Acquiring Overlook Property

On Monday, August 10, 2026, the Lake Oswego School Board adopted a resolution authorizing the acquisition, by purchase or, if necessary, through eminent domain, of real property located at 1271 Overlook Drive. Situated directly across from Lakeridge High School (LHS), this property satisfies multiple district needs in one acquisition: to permanently house the Community Transition Program (CTP), construct Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) and Career Technical Education (CTE) facilities, expand parking and gymnasium access, and host our district’s secure records vault.

Lake Oswego School District (LOSD) is fully committed to acquiring the Overlook property through collaborative negotiations with the current owner. However, should negotiations prove unsuccessful, the board has authorized acquisition through eminent domain as a last resort to meet our essential commitments to students and the community.

What makes this property essential to students and the community?

To support long-term educational and operational needs, LOSD needs to construct purpose-built facilities for CTP and STEM/CTE pathways, expand campus parking, provide additional athletic space, and replace its old records vault. The Overlook property is uniquely situated adjacent to LHS to efficiently serve all of these critical needs.

Community Transition Program (CTP) Facility

As part of our district’s commitment to providing inclusive, supportive education, CTP offers crucial life-skills training and vocational experience for students aged 18–21 with mild to moderate developmental delays who have earned a modified diploma from our high schools. For over 15 years, CTP has operated out of converted spaces in a former industrial learning building on the Lake Oswego High School campus. These temporary spaces lack dedicated life-skills features, such as a simulated home environment with a full kitchen and living areas, which are vital for preparing students for independent living. Furthermore, planned construction at LOH (anticipated to begin in summer 2028 or 2029) will require CTP to relocate.

The Overlook property offers an ideal permanent home for CTP. Existing kitchen, multipurpose, and administrative spaces can be remodeled into modern, homelike learning environments tailored to student needs. Additionally, the location provides proximity to community job-training partners along Overlook Drive, including LHS, the Lake Oswego Recreation and Aquatics Center (LORAC), and The Stafford retirement community, as well as nearby partners like New Seasons Market on McVey Avenue. Its location directly across from LHS also allows CTP staff and students to remain closely connected to main campus support and emergency protocols.

STEM / CTE Facilities

A key priority of our district’s voter-approved bond program is providing modern STEM/CTE facilities at both high schools to connect classroom learning with future career pathways. Acquiring the Overlook property offers a fiscally responsible opportunity to construct state-of-the-art STEM/CTE facilities for LHS that match those planned for Lake Oswego High School, while significantly reducing construction costs and avoiding major disruptions to regular school day operations. Remodeling the existing building at Overlook eliminates the higher costs and complexities of new construction or expanding the main LHS building. Moreover, hosting STEM/CTE programs in an adjacent facility reflects the model used at LOH, providing excellent after-hours access for specialized programs while easing campus congestion.

LHS Campus Parking

LHS faces a longstanding shortage of campus parking. Under an informal agreement with the prior property owner, LHS students used approximately 80 spaces on the Overlook property each school year. Despite these spaces, parking regularly overflowed into surrounding residential streets. Overlook has also served as overflow parking for major school events, athletic games, and community gatherings.

Acquiring the Overlook property permanently secures approximately 130 designated parking spaces under full district control. This expansion will reduce student parking on residential streets, ease morning and afternoon traffic flow, enhance safety along Overlook Drive, and foster positive relationships with neighboring residents.

Gymnasium Space

Demand for indoor athletic and recreational space in our community continues to exceed available facilities. Consequently, student teams and youth sports organizations often must schedule practices late into the evening or travel outside the district. Incorporating the existing small gymnasium on the Overlook property into district operations will increase year-round access for school activities and community programs, including basketball, volleyball, pickleball, and youth sports.

Secure Records Vault

What attempts has LOSD made to acquire the Overlook property through negotiation?

