Student Voice [By Chloe Wight; The South County Spotlight, Oct 22, 2008]
A Scappoose High senior gives her opinion on the school district's bond measure

Even on a dreary day, it’s still possible to imagine the smell of new classrooms, sparkling hallways, and the sound of hundreds of little feet filling them.

On Oct. 9, the administration field, adjacent to Grant Watts Elementary, was decorated with staked ribbons marking off a gymnasium to the left, a parking lot to the right, and the rest of the proposed new Petersen Elementary School. The idea of this event was to give citizens a visual of what the bond would bring to the community.

Organizer of the stakeout, and Scappoose School District Superintendent Paul Peterson said he came to simply give information and let people decide for themselves.

“Right now we have a concept. An actual design costs money,” he said.

If the bond is passed, Nov. 4 will bring an increase in property taxes by approximately $1.71 per $1,000 assessed value to raise $33.3 million. This will be used to construct a new Petersen Elementary School by as early as fall 2010. Within the next 10 to 15 years, the middle school would be the focus, due to its overall age and structure.

This town hasn’t passed a bond in 40 years, but Measure 5-188 campaign manager Karen Kessi said it’s time for this change to take place.

“These problems won’t just go away,” she said.

She also stresses that everyone can gain something from this bond, not just the people with school-age children.

“Communities that invest in their schools maintain their property values and are more attractive to businesses and their employees,” she said.

Scappoose High School senior Rachel Sykes said that with the economy in its present state, we need to act now.

“In five years, the $33 million might not get us a school,” she said.

Six years ago, this $33.3 million was proposed to give the district two new schools, but now it can only produce one.

“We want another school, and it’s now or never,” Sykes said.

Ball fields will be shuffled with bond [By John Brewington; The South County Spotlight, Oct 22, 2008]
Scappoose School Superintendent Paul Peterson didn’t think there was much of an issue concerning the current ball fields near the district administration office–at least that’s what a poll told district officials. He came to believe differently.

“I didn’t anticipate this many questions,” Peterson said. A poll the district had done indicated 60 percent of the residents really didn’t care about the ball fields. It seems the other 40 percent are a little more vociferous.

Peterson said that when he started talking with the Scappoose Little League, softball and soccer officials back in August it quickly became apparent that there was a lot of concern.

The third-year superintendent already has one 7-year old child playing Little League and soccer, and another, 4, who may soon start playing. He understands the concerns of parents and has developed a plan that should help everyone continue to play ball and soccer.

Part of the 33.3 million bond issue includes the replacement of Otto H.H. Petersen Elementary School and repairs for the Scappoose Middle School.

If the measure passes, the new elementary school will be located on property between the district administration offices and Grant Watts Elementary. It leaves what is currently the varsity high school softball field, but would take out the jayvee softball field, Little League, community-use field near the entrance, and two fields closer to Grant Watts. The ball field area is also used for soccer each fall.

Replacement plans call for two ball fields and a soccer field to be developed where the Otto Petersen School now stands. Using volunteer efforts, not bond money. It will take some time; however, from the point where the removal of the school is completed to the time new fields are constructed. The new elementary school will also have to be built before Petersen School can be demolished.

With that lag time, Peterson has also come up with some temporary fields for use in the interim. The baseball fields at the high school will serve as temporary soccer fields and have one softball/Little League field. Two temporary fields softball/Little League fields, and a soccer field will also be located at the Warren Elementary School. The soccer field at Grant Watts, located between it and the high school, will remain intact. Additional facilities could also be provided at the high school football practice field areas. Peterson also said that he also believed some new ball fields were being built at a city park.

He said he realized this would cause some adjustments while the new school is being built, but, “When all said and done, we should have better ball fields for our community.”

Scappoose schools and county communications make good sense [The South County Spotlight, Oct 16, 2008]
There are two money initiatives coming up for a decision in less than three weeks that should, all things being equal, elicit positive reaction from voters.

The first is renewal of the five-year operating levy for the Columbia 9-1-1 Communications District, Measure 5-192.

And second, Scappoose voters should breathe new life into their aging school district by voting yes on Measure 5-188, the Scappoose School Bond.

SCHOOLS BUILD COMMUNITY. Anyone who has been paying attention to the Scappoose School Bond discussion would be hard pressed to argue our aging schools are fine as they are. The “just leave them be” approach is flawed, and will cost Scappoose School District taxpayers — you — more money down the road.

A simple case in fact: had the 2002 levy passed, the district would have been able to build two schools for the price of one today. Now the district is looking for $33.3 million in a game of catch-up.

Otto H.H. Petersen Elementary School is a relic. Its rotted wood window frames and antiquated emergency systems are just the beginning of greater decay to come. Make no mistake: There is a safety question tied to this school, yet it is where so many of the community’s children file into every weekday on our hopes they will receive a good education. That is wrong.

In 2006, a man driving along Highway 30 crashed his truck into the school. Luckily no children were hurt. Tearing down the school and building a new one in a better location, as the bond proposes to do, makes good safety sense.

