May 2025 Bond FAQ

In December, the Tigard-Tualatin School Board voted unanimously to place a $421.3 million bond measure on the May 2025 ballot.

The measure calls for replacing outdated Fowler Middle School and substantially renovating four elementary schools most in need of modernizing: Bridgeport, Byrom, Durham and Mary Woodward. It would also:

• Modernize aging and inefficient heating and cooling systems
• Upgrade security and fire systems
• Provide modern technology and updated curriculum
• Address critical repair needs including unsafe or compromised plumbing systems, siding, roofing and wiring
• Update lighting, sound and and safety equipment for auditoriums at both high schools
• Improve recreational opportunities by constructing accessible playgrounds and replacing aging turf and field lighting and upgrading drainage and irrigation on sports fields

Curriculum and technology needs will be addressed at every school site, as will upgrades to sports fields and playgrounds. Structural, plumbing, electrical and ventilation work will vary based on age and condition.

A long-range facilities planning committee composed of community members, district staff and consultants has been studying the district’s facilities needs for more than two years. The committee’s 200-page report prioritized those buildings and systems most in need of repair to support safety and strong learning environments for students.

The district commissioned two polls of registered voters in 2024 about the size of the bond and what priorities stood out. The results favored broad efforts to modernize aging and inefficient heating and cooling systems to save taxpayer dollars and promote better learning environments, upgrading security systems including cameras and safety doors and upgrades to dated fire systems, improving learning with modern technology and updated curriculum, and addressing critical repair needs including unsafe or compromised plumbing systems, siding, roofing and wiring.

It is estimated that the bond will increase property taxes by about 99 cents per $1,000 of assessed value. For the median homeowner in TTSD, that translates to about $300 per year, or $25 per month.

No. Oregon pays for schools to operate, but local districts generally have to borrow money to cover big repairs or replace school buildings. Districts borrow by issuing taxpayer-approved general obligation bonds and paying them off over time through property taxes. The state does allow districts to apply for grant funds to supplement winning bond measures, and TTSD has qualified for $8.28 million in such state funding if the May 2025 bond passes.

TTSD voters passed a $291.3 million bond in November 2016 that paid for a variety of projects that were recommended by a committee of parents and staff and adopted by the School Board, including adding a brand new elementary school, rebuilding two schools, updating Tigard High and Tualatin High, and adding secure vestibules at every school site.

Bonds pay for projects and improvements in facilities, curriculum, technology, and more. By Oregon law, bond money cannot pay for teaching positions or school programs. 

A levy helps pay for a district’s daily operations, including staff, programs, and services. Local option levies supplement the funding TTSD receives from the state of Oregon.

If the bond passes, TTSD will establish a Bond Oversight Committee that includes community members to ensure bond proceeds are used as voters intended. The committee will provide transparency and accountability by reviewing projects and monitoring expenditures.

TTSD plays a vital role in growing our community in a positive, welcoming way. Whether you have kids in district schools or not, TTSD enriches the quality of life in the place we call home. 

Our schools promote our local culture and vibrancy through:

• Community partnerships
• Events
• Athletics
• Programs
• TTSD’s mission to educate every student

More than 11,000 students across all district schools rely on TTSD facilities to provide a high-quality education. In addition, the bond has implications for:

• Staff attraction and retention. Modern, well-equipped schools attract strong teachers – a key to student success.
• Making smart investments. Newer facilities reduce long-term costs by improving energy efficiency and lowering maintenance expenses.

If the bond measure fails, the school district will use general funds to meet its curriculum and technology needs and assess whether to ask voters at a later election to support a different bond measure.

The election is May 20, 2025.

You can register online at the Oregon Secretary of State website. 

If you’re new to registering, you must submit your online registration by 11:59:59 p.m. Pacific time on the 21st calendar day before an election to be eligible to vote in that election.​ For this election that is April 30, 2025.