Bond 2025
A Smart, Timely Investment in Lake Oswego Schools
Lake Oswego School District is committed to providing safe, modern, and resilient schools that support student learning and community well-being, without increasing the current tax rate. The bond measure on the November 2025 ballot is a strategic step to replace aging buildings, repair critical infrastructure, and modernize learning spaces for all students.
Election Date: November 4, 2025
Tax Rate: No increase to current LOSD property tax rate
Bond 2025 Fact Sheet
Learn More About Bond 2025
Why Now
Aging Schools Can’t Wait.
Forest Hills Elementary & Lake Grove Elementary Need Replacing
Built in the 1940s, our oldest two schools rely on original, failing systems. Recent ice storms forced the Lake Grove classrooms to close for two months, displacing our kindergarten and first-grade students. That same storm shut down Markham Elementary in Portland—a school built in the same era—displacing their entire community for over a year. These storms serve as a stark reminder of the vulnerability of our school facilities with failing systems and obsolete infrastructure.
Critical Infrastructure is Failing
From the 1970s-era mechanical systems at Lakeridge High to the outdated kitchen equipment at Hallinan and Westridge Elementary, many schools require new roofs, heating, plumbing, and fire safety systems. Fire safety systems at all schools that have not been replaced are so obsolete that we’re sourcing replacement parts on eBay from overseas because they’re no longer manufactured.
Learning Needs Have Changed
We must meet today’s learning needs by providing safe, flexible, and well-equipped spaces. This bond ensures students graduate career- and college-ready by upgrading spaces for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM), career-technical education (CTE), world language, and physical education.
What the Bond Does
Safe. Resilient. Ready for Learning.
Safe
- Update fire alarm systems
- Standardize secure classroom doors
- Install hardened glass
- Complete security camera coverage
- Update emergency communication systems
- Meet seismic standards for Level 4-Immediate Occupancy
Resilient
- Construct new elementary school buildings for Forest Hills and Lake Grove at current sites
- Replace heating and cooling systems
- Repair interior and exterior surfaces
- Upgrade electrical and plumbing systems
- Restore outdoor and recreational spaces
- Replace furniture, fixtures, and equipment
Ready for Learning
- Repurpose and expand STEM and CTE learning spaces at both high schools
- Purchase and renovate a home near work and public transportation for Community Transition Program
- Add classrooms and repurpose auxiliary spaces at Palisades to support fully functioning school
School Impact Stories
Real Schools. Real Needs.
- Forest Hills Elementary
- Hallinan Elementary
- Lake Grove Elementary
- Palisades World Language School
- Oak Creek Elementary
- River Grove Elementary
- Westridge Elementary
- Lake Oswego Middle School
- Lakeridge Middle School
- Lake Oswego High School
- Lakeridge High School
- Community Transition Program
- Uplands (current swing site during construction)
Forest Hills Elementary
Built in 1946, Forest Hills Elementary is one of our oldest elementary schools and is rated in the poorest condition. Given the extent of necessary repairs and improvements, replacing the building is more cost-effective than remodeling. This bond would:
- Construct a new school building for Forest Hills Elementary at its current site
- Support best practices in education
- Implement sustainable and highly efficient building construction and operations
- Construct to immediate occupancy standards to withstand a significant seismic event
- Make right-of-way improvements to the parking lot, sidewalks, and neighborhood traffic patterns
If LOSD voters pass the bond measure in November 2025, construction at Forest Hills would begin in 2026. During construction, the school community would be housed at Uplands and move into the new school in the fall 2028.
Hallinan Elementary
To ensure our schools remain safe, functional, and well-maintained, this bond would fund repairs or replacements for failing and obsolete systems. For Hallinan, which was built in 1980, this bond would:
Replace failing and obsolete systems
- Heating and cooling systems
- Upgrade failing systems and replace broken components
- Interior and exterior surfaces
- Update and repair the asphalt and concrete parking lot, playground, and sidewalks
- Repair and replace worn interior and exterior surfaces and finishes throughout the building: flooring, walls, and ceilings
- Electrical and plumbing systems
- Repair and replace irrigation system to mitigate water damage
- Upgrade failing systems and replace broken components
- Security systems
- Replace obsolete fire alarm system
- Replacing failing interior and exterior lights with LED lighting
- Outdoor and recreational spaces
- Replace aging bleacher seating for safety and usability
- Furniture, fixtures, and equipment
- Kitchen: Upgrade outdated and inefficient units
- Classrooms: Replace worn furnishings to support modern learning
- Classrooms: Replace broken and outdated personal devices every student uses for curriculum and instruction
Lake Grove Elementary
Built in 1949, Lake Grove Elementary is one of our oldest elementary schools and is rated in the poorest condition. Given the extent of necessary repairs and improvements, replacing the building is more cost-effective than remodeling. This bond would:
- Construct a new school building for Lake Grove Elementary at its current site
- Support best practices in education
- Implement sustainable and highly efficient building construction and operations
- Construct to immediate occupancy standards to withstand a significant seismic event
- Make right-of-way improvements to the parking lot, sidewalks, and neighborhood traffic patterns
If LOSD voters pass the bond measure in November 2025, construction at Lake Grove would begin in 2028 (following Forest Hills). During construction, the school community would be housed at Uplands and move into the new school in the fall 2030.
