REDMOND, OR -- The Redmond School district is formulating plans for a bond measure in 2018, although the total amount of the request and timing of the vote haven’t been decided. Superintendent Mike McIntosh says a number of facilities need expensive upgrades, and last winter’s extreme weather didn’t help. "Last winter taught us a lot of things about our buildings; there were some deficiencies in them with respect to snow loads and other kinds of things. So, obviously that will be a part of that. Seismic is an important component this round – how do we make our older buildings more stable if the ground begins to shake?" And, he says a recent facilities survey showed security upgrades and other maintenance are needed at some schools. "Obviously, there are some more urgent than others; some you can postpone another five to seven years when the next bond might be more likely. Others we can’t postpone any longer; we have roofs that are well past their usable life. We have basically a 20-year window on a roof and we’re well into 25 to 30, for some of them."

The total amount of the maintenance bond hasn’t been decided, but McIntosh hopes for between $70 and $90 million dollars. He met with Terrebonne residents at the first in a series of listening forums this week, and says early feedback was mostly positive, although he acknowledges the campaign could be tough. "People don’t like to see their taxes go up, obviously, so there’s always that balance of what people will accept as a reasonable increase. So, that, coupled with a long-range plan – we believe that if we get our tax rate up a few cents, $.40 but not more than 50-cents per thousand, and get the money necessary to make these improvements – that then the next time we ask voters to approve a bond, there would not be an increase, we hope." The next community forum takes place Monday evening at Lynch Elementary. Click HERE for a complete schedule.