Morrow County School District administrators and staff have been busy this summer working on next steps in the bond process. Morrow County voters passed the $204.4 million general obligation bond in May. “We are so appreciative of the community’s support, and we are ready to deliver on the commitments we made during the campaign process,” said Superintendent Matt Combe. “This bond, when coupled with the $6 million grant from the Oregon Department of Education, will provide a $210.4 million investment in Morrow County and is an amazing opportunity to improve facilities for our students.”
In June, the district conducted a Request for Proposal (RFP) process to hire the bond Project Management Team. Five proposals were received; in July, MCSD selected the Wenaha Group of Pendleton as the team. Brandi Sweeney, the district’s Maintenance Coordinator, noted that while the district received many strong proposals, “Wenaha’s proposal emphasized a lot of shared goals with the district, including a collaborative approach and a desire to support the students and communities of Morrow County.” Wenaha Group has managed multiple projects for other school districts and public agencies throughout the region.
The MCSD bond team and Wenaha Group have been meeting regularly to prepare for the bond construction phase, including:
Determining the master budget for bond projects
Creating the master schedule for bond construction
Preparing to issue a Request for Proposal for hiring the architect
Developing a plan to engage with community, staff and students regarding bond progress
Additionally, Morrow County School District has been preparing for the first bond sales. Gabe Hansen, MCSD Business Manager, is working with the financial firm Piper Sandler of Portland to prepare fiscal documentation and reports. Hansen said the goal is that the school district’s solid financial standing will provide a good credit rating and competitive bond sale. It is anticipated that the first of the bond sales will be completed in September.
Combe said MCSD is committed to community engagement and transparency during the bond process. The district will be seeking community members who want to serve on the Bond Oversight Committee, as well as provide input during the design process. Information will be available on the district website and social media (mcsdbond.org).
As the district prepares for the start of the new school year, Combe said, “I know this bond will result in the greatest investment in our kids that we have seen in a generation. The investment in our facilities will provide for 21st century learning environments to support our educators and their classroom efforts and a great opportunity to strengthen our communities – healthy schools equal healthy communities.”