Editor:
Over the past 25 years the Sweet Home School District has done a fantastic job of making
sure our school facilities are in great condition!
They have leveraged government funds to ensure our children are safe during an earthquake. They have upgraded every elementary school and the junior high school, making sure they are safe and in the process, they greatly improved the aesthetics of each.
Multiple projects have been completed by the maintenance staff and paid for from the
district’s long term maintenance fund. These improvements have been done without
increasing our community’s tax rate. They have also saved all of us a great deal of money in
the process.
Very few Oregon school districts have been such good stewards of their school facilities and their tax dollars.
The major school project remaining in the district that needs immediate attention is the
high school. A good portion of the high school was upgraded about 25 years ago. The
facilities facing Long Street were replaced or renovated.
These buildings are now a major source of pride for our community, our school district and most of all our children.
It is now time to complete the remaining renovations at the high school. Many of the classrooms are in disrepair. Many of the roofs are flat with multiple leaks. These
classrooms need to be replaced.
Some classes are still held in portable classrooms that were old and close to the end of their usefulness 25 years ago.
One last need that I want to point out is the major safety issue that exists at our high school.
There are currently over 40 different entrance points into our high school facilities.
Twenty-five years ago that was not a major concern. However, in today’s world it now is.
The number of school shootings over this time period have gone up dramatically!
The current project in this bond will bring the number of uncontrolled entrances to zero. All
entrances will be secured and monitored.
The district currently qualifies for over $12 million dollars in state grant funds that will
help the district pay for these impoverishments. Those funds, however, are dependent upon the passage of our bond.
This state funding support will disappear if this bond fails. These funds will cover a significant percentage of the costs of this project.
Another important factor of this bond measure is that it will not increase our tax rate!
This bond measure is a no-brainer! I strongly urge you to vote yes on MEASURE 22-214.
Larry Horton
Retired Sweet Home
School District Superintendent