Earlier this year, when the long-time owner placed the Overlook property on the market, the District actively sought a voluntary purchase, submitting a competitive offer of $3,400,000. However, the prior owner selected another buyer whose offer, according to deed records, was lower than our district’s offer.

Recognizing the unique importance of this location to our schools, LOSD reached out to the buyer before the sale was finalized to explore the possibility of joint use of the Overlook property and a potential sales agreement. Both LOSD and the buyer quickly acknowledged that joint use was not feasible due to each party’s differing needs for the facility space. The buyer also was not interested in negotiating the sale of the property to LOSD. According to deed records, the sale closed in July at a recorded price of $3,250,000, which is $150,000 less than LOSD’s offer.

LOSD will continue seeking productive, fair negotiations with the new owner to achieve a mutually beneficial outcome. However, if reasonable negotiations cannot produce an agreement, the board authorized eminent domain as a necessary last resort to fulfill its commitments to students, fulfill bond objectives, and secure crucial facilities for our community.

What makes acquisition essential, instead of leasing?

The acquisition is funded through Measure 3-628 bond funds, approved by voters in fall 2025 specifically for capital projects, including acquiring and remodeling facilities for CTP and building an addition on the school for Lakeridge STEM/CTE. The total cost to acquire and renovate the Overlook property is well within the allocated funding for these projects. Realized savings in the millions can be reinvested into other valuable capital projects across our district.

Under Oregon law and capital finance regulations, voter-approved bond funds cannot be used to make lease payments or improve property not owned by the district. Therefore, leasing the property is legally and operationally not an option.

What funds is LOSD using to acquire this property?

Only voter-approved capital bond funds are being used to acquire and remodel the Overlook property. By law, bond funds can only be used for capital projects and capital improvements; they cannot be used for operational expenses such as teacher salaries or general classroom instruction. Conversely, general operational funds, which pay for teachers, are not being used for this property acquisition.

Why not use existing facility space within the district?

All district facilities are at capacity, and existing properties lack the land, physical space, or capital funds required to construct new standalone facilities suitable for the Community Transition Program (CTP).

Specific constraints across district properties include:

Uplands Facility: Uplands is actively serving as essential swing space during ongoing bond construction. Long-term, it is designated to consolidate central administration and districtwide support services, eliminating the need for leasing office and meeting spaces. Uplands is located too far away from Lakeridge for its STEM/CTE program.
Lake Grove Property: While parcel space will open following the completion of the new elementary school, constructing a purpose-built facility for CTP from the ground up at this site is cost-prohibitive compared to repurposing existing structure space at the Overlook property. Lake Grove is located too far away from Lakeridge for its STEM/CTE program.
Lakeridge High School Site: STEM/CTE spaces must be located on or directly adjacent to the high school campus to ensure students can safely access programming within normal class periods. While an additional STEM/CTE facility could be constructed on the Lakeridge campus, the costs of ground-up construction far exceed the costs associated with repurposing the existing Overlook property facility; in addition, there would be insufficient space to also construct the CTP, provide additional parking or gymnasium space, or house a secure vault that is accessible or economical on the Lakeridge campus.

Is this a new practice?

No. Acquiring property through direct purchase or, as a last resort, through eminent domain, is a well-established legal process used by public school districts and other public bodies across Oregon to meet important public needs. Rather than setting a new precedent, the Lake Oswego School District is following these legal frameworks adopted by the Oregon legislature to secure critical facilities for our students and community.

Why is the district interested in the Overlook property now?

The district has needed dedicated, permanent space for the Community Transition Program (CTP) and expanded Lakeridge High School STEM/CTE facilities for years. The district secured funding for these projects only after approving the capital bond in November 2025. When the property went on the market in mid-March, the district immediately identified the Overlook property for these projects, along with other district needs. The district actively pursued the property by submitting a competitive offer in April for $3.4 million, before the current owner acquired it in July for $3.25 million.

Logo Image

Logo Title

In This Section