What does it take to remodel a school district?

To start, you need a plan.

The West Linn-Wilsonville School Board unanimously approved a new Long Range Facilities Plan during its Monday, May 5 meeting. The document includes the facilities plan itself along with what is referred to as a capital improvement program.

“The Long Range Facilities Plan is a planning document from a point-in-time, very much like a budget. The first half of the Long Range Plan talks about the district,” said capital construction program manager Remo Douglas. “The second half of the plan, the capital improvement program, focuses on potential improvements. That creates essentially a menu for what could be on a potential bond.”

The Long Range Facilities Plan is prepared every five years ahead of a new capital construction bond, which the school district intends to place on the November ballot. The seven capital improvement project areas are accessibility; athletics and wellness; facilities stewardship; learning with technology; safe and welcoming schools; STEAM, CTE and career pathways; and sustainable and resilient facilities.

“The Long Range Plan is the Pinterest board if I wanted to remodel my kitchen, the Capital Improvement Plan would be the things required to remodel my kitchen to meet my vision and the bond is the things we actually pursue,” board member Kirsten Wyatt said.

“That’s a perfect analogy, remind me to steal it,” said Douglas.

Both the Long Range Facilities Plan and Capital Improvement Program are important building blocks toward a new construction bond and process by which the district evaluates its facilities responsibilities and stewardship.

“It really has a historical, archival nature,” said Superintendent Kathy Ludwig.

The first presentation of the Long Range Facilities Plan in December happened in the middle of the public discourse about the possible closures of a West Linn primary school.

The origin of the Small Schools Task Force, the parent committee tasked with evaluating building capacity and the possibility of closing West Linn primary schools, also started with the LRP Committee. District staff received an enrollment forecast from FLO Analytics that showed declining enrollment across all West Linn schools. Enrollment and facility capacity is a key part of the LRP, so the committee requested more analysis through the task force.

Ultimately, the board voted to leave all current district primary schools open.

Now, armed with the plan and community sentiment from the district bond summit, the board heads toward its capital construction bond work session on May 19 or 21.

According to the district, a 2025 bond wouldn’t increase the school district’s current tax rate and would raise between $141 and $230 million depending on what the school board ultimately decides to approve.

“I’m in support of this plan after attending the bond summit and long range planning meeting. I feel the process has been excellent; I have really thought that everyone has done a fantastic job,” said Maegan Vidal.

View the Long Range Facilities Plan online here.