The Eugene 4J School District is in the preliminary stages of preparing a bond proposal that would appear on ballots in November of 2018.
The current price tags of the bond range from 75 to 300 million dollars. 4J Board Head Mary Walston says bonds are currently the only option to continue the district’s ongoing initiative to renovate and rebuild old and undersized school facilities:
“A lot of these were built in the late 50s early 60s, and that’s a long time ago and buildings wear out,” says Walston. “And frankly some of that construction was rather on the cheap, some of it has environmental issues. I know we have asbestos in some schools, not that the kids are exposed to it but, these are old buildings that really need to be addressed in one way or another.”
Walston says the district is already working on surveys to ensure the proposed bond is as fair as possible. While passing it could increase property taxes for Eugene homeowners, Walston says voters have historically supported similar measures and she is optimistic about how they would receive this one.