing all PPS schools over the long term.

Educational Investments:

• Replace outdated textbooks and curriculum materials with comprehensive, culturally relevant, and current curriculum materials across core and supplemental subject areas.
• Replace or provide student tablets and laptops to provide equitable access and to support classroom and distance learning, and update classroom and district technology.
• Provide flexible, adaptive special education learning spaces and technology tools.

Health & Safety Investments

• Remove barriers to accessibility in all schools across the district.
• Repair/replace leaking or deteriorating school roofs.
• Seismically retrofit up to three schools.
• Repair/replace high-priority mechanical systems (heating, cooling and ventilation).
• Update classroom door locks, install security camera systems, and upgrade or replace intrusion alarm systems to strengthen security.

School Modernizations & Rebuilds

• Modernize Jefferson High School; master plan and design toward a Center for Black Student Excellence community vision; and fund initial focused investments in neighborhood schools and facilities in North and Northeast Portland aligned with the plan.
• Design and complete pre-construction work to modernize Cleveland and Wilson High Schools and to add capacity to Roosevelt High School; plan/add additional capacity, potentially for middle schools.
• Complete Benson Polytechnic High School and construct an alternative school programs building on Benson’s campus.

The proposed bond package was informed by feedback from PPS families, students, staff, members of the community and technical facilities assessments.

If the proposed bond is not approved, PPS will continue to respond to health & safety emergencies and take steps to make sure schools remain safe. But, PPS will not have funding available to embark on significant school modernizations or rebuilds, to replace or provide updated textbooks, curriculum materials or technology at the scale proposed, or to make many of the needed repairs to roofs, mechanical systems, or to remove barriers to accessibility.

No. If passed, this bond is not expected to increase tax rates above previous targets, because debt service is scheduled to decline.

The 2012 and 2017 bonds were new taxes approved by voters, for a combined rate of $2.50 per $1,000 of assessed value. Because the previous bond’s tax rates are decreasing — due to declining debt service — the 2020 bond is not expected to increase the bond tax rate above the overall $2.50/$1,000 target.

The total principal amount of bonds authorized by this measure cannot exceed $1.208 billion.

Yes. If approved by voters, the proposed bond includes funding to complete the modernization of Benson Polytechnic High School and construct an alternative school programs building on Benson’s campus

The proposed bond includes $311 million to modernize Jefferson High School, and $60 million for master planning and design work toward a Center for Black Student Excellence community vision, including initial focused investments in neighborhood schools and facilities in North and Northeast Portland aligned with the plan.

This proposed bond also includes $40 million in funding for planning, design, and pre-construction work to modernize Cleveland and Wilson High Schools. Funding for construction of these projects could be included in a proposed 2024 bond, keeping completion of Cleveland and Wilson High Schools on track for modernization.

Bonds may be issued in one or more series, with each series maturing in 30 years or less.

The school district’s taxing authority is limited by law. Currently, PPS uses property taxes and construction excise taxes to address capital needs. The construction excise tax, which creates a relatively modest annual fund, is generated when the City of Portland issues building permits.

In 2012 and 2017, voters approved capital bonds that funded improvements to many of Portland Public Schools’ aging buildings, creating modern, healthier, and safer places for students to learn.

Over the past eight years:

Roosevelt, Franklin, and Grant High Schools were fully modernized, Faubion PK-8 rebuilt, full plans for Benson High School’s modernization were completed; and
Madison High School’s modernization and rebuilds of Lincoln High School and Kellogg Middle School are underway.

In addition, the bond program has addressed infrastructure needs at every school throughout district:

• Replacing plumbing to remove lead, improve water quality.
• Removing or encapsulating exposed lead paint and asbestos.
• Upgrading fire alarm and sprinkler systems.
• Repairing or replacing leaking or deteriorating roofs, with new seismically strengthened roofs.
• Seismic retrofits and upgrades within schools.
• Improving accessibility for people with disabilities.
• Mitigating radon exposure.
• Strengthening school safety and security.
• Upgrading science labs.

A combination of unprecedented construction pressure, scope-widening and underestimation of overall costs meant the district could not do everything planned with the 2017 Bond.

Here’s what happened:

Construction cost escalations exceeded expectations. Construction in Portland is booming, causing costs to rise. This has impacted districts across the region; it has impacted anyone building anything in the city.

In 2017, PPS staff underestimated some costs to complete modernization projects. This has been extensively reviewed—including by an outside independent auditor and the PPS Audit Committee —and PPS has put in place protocols for future bond measures to ensure all estimates are more comprehensively reviewed and based on the appropriate assumptions, including adding a review of proposed bond measures by the Bond Accountability Committee, an independent committee of community members with special expertise.

Project scopes changed. To ensure the buildings meet the educational needs of our students and teachers and to provide equitable facilities across the school district, the board approved some scope changes that increased estimates.

PPS’ Board had the choice to reduce the scope of the projects and create schools that did not provide equitable facilities and support for students in all parts of the city, or complete the projects as planned with community input. The Board decided to retain the scope of work voters approved and create equitable facilities.

