About the Bond

The measure calls for replacing outdated Fowler Middle School and substantially renovating four elementary schools most in need of modernizing: Bridgeport, Byrom, Durham, and Mary Woodward.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 will 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 safety equipment for auditoriums at both high schools
• Improve recreational opportunities by constructing accessible playgrounds, 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 studied 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, upgrade security systems including cameras and safety doors and upgrades to dated fire systems, improve 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 through the bond’s passage.

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.

TTSD has established a Bond Oversight Committee that includes community members to ensure bond proceeds are used as voters intended. The committee provides transparency and accountability by reviewing projects and monitoring expenditures.