Palisades World Language School
To ensure our schools remain safe, functional, and well-maintained, this bond would fund repairs or replacements for failing and obsolete systems across the district. For Palisades, which was built in 1959, this bond would:
Replace failing and obsolete systems
- Interior and exterior surfaces
- Replace failing roof on main building (gymnasium roof completed with 2021 bond)
- Update and repair the asphalt and concrete parking lot, playground, and sidewalks
- Repair and replace worn interior and exterior surfaces and finishes throughout the building: doors, flooring, walls, and ceilings
- Electrical and plumbing systems
- Upgrade failing systems and replace broken components
- Security systems
- Replace obsolete fire alarm system
- Furniture, fixtures, and equipment
- Restrooms: Complete replacement of restroom fixtures (phase 1 completed with 2021 bond)
- Classrooms: Replace broken and outdated personal devices every student uses for curriculum and instruction
Address Essential Capacity Needs
- Add classrooms and repurpose spaces at Palisades to support a fully functioning elementary school.
Oak Creek Elementary
To ensure our schools remain safe, functional, and well-maintained, this bond would fund repairs or replacements for failing and obsolete systems across the district. For Oak Creek, which was built in 1991, this bond would:
Replacing failing and obsolete systems
- Heating and cooling systems
- Upgrade failing systems and replace broken components
- Interior and exterior surfaces
- Update and repair the asphalt and concrete parking lot, playground, and sidewalks
- Electrical and plumbing systems
- Upgrade failing systems and replace broken components
- Security systems
- Replace obsolete fire alarm system
- Replace interior and exterior lighting with energy-efficient LED
- Add exterior fencing and landscaping
- Furniture, fixtures, and equipment
- Classrooms: Replace worn furnishings to support modern learning
- Classrooms: Replace broken and outdated personal devices every student uses for curriculum and instruction
River Grove Elementary
Westridge Elementary
To ensure our schools remain safe, functional, and well-maintained, this bond would fund repairs or replacements for failing and obsolete systems across the district. For Westridge, which was built in 1980, this bond would:
Replace failing and obsolete systems
- Interior and exterior surfaces
- Update and repair the asphalt and concrete parking lot, playground, and sidewalks
- Repair and replace worn interior and exterior surfaces and finishes throughout the building: doors, flooring, walls, and ceilings
- Replace exterior brick veneer (phase 1 completed with 2017 bond)
- Repair gutters, downspouts, and storm drains
- Security systems
- Replace obsolete fire alarm system
- Exterior and interior recreational facilities
- Replace aging bleacher seating for safety and usability
- Replace beams in the exterior covered play area
- Furniture, fixtures, and equipment
- Kitchen: Upgrade outdated and inefficient units
- Classrooms: Replace worn furnishings to support modern learning
- Classrooms: Replace broken and outdated personal devices every student uses for curriculum and instruction
Lake Oswego Middle School
Lake Oswego Middle School is being replaced using funds from the voter-passed 2021 bond measure. Construction is in progress and the new school is set to open in fall 2026. For Lake Oswego Middle School, this bond would:
- Fix broken components to protect investment of new buildings
- Replace broken and outdated personal devices every student uses for curriculum and instruction
Lakeridge Middle School
Lake Oswego High School
To ensure our schools remain safe, functional, and well-maintained, this bond would fund repairs or replacements for failing and obsolete systems across the district. For Lake Oswego High School, which was replaced in 2005, this bond would:
Replacing failing and obsolete systems
- Heating and cooling systems
- Replace aging air handling units, boilers, pumps, cooling towers, domestic and hydronic piping, exhaust fans, and ductless split systems
- Exterior and interior surfaces
- Repair and upgrade stairways and guardrails
- Improve drainage and repair asphalt walkways, parking lots, and concrete sidewalks
- Complete replacement and repairs of roof, flashing, gutters, downspouts, ladders, stucco, ceiling tiles, walls, carpets, rubber flooring, door frames and doors (not covered in 2017/2021 bonds)
- Exterior and interior paint
- Electrical and plumbing systems
- Install plumbing shutoff valves
- Security systems
- Replace obsolete fire alarm system
- Replace broken first-floor windows and doors with security glass (vestibule main entrance completed in 2017 bond)
- Replacing failing exterior lights with LED lighting
- Seismic rehabilitation of technology building for earthquake resilience
- Outdoor and recreational spaces
- Replace theater lighting and paint the stage floor
- Replace tennis court lighting, surfacing, and nets
- Replace failing football and baseball field lights
- Replace baseball batting cage
- Replace aging bleacher seating in old gymnasium for safety and usability
- Furniture, fixtures, and equipment
- Kitchen: Upgrade outdated and inefficient units
- Classrooms: Replace broken and outdated personal devices every student uses for curriculum and instruction
