• Woodburn’s elementary schools are overcrowded.

Woodburn keeps growing! Enrollment in our elementary schools has grown by 26% since 1996, and it’s going to grow by another 16% in the next three years. Every elementary school in Woodburn has more children than its hallways, bathrooms and cafeterias can hold. Today, 700 Woodburn children go to school in inadequate portable buildings.

• It’s time to add on to Valor Middle School.

Middle school enrollment –– 6th, 7th and 8th graders –– has grown by 16% in just two years, and is expected to grow another 20% by 2003. When we built Valor Middle School, we planned ahead for growth and designed the building to be expanded. The bond will add 14 classrooms to Valor.

• Woodburn’s older, most crowded elementary school needs remodeling.

Nellie Muir School was built in 1963 to hold 300 students. Today, 420 children go to school at Muir. The school needs expansion and repairs.

A few things to keep in mind.

• By remodeling our older schools, Woodburn will be saving money in new construction.

• The school board has voted to build the new elementary school on land it already owns. They don’t need to buy expensive new land.

• Woodburn planned ahead for growth. We can expand Valor and not build a new middle school.

Even with the new bond, our tax rate for Woodburn schools will be LESS than the rate we paid in 1990!

Because of Measure 5’s cap on property taxes, you will still be paying only about one-third the tax rate for schools that you were paying in 1990 –– even with the bond. In 1990 our tax rate for Woodburn schools was $16.80 per thousand. Today, with the bond, the rate will only be $6.30 per thousand.

Vote YES for Woodburn Schools

(This information provided by Co-Chairs Sharon L.C. Felix
and David J. Christoff, Woodburn Community for Schools)

MEASURE NO. 24-41

Dear Woodburn Voters,

In the spring of 1998, the Woodburn School Board appointed a task force to take a look at the current condition of school buildings and come up with a long-term plan for correcting deficiencies and meeting student enrollment growth.

What we found was:

• In 1998, all of Woodburn’s elementary schools housed more students than their libraries, bathrooms and hallways are designed for.

• By 2003, we expect a 16% increase in grade school students, and a 30% increase in middle school students.

Our conclusion was inescapable. Woodburn needs more space for its elementary and middle school students. It makes no sense to continue to add expensive and short-term portable classrooms to meet long-term growth. It is hard on the buildings and the students to continue to pack children into buildings that are overcrowded.

To underscore our findings are the following facts:

• Since 1998, the number of Woodburn elementary school students has increased nearly 10%.

• This fall, 700 students are housed in 40 portable classrooms across the district.

We have worked with the Board of Directors and the architects to come up with a facilities plan that takes full advantage of our existing buildings. We propose to expand Valor middle school, renovate Nellie Muir and add one new elementary school.

We, like you, are Woodburn voters and taxpayers. This is a sound economic proposal that will save the district dollars in the long run. We urge you to join us in voting Yes on the Woodburn School Bond, Measure 24-41.

Woodburn School District Facilities Master Planning Committee

Brett Meacham

Rev. Dave Dougherty

Rev. Nancy Farrell

Jerry Simonsen

Cindy Thomas

Yes on Measure 24-41.

(This information provided by Brett Meacham, Woodburn School District Facilities Master Planning Committee)