The nugget., April 27, 2016, Page 27, Image 27

Wednesday, April 27, 2016 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
BALLOTS: School
bond election set
for May 17
Continued from page 1
garnered significant commu-
nity support — and some crit-
icism. Most of the criticism
has involved two aspects of
the bond: paying for mainte-
nance projects, and the con-
struction of a new ball field
and tennis courts.
Critics argue that mainte-
nance projects should be paid
for out of the district’s opera-
tional budget, not deferred
and pushed into a bond.
Jay Wilkins, an active
advocate for the bond, notes
that the district allocates $1.3
million for care of facilities.
However, he notes, items like
HVAC upkeep are contracted
“and it’s a big chunk at once.”
The district has deferred such
major expenses in an effort
to avoid making cuts in the
classroom during several
years of declining enrollment
and reduced budgets.
“It’s been a strategic pri-
oritization decision,” he told
The Nugget.
Wilkins noted that Sisters
is far from the only district
in this boat. In fact, the State
of Oregon recognized that
deferred maintenance has
become a problem statewide,
and has set aside some match-
ing grant funds to assist with
catching up on such projects.
Sisters attempted to access
such grant funds, but did not
qualify based on the commu-
nity’s assessed valuation and
the district did not score in a
lottery for other funds.
“To some extent this has
become the new normal for
the state,” Wilkins said. “The
State of Oregon has realized
we’ve pinched schools to
the point where facilities are
suffering.”
New tennis courts that
will also be striped for pick-
leball are budgeted in the
bond at $357,500 and a new
baseball field is projected
to cost $481,250. For crit-
ics of the bond, those facili-
ties represent a “want,” not a
“need.”
Wilkins acknowledged
that some folks might per-
ceive things that way. He
noted, however, that Sisters
is competing for enrollment
with other local districts,
and quality facilities are a
necessity to prevail in that
competition.
“If you want a thriv-
ing school district you need
to invest in assets that are
attractive to not only current
students, but prospective…
students and parents,” he
said.
He also noted that new
and refurbished facilities will
allow Sisters to host tourna-
ments that bring revenue into
the community.
The bulk of the approxi-
mately $3.5 million of the
bond allocated for athletic
facilities — about $2.7
million — is earmarked
for replacement of the
condemned track and refur-
bishing of Reed Stadium to
meet ADA standards and to
improve safety and comfort
for spectators.
Not having the stadium in
an essentially condemned sta-
tus “is a no-brainer for me,”
Wilkins said.
Voters rejected a $14.5
million bond request in
November 2014. Based on
community feedback, the
district came out this spring
with the scaled-back $10.7-
million request. Asked if the
current amount is really suf-
ficient to meet the district’s
needs, Wilkins said, “It’s
the right amount to ask for
now.”
He acknowledged that
the district will have to go
out for a bond again after
high school bonds roll off
the books in 2021. The dis-
trict plans to repair the high
school’s problematic roof
rather than replacing it, kick-
ing that can down the road to
the 2021 window.
“The roof will need replac-
ing,” Wilkins said. “(Repairs)
will get us through the 2021
need. I’m confident of that.”
Wilkins and other bond
proponents believe that the
$10.7 million will meet the
district’s immediate needs
and put its infrastructure on
an appropriate footing.
“We will feel that we’ve
got a good, strong school
when these projects are
done,” he said.
Ballots are due for the
election on May 17.
27
Attacking the goal...
PHOTO BY JERRY BALDOCK
Samson Magnus makes a play in Outlaws Lacrosse action. (A
photo in the April 20 edition did not identify him correctly).