- Our inadequate and aging Career and Technical Education (CTE) and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) facilities fail to meet essential educational needs. This bond would:
- Repurpose and expand CTE/STEM spaces at both high schools, equipping students with necessary experience for career and college
- Repurpose and expand CTE/STEM spaces at both high schools, equipping students with necessary experience for career and college
Lakeridge High School
To ensure our schools remain safe, functional, and well-maintained, this bond would fund repairs or replacements for failing and obsolete systems across the district. For Lakeridge High School, which was built in 1970, this bond would:
Replace failing and obsolete systems
- Heating and cooling systems
- Replace air handling units, boilers, pumps, cooling towers, domestic and hydronic piping, exhaust fans, and ductless split system
- Install air conditioning in gymnasiums
- Exterior and interior surfaces
- Repair and upgrade interior and exterior stairways and guardrails
- Repair and upgrade drainage, asphalt walkways and parking lots, and concrete sidewalks
- Replace damaged roofs, flashing, gutters, downspouts, ladders, stucco, ceiling tiles, walls, carpets, and rubber flooring
- Exterior and interior paint
- Electrical and plumbing systems
- Replace distribution panels
- Install plumbing shutoff valves
- Repair drinking fountains
- Security systems
- Replace obsolete fire alarm system
- Replace broken first-floor windows and doors with security glass (vestibule main entrance completed in 2017 bond)
- Replacing failing exterior lights with LED lighting
- Outdoor and recreational spaces
- Replace theater lights
- Renovate lower level of athletics building, including locker room, to mitigate flooding and repair failing infrastructure
- Replace baseball batting cage and storage
- Replace tennis court lighting, surfacing, and nets
- Add visitor bleachers at the main field
- Furniture, fixtures, and equipment
- Kitchen: replace outdated appliances and equipment
- Art rooms: replace broken cabinets in classrooms
- Classrooms: Replace broken and outdated personal devices every student uses for curriculum and instruction
Address essential capacity needs
- Repurpose and update Technology Building to serve as flexible space for Career and Technical Education (CTE) and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) instruction and experiences
- The Technology Building, located on the Lake Oswego High School campus, currently houses the Community Transition Program and district-wide services including the Staff Development Room and Computer Networking Services department.
Community Transition Program
Our inadequate and aging Community Transition Program (CTP) building is rated in the poorest condition and educational adequacy assessments, failing to meet essential educational needs. For CTP, this bond would:
Address essential capacity needs
- Purchase and renovate a home near work and public transportation for CTP, which supports students ages 18-21 with developmental delays in the mild to moderate cognitive range
Uplands (current swing site during construction)
Our Central Office, built in 1961, and Facility Operations Warehouse, built in 1971, are among the oldest district facilities and are rated in the poorest condition. These buildings cannot house all administrative and support functions, requiring our district to rent additional spaces using general operational budget. This bond would:
Repurpose available facility to consolidate district-wide services
- Reconfigure Uplands Elementary School to consolidate district-wide services -- including superintendent, business services, capital bond, communications, computer networking services, curriculum and instruction, human resources, student services, and teacher and staff development; eliminate rental costs; and create operational efficiencies.
- Demolish Central Office and Facility Operations Warehouse buildings, clearing space for school use.
Cost and Oversight
Transparency, Accountability, and Fiscal Responsibility.
- $235 million general obligation bond
- No increase to current property tax rate
- Independent audits and citizen oversight committee
- Funds only used for capital improvements—never operations or salaries
- This is Phase 3 of a long-term capital bond improvement plan. Previous phases have been delivered on time and on budget.
- Delaying means higher costs due to inflation and emergency fixes.
FAQs
Your Questions, Answered.
What is a school bond?
A school bond is a funding mechanism used by public school districts to finance major capital projects, such as building or upgrading schools. Bond measures appear on the ballot with specific information about the projects to be completed if approved by voters.
Would this bond raise my taxes?
No. This bond would maintain the current tax rate. That’s possible because the 2000 bond, used to rebuild Lake Oswego High School and renovate Lakeridge High School, is scheduled to be paid off in June 2026.
How can I be sure funds will be used responsibly?
Independent financial audits and citizen oversight are built into the bond plan. An independent, citizen-led Bond Accountability Committee (BAC) will monitor spending if the bond passes.
Didn’t we already pass a bond?