The middle school, while given a clean bill of health (mold abatement actions taken in 2002 appear to have been effective), has similar safety concerns tied to its location abutting Highway 30, something not addressed on this ballot that will have to be considered in 10 or 15 years.

At Scappoose High School, the community’s teenage students bundle up in sweatshirts and heavy coats against the winter cold. There’s no insulation in the roof, and no money to make the necessary repairs to buy new insulation.

While student populations are expected to remain relatively stagnant for the next few years, a 13 percent bump in student numbers is forecasted by 2021. Scappoose will continue to grow, for better or for worse. Already students are bursting at the seams within increasingly squeezed classrooms. The time to prepare for an even more crowded future is now.

The quality of a community’s schools are a signifier for the quality of the community. Failure to pass Measure 5-188 would send a message, much as what has happened in St. Helens, that schools are a low priority. Should it not pass, wear and tear on the existing buildings will continue, people will continue to move to Scappoose, and the district’s money for capital improvements will stay flatlined. Scappoose’s youth deserve better.

As a member of our local business community, I am acutely aware of the economic downturn and how it affects local business and individual workers.

Lately, business people are making difficult decisions on how to steer their companies through these challenging times. Individuals are growing increasingly concerned about the future too. The election this November offers residents of the Scappoose School District an opportunity to vote YES on a measure that will strengthen our local economy for years to come — Ballot Measure 5-188.

Research confirms that school bonds are good for the local economy in several ways:

They stimulate spending. A trend has been identified that 5 percent of a bond’s total value, at a minimum, is spent in the town that passes the bond. This means that, during the construction phase, contractors will buy gas, food, supplies, etc. right here in town. Those businesses will then spend some of that money here and so on, rolling over that spending. If local sub-contractors are hired, that percentage goes up, in some cases substantially. In the case of Scappoose (a $33.3 million bond), at least $1.7 million would be spent right here in town. As mentioned, some jobs for local workers may be provided during the construction phase as well.

They attract business and industry. School quality helps determine an area’s ability to attract business and industry. It is also a vital component of retention of existing businesses. This is of critical importance to the “big picture” economic future of our community. Our town will grow. It remains to be seen what kind of growth this will be.

They help an area retain qualified workers. Both large and small businesses prefer to locate their companies in a community where employees can raise their families locally. These families will buy homes, do their shopping, volunteer their time, and participate in other activities that benefit local economies. New property owners will also help to pay for this bond, which lowers the cost for everyone.

They stabilize property values. Research confirms that school quality has a direct impact on residential property values. People are less likely to move away from and more likely to want to move to communities that invest in their local schools.

Preparing our kids for employment. Our students will be competing for jobs in a high-tech and competitive job market. Measure 5-188 also means improvements in our District’s infrastructure to accommodate the technology needed for 21st century teaching and learning. Technology is part of practically every sector of the job market. Our kids must be prepared to compete.

Reducing the district’s operating costs. The proposed improvements in energy efficiency and basic infrastructure outlined in Measure 5-188 would save the Scappoose School District over $100,000 in operating costs annually. These tax dollars could be redirected for student learning instead of being spent on oversized energy bills.

Research has confirmed that public schools affect communities and their economic strength. Local schools and local business are fundamentally linked. Ballot Measure 5-188 is all about fiscal responsibility in a time when fiscal responsibility is sorely needed. Give Ballot Measure 5-188 your careful consideration as a real opportunity to benefit our local economy as well as our education system. It’s a smart investment for us all.

Herb Bailey is the General Manager of North Creek Recycling in Scappoose which employees eight local workers in the business of asphalt and concrete recycling.

Peterson Students return to worn-out school [By Cecelia Haack; The South County Spotlight, Aug 27, 2008]
Bond for new school construction promises a better learning environment for students

Next week when students return to school, students at Petersen Elementary will go to school in a facility that has only one fire alarm.

The school was designed with a main entry that now faces a four-lane highway used by 34,000 vehicles every day. Students, teachers, parents and anyone can enter the building from four different doors. There is no security at these doors.

Glass-block walls intensify the last summer heat in classrooms. Outside, windowsills are riddled with rot, creating the perfect home for wood-eating termites and carpenter ants.

The school bond measure on the November ballot promises a new elementary school that will have up-to-date fire alarms, insulated walls and windows, and built-in security to protect students from strangers and other dangers.

For more information on the bond go to http://www.scappoose.k12.or.us/ and click on the school bond information link.

City gives thumbs up to schools [By Cecelia Haack; The South County Spotlight, Updated Aug 12, 2008 ]
Scappoose councilors vote to endorse school upgrades

The Scappoose City Council voted unanimously to support a resolution to support the Scappoose School District’s $33.3 million capital bond.

City councilor Larry Meres said he voted for the measure because the city has agreed to support the school district.

“I still have problems with the burden this is going to place on elderly residents and others on fixed incomes,” he said.

Karen Kessi, president of the “Vote Yes on 5.188” Campaign, nodded in agreement. “We are sensitive to the financial impact,” she said. “But the need is so great we will price ourselves out of a new school if we wait another six years.”