The 2020 proposed bond includes $152 million in funding to complete projects from the 2017 Capital Bond Program, and includes $64 million for the Multiple Pathways to Graduation building, one of the board-approved scope changes.

No. There have been no cost overruns on the 2017 Bond, no loss of money, and no dollars spent on projects voters did not approve. Based on extensive external auditing, Portland Public Schools knows where funds have been spent, and the district has not spent more than voters have previously approved.

With the 2012 bond, PPS formed the Bond Accountability Committee (BAC), a committee made up of community members who were independent of the school district and with a commitment to transparency. The BAC members have extensive experience in building design, construction, public contracting, budgeting, and/or auditing and will be reviewing and monitoring all expenditures.

If approved by voters, the proposed bond calls for the continuation of the BAC. The BAC meets quarterly to review bond-funded projects and offer advice to the School Board, on:

• Whether bond revenues are expended only for the purpose for which the bond was approved.
• Alignment with the goals and principles of the District's Long Range Facilities Plan.
• Alignment with the goals of the Business Equity Policy.
• Lowering maintenance and construction costs while improving operating efficiency.
• Historic preservation and school renovation.
• Potential capital partnerships for joint and shared use of PPS facilities.
• Implementation of appropriate ways to address seismic issues.
• Compliance with ADA requirements.

Since voters approved the 2017 bond, the Bond Accountability Committee’s charter has been updated to ensure the BAC reviews proposed bond packages and cost estimates before they are referred to voters.

Yes. In a July 24, 2020 memo to the Portland Public Schools Board of Education, the Bond Accountability Committee commended staff for responding to every question, concern and suggestion with equanimity despite extraordinary time pressures and other difficulties caused by COVID-19 pandemic. The BAC stated that their responses have been supported by solid data and/or good professional judgment.

The BAC advised the School Board that, in their judgment, the proposed bond package is appropriately backed by robust, professional cost estimating processes and risk management considerations.

Bonds are used for new school construction, renovation of buildings, and other capital investments.

Levies are used to help pay for the day-to-day operations of our schools. Levies pay for programs and services that are either not funded, or not fully funded by our state. PPS’s November 2019 levy funds are used for teaching positions and classroom supports.

Portland Public Schools is the largest school district in Oregon, with nearly 50,000 students and more than 90 school sites. Portland Public Schools is the second largest property owner in Portland and one of the region’s largest employers with more than 5,000 teachers and school support staff.

On average, Portland Public Schools’ buildings are nearly 80 years old. Some were built more than 100 years ago, before World War II. More than half were built before 1940. Before the 2012 bond, only two schools had been built in the last 35 years. Jefferson High School, which is scheduled to be modernized in this bond, was built in 1909.

School construction can take anywhere from 12 to 24 months, depending on the size of the school and the extent of the construction work effort. For some projects, like Madison and Grant, the staff and students temporarily move into “swing space” at Marshall High School.

In other cases, as happened at Roosevelt and is happening at Lincoln, students may remain in their current school while a replacement school is built in phases or on another part of the school property.

More than 80 percent of PPS’ general fund comes from state support or local property taxes. The remainder comes from other sources, including:

Approximately $12 million from the Student Success Act’s Student Investment Account (SIA), which will fund increased social-emotional supports districtwide and provide more targeted supports to schools in need of improvement, with emphasis on improving experiences for Black, Native and students of color.

Cannabis tax resources are incorporated into the State School Fund and account for 1.15% of the funding. Of the full $9.0 billion State School Fund, $103.8 million comes from cannabis tax revenue. Portland Public School’s share of this $103.8 million cannabis funding for the biennium is approximately $6 million for the biennium or $3 million for 2020. These funds are spent on general operating expenses.

More than 75 percent of the PPS General Fund budget pays for staff – more than 5,000 teachers, educational aides, and other school district staff from custodians and bus drivers to secretaries, principals and professional and technical employees.

Voters approved a Local Option Levy in November 2019, which continued funding for teaching positions and classroom supports for five years, with a rate of $1.9900 per $1,000 of assessed value. The levy has funded an average of 825 teaching positions each year over the past five years. PPS first passed the five-year local option levy in 2011.

Voter-approved bond measures are the primary source of funding for the District’s major capital improvement projects, such as school modernization work. In May 2017, voters approved a $790 million school bond measure that allows for reinvestment in existing school facilities. The Board has approved the District to start preparing a future ballot measure to support ongoing building/ construction, curriculum, and technology needs.

The election is November 3, 2020. Ballots will be mailed to voters starting October 14, 2020 and must be turned in by 8:00 p.m. on November 3 to be counted.

Remember to stay safe and vote by mail. New in 2020, stamps are not needed to return your ballot by mail. There are two ways to return your ballot. You can vote from home, by mail with free postage. Or, use any Multnomah County Official Ballot Drop Site by 8:00 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, August 11, 2020. Ballots must be received BEFORE 8:00 p.m. on Election Day to be counted.

You may register to vote, check your registration, or update your registration by visiting the Oregon Secretary of State’s website: www.oregonvotes.gov/myvote

The deadline to register or update your registration is October 13, 2020.