The Canby School Board on Feb. 26 moved unanimously to refer a 20-year, $75 million bond issue to Canby School District voters in the May 2020 primary election.
The bond proposal is designed to maintain 2019 tax rates by replacing the current bond payments that built Baker Prairie Middle School 15 years ago. Those payments are set to expire at the end of this year.
If the bond proposal is approved in May, it would also bring an additional $4.7 million from the state’s Oregon School Capital Improvement Matching Program in the form of a grant that was awarded to Canby School District.
Here’s what the money would go toward, according to the final package that was presented to the board by members of the Bond Development Committee.
$27.16 million would go toward high-priority facility upgrades and safety improvements (what the district calls its “Warm, Safe and Dry” initiative), including addressing roof repairs and replacements, HVAC systems, MEP systems and other interior and exterior projects.
$22.75 million would go toward replacing the existing “200 Wing” science classrooms and lab spaces at Canby High School, including design, demolition and new construction.
$10.22 million would go toward instructional technology improvements, including wireless access points, projectors and voice amplification systems in classrooms; security cameras and installation; projection, sound and other technology in school gyms, cafeterias, libraries and computer labs for events; communications technology such as new phone, intercom, clock and bell systems; a student technology “refresh” that would replace devices and increase student-to-device ratios; and MDF/IDF technology distribution closets (including school site technology/network connection points and terminals).
$4 million would go toward upgrades of existing light fixtures to more efficient and longer-lasting LED light fixtures and controls.
$2.5 million would go toward CTE improvements K-12th grade, including promoting hands-on, experiential learning opportunities across the district with spaces and technology to support these activities, creating infrastructure to support more specialized operations and equipment in the high school’s CTE spaces, and adding Maker/STEAM spaces at the elementary and middle school spaces.
$2.28 million would go toward districtwide ADA improvements, including the addition of one ADA unisex restroom at each school (except Baker Prairie) and one ADA changing room at Knight Elementary; ADA push buttons at entry doors; an elevator and corridor to provide access to locker rooms at the Ackerman Center; and districtwide playground accessibility improvements (includes surfacing, ramps and equipment).
$2.17 million would go toward district athletic improvements, including new turf infields for CHS softball and baseball, a new multipurpose turf athletic field at the high school, drainage improvements to existing athletic fields at Baker Prairie Middle School and resurfacing of the existing track at the Ackerman Center.
$650,000 would go toward a robust master planning process, including an elementary school replacement study and planning, middle school visioning and planning, comprehensive visioning and master planning for the high school and a maintenance building replacement study.
$90,700 would go toward fire safety improvements, including two fire suppression doors at Knight Elementary, and the wiring of an existing set of fire suppression doors at Lee Elementary to the main office’s lock-down system.
$7.5 million (10 percent) would be retained for contingency, issuance and management of the funds and projects.
For more information, see the following presentation that was made to the Canby School Board on Feb. 20:
Click to access 20-0220-CSD_BoardMeeting.pdf
