District enlists stakeholders for Bond Visioning Committee March 2016

By Dr. Heather Cordie

Throughout the 2015-16 school year, the Sherwood School District Board of Directors and District leadership have been engaged in several conversations related to student enrollment and the capacity of our current buildings. All Sherwood schools are either nearing capacity or are over capacity. This is a tremendous challenge for our students and staff, and it is imperative that we begin taking steps now to remedy these issues to accommodate the academic and environmental needs of current and future learners. As one of the potential options to resolve the capacity issues in the District, we have been researching, analysing, and discussing the potential for a capital bond measure to be a part of the November 2016 ballot. While no decision has yet been made by the Board as to whether or not to go out for a bond this fall, it has become a focus area of our work sessions and community outreach in recent weeks, so that if the District moves forward with a bond, we will be informed regarding the complexities and timelines that would be involved between now and election day. Sherwood School District has enlisted the support of Ms. Karina Ruiz of Dull Olson Weekes-IBI Group Architects, Inc., and Mr. Rick Rainone of Cornerstone Management, Inc. These two experts in the fields of facilities planning and bond processes, respectively, are helping to lead the District through exploration of what a bond could mean for Sherwood schools and how to engage our stakeholders in the process. It is important to us that we partner with our community, staff and parents as the dilemma we find ourselves in affects our shared, most valued interest - the students we serve. On February 11, 2016, Sherwood School District broadly reached out to its stakeholders in a call to action. Using all our resources, including email subscriber lists, parent listservs, phone contacts, and our web site, we asked interested participants to be part of a Bond Visioning Committee. Dozens of attendees came together to support our work, from City Council and School Board members, to parents of students and employees of the District. The committee, which convened during three evenings, on February 16, 22, and 29, collaborated in groups with the objective of developing the guiding principles for the potential bond, and to align the goals within the Strategic Plan to the District’s facilities. I want to personally thank all of those who served on the Bond Visioning Committee in February - we are thankful for your support and the personal time you committed in service to the needs of Sherwood students and the future of our schools. In next month’s Sherwood Gazette article we will share with you more specifics about the Bond Visioning Committee’s work. Their contributions will become part of the continuing discussions of the Board of Directors as they deliberate on how best to approach the long-term needs of the District. We will continue to communicate with the Sherwood community and all of our stakeholders as new information comes available. Please visit our web site, at www.sherwood.k12.or.us, to keep up on the current news related to a potential bond measure.