About the Bond
In March of 2022, the St. Helens School District broke ground on the voter approved project to update, repair, improve security, and modernize St. Helens High School. Demolition has been completed and construction has begun on new academic classrooms and wing, commons, CTE, and hands-on learning spaces, and auditorium.
Project costs have escalated due to COVID-19 restrictions, supply chain issues, and inflation, resulting in the inability to complete some planned improvements.
The District seeks voter approval to issue $4 million in bonds to qualify for a 1:1 matching grant from the state.
1:1 State Matching Grant
If passed, the District would receive a 1:1 matching grant of $4 million from the State of Oregon.
Maintains Existing Tax Rate
If passed, the measure is expected to maintain the current tax rate of $2.28 per $1,000 of assessed value to accelerated repayment and assessed value growth.
If passed, what would the proposed Measure fund?
The proposed Bond would raise $4 Million and if passed would fund the completion of the following projects at St. Helens High School:
- Update and replace HVAC in gyms
- Improvements to construction and automotive programs
- New covered lunch/courtyard area
- Pave the parking lot
- Update the auditorium
- Install synthetic turf at the softball and baseball fields
If passed, what would Measure 5-295 cost taxpayers?
The proposed Measure 5-295, if passed, would maintain the existing tax rate of $2.28 per $1,000 of assessed value. If the measure does not pass, the tax rate $2.28 will drop by .07 cents to $2.21 per thousand. For a home assessed at $300,000, a homeowner would save $1.75 a month if the measure doesn’t pass.
Oversight
An independent citizen Bond Oversight Committee would monitor the progress of the bond, issue regular reports and ensure that projects are being managed as approved by the voters.