“What’s important to remember is that every new resident and business will help pay for this bond through property taxes,” said Mayor Scott Burge.

Schools pitch bond levy to city council [By Cecelia Haack; The South County Spotlight, Jul 22, 2008]
Thirty-three million dollars is a lot of dough. Scappoose City Council members don’t envy their counterparts on the school board having to ask voters for the money.

School Superintendent Paul Peterson said the $33 million before voters in November will actually cost taxpayers less than $1 more per $1,000 of assessed value. That’s because the district will be retiring debt in the coming year.

“There is a lot of benefit to spending money on infrastructure and on new and safer schools,” said school board member Sarah Havlik.

Peterson and school board members met with city councilors Monday to discuss the bond.

“We have to try,” said Karen Kessi. Kessi is the campaign manager for the Citizens for Efficient Schools Political Action Committee. She taught middle school English before having children and becoming a full-time mom. Her husband Will Kessi is a member of the school board. “We can’t use operating funds to build new schools,” she said. “The longer we wait the less we’ll get for our money.”

A committee of school employees and community members held six public meetings to get input about what Scappoose residents thought was needed for schools’ infrastructure. After a year of meetings, the committee decided that a $33.1 million bond would meet the needs of the school district.

Schools unveil a bond proposal [By Cecelia Haack; The South County Spotlight, May 27, 2008]
Managing a school district where the newest building was built more than 30 years ago is a challenge, says Scappoose school Superintendent Paul Peterson.

The 30-year roof on the high school is worn out and will be replaced this summer.

“We’re looking at putting solar panels on the roof,” says Peterson. “The roofs are perfect for new solar technology. If we can do this we will recognize additional energy savings because we can sell power back to the grid in the summer.”

That’s just one way the district is working on saving money on energy. Otto Petersen Elementary School has all new retrofitted lights with new energy efficient bulbs.

The oldest school in the district is the middle school. In spite of its age, it is not the first school that needs to be replaced.

“The middle school is showing its age and also its durability,” says architect Scott Rose.

Peterson says the mold problems at the middle school have been mitigated and indoor air quality is very good.

Otto Petersen Elementary was built with post-World War II experimental construction materials and techniques that created a school with classrooms full of natural light. Large walls of glass blocks have no insulating value, making it costly to heat and cool classrooms.

The windows within the glass block walls leak and have no insulating value. It costs $100,000 per year to heat the school.

This cost represents energy use more than double the target ranges recommended by the Oregon Department of Energy. The school uses 94.7k BTU per square foot per year compared to the department’s recommendations of 30-42k BTU per square food per year.

The school’s heating system is old. The pipes carrying steam to classrooms for heat need to be replaced.

These pipes run under the school, making it difficult and expensive to repair and replace.

After three years of study and deliberation, citizens on the long-range planning committee recommend tearing down and replacing Petersen Elementary. The gym will still be used by the middle school.

The bond on the November ballot is for $33.3 million; $18.9 million is the cost of building a new elementary school adjacent to Grant Watts Elementary School on property already owned by the district.

The long-range plan for the middle school, high school, Grant Watts, Warren and Sauvie Island elementary schools is to do critical maintenance. This includes repairing and replacing roofs, repairing parking lots, removing asbestos, replacing galvanized pipes and upgrading intercom systems.

Building safety is also included in the bond proposal. This would include lock-down capabilities, new fire alarms, improved office visibility at Warren Elementary, improved parking lot configurations and site lighting for security. The cost of these upgrades is $2.3 million.

At the high school, new instructional areas will be constructed. Improvements will be made to existing classrooms and an upgrade of the infrastructure for technology.

The goal, says Peterson, is to place all cables for computers, digital and electronic systems in the ceiling and configure systems to work together.

Currently these systems are patched together in series of inefficient systems. The cost for these improvements is $3.1 million.

Peterson says additional classrooms need to be constructed at Grant Watts and Warren elementary schools for $1 million. This new classroom space with create room for all-day kindergarten, band and Title 1 programs.

A performing arts and community education center is included in the plans. This space will be built on the high school campus. In an attempt to make the best use of public money, the facility is designed as a 400-seat auditorium with folding partitions that will divide it into smaller spaces that can be used as additional instructional space. Public meeting spaces will be built into the center.

“I think it will become a revenue stream for the district,” says Peterson. “There is a huge need in this community for performing space and for meeting spaces in our community.”

The cost for the center is $4.4 million. The total amount of the bond is $33.3 million – the exact same amount of the 2002 bond that failed. The great difference is that, in today’s dollars, $33.3 will not build the new middle school that was in 2002 plans.

“Every month since the 2002 bond failed, the value of the $3.3 million bond decreased $200,000,” says Peterson. “We can not afford not to pass this bond.”

Student Voice [By Chloe Wight; The South County Spotlight, Oct 22, 2008] A Scappoose High senior gives her opinion on the school district's bond measure

Student Voice [By Chloe Wight; The South County Spotlight, Oct 22, 2008]
A Scappoose High senior gives her opinion on the school district's bond measure