Yes. This bond would complete the Facilities Master Plan initiated in 2015 and continue the work funded by the 2017 and 2021 bond measures.
State of Our School Buildings
What is the condition of our schools?
An independent assessment of school facilities identified significant needs. Forest Hills (built in 1946) and Lake Grove (1949) have reached the end of their lifespan and require full replacement. Most other schools in the district—except for newly rebuilt Lakeridge Middle School, River Grove Elementary, and soon-to-be-completed Lake Oswego Middle School—face critical repairs, safety updates, and space constraints.
Why now?
Our aging schools can’t wait.
- Forest Hills and Lake Grove Elementary Schools still rely on original systems. Repairs are no longer cost-effective, and failure of these systems could force school closures. Recent ice storms exposed this vulnerability: in January 2024, a burst pipe at Lake Grove flooded classrooms and displaced students for two months.
- Outdated fire safety systems require us to find replacement parts on eBay because they are no longer manufactured.
- We must modernize classrooms for STEM, world languages, career-technical education, and other programs to ensure students are prepared for college and careers.
What projects would the bond fund?
You can find a list of proposed projects for each school on the Bond 2025 webpage.
Will these projects happen without bond approval?
No. Without voter approval, the district will continue basic maintenance, but the proposed projects will not move forward.
Why are bonds used to pay for these projects?
Oregon law prohibits the use of general operating funds (like those used to pay teacher salaries) for major construction. Bonds are the standard way to fund school construction and capital improvements.
Can bond funds be used for anything else?
No. Bond funds must be used only for the purposes approved by voters and only for schools in the Lake Oswego School District.
More About Our Facilities
When were Lake Oswego schools built?
Elementary Schools
- Forest Hills: 1946
- Hallinan: 1980
- Lake Grove: 1949
- Oak Creek: 1990
- Palisades: 1961
- River Grove: rebuilt 2025
- Westridge: 1980
- Uplands: 1961
Middle Schools
- Lake Oswego Middle School: opening 2026
- Lakeridge Middle School: rebuilt 2021
High Schools
- Lake Oswego High School: rebuilt 2005
Lakeridge High School: 1971
Does the district have unused buildings?
No. All district facilities are in use. Uplands is currently being used to house schools during construction. If the bond passes, it will temporarily house Forest Hills and Lake Grove students and then be reconfigured to consolidate districtwide services—eliminating rental costs and improving efficiency.
Why move district offices into Uplands?
Our current Central Office (built 1961) and Facilities Warehouse (build in 1971) are in poor condition and cannot support all district functions. Repurposing Uplands would create a centralized space and allow us to remove outdated buildings.
Community Impact
How do school construction projects impact the local economy?
Large-scale construction projects create thousands of jobs and support local businesses. They also generate revenue for city services through development fees.
How could the bond affect home values?
According to realtor.com, school quality is one of the most important factors for home buyers. Good schools enhance community desirability, which helps maintain and grow home values.
Why invest in schools if I don’t have children in the district?
Great schools benefit everyone. They attract families, boost the economy, increase property values, and help build a strong local workforce. Schools also provide community gathering spaces and potential emergency shelters.
Taxes and Comparisons
How much would I pay if the bond is approved?
The bond continues the existing rate of approximately $2.90 per $1,000 of assessed value. About $0.90 of that total supports this new bond. For a home assessed at $460,000 (median in LO), that’s about $420 per year. Note: Property taxes are based on assessed value, not market value. In Lake Oswego, assessed values are typically about half of market values.
How does LOSD’s tax rate compare to others?
LOSD’s bond tax rate falls in the middle of neighboring districts. Our total property tax rate is about $0.50 higher than the regional average among nine nearby districts.
Planning, Oversight, and the Future
How was the community involved in planning?
- Facilities planning for this bond began in 2023.
- In 2023, committees of parents, teachers, and staff reviewed options.
- The district also conducted several voter polls and engaged with parent groups, neighborhood associations, and community organizations through town halls, open houses, and board testimony to gather input.
Has the district considered future enrollment?
Yes. LOSD regularly commissions demographic studies and 10-year enrollment projections from the Population Research Center at Portland State University.
School District Performance
How does LOSD rank?
Lake Oswego School District is consistently ranked #1 in Oregon and among the top school districts nationwide. All of our elementary, middle, and high schools rank among the best in the state.
What is LOSD’s graduation rate?
Our graduation rate has exceeded 97%, and nearly all students are on track to graduate.
Is this bond a good investment?
Each voter will decide for themselves. However, LOSD has a strong record of fiscal responsibility and conservative financial management. The district hosts public budget meetings each year to ensure transparency and accountability.
Contact Us
Support Safe, Resilient Schools
Have questions about the Bond 2025 measure or want to learn more? We’re here to help. Please submit your question or comment through our Bond 2025 Contact Form. A member of our team will follow up with you as soon as possible.
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