Criteria help in evaluating school bonds.

Byline: GUEST VIEWPOINT By Kathy Madison For The Register-Guard

Classes began this month at London Elementary School in Cottage Grove, just as they have since the school opened in 1912. At 91 years, London is by far the oldest school in Lane County, but the majority of schools in the county's 16 school districts are dealing with the issue of aging classrooms. Many districts are struggling to pay for improvements, let alone replace older schools.

A study of school facilities conducted by the League of Women Voters of Lane County reports that most classroom buildings in Lane County are more than 40 years old and are in what the Oregon School Facilities Management Association calls "a state of accelerated deterioration."

Schools also are required to comply with new, mostly unfunded regulations and are challenged to meet the rapidly changing educational demands of science and technology. At the same time, Ballot Measures 5, 47 and 50 have restricted districts' funding options.

Today, the state provides about 70 percent of the operating revenue for kindergarten through 12th grade schools, with local property taxes providing the bulk of the rest. For new construction, the state provides a facilities grant of 6 percent of district construction costs. Except for the facilities grant, local districts must finance renovations, new building construction and property purchases through bond measures approved by voters and paid by property taxes. The operating budget must be used to pay for all routine repairs, from replacing a roof to fixing a leaky faucet.

Making matters worse, most Lane County school districts are losing students. Since state payments are based on enrollments, this increases pressure on the cost of operating the schools. These districts must ask voters to approve bond financing or continue patching schools together.

Although district representatives are quick to point out that children are learning in Lane County's schools, outdated buildings do inhibit education. The Oregon School Facilities Management Association cites research that shows achievement is as much as 11 percentile points lower in substandard buildings as compared to above-standard buildings.

In Lane County, some classrooms are configured for age-old methods of teaching or are too small for the larger class sizes demanded by falling operating revenues. Poor air quality affects student attentiveness. Inadequate wiring constricts use of computer technology. Science labs cannot be used if they do not conform to current health and safety regulations. Old heating and cooling systems are insufficient and occasionally fail. Even old, smelly bathrooms can affect the learning environment when students are reluctant to use them.

Schools also are struggling to comply with a growing number of new regulations that govern air quality, special-needs students and seismic safety, among others. New systems installed to meet regulations often increase costs because maintenance personnel require training to operate them or specialists must be called in.

The age of Lane County's schools, coupled with the changes in school funding, puts pressure on school districts to seek local bond financing to pay for school improvements. The league study identified a set of criteria intended for its use in evaluating school bond proposals. But these criteria also are a good guide for voters trying to decide whether to support a district's request to repair, replace or close school buildings.

In its report, the league recommends a public process that provides adequate opportunity to discuss the pros and cons. That discussion should include information about the alternatives the district has considered, and an explanation of how the proposal will improve classroom function.

The league's criteria call for cost comparisons between continuing the status quo and the proposal, and for detailed information about how much and for how long the bond would increase taxes. How the proposal would meet long-term needs, and its impacts on land use and transportation, also need to be examined. Perhaps most important, it's vital to assess the proposal's effects on the student experience and the quality of education.

Most school district representatives told the league that, overall, the facilities continue to support the education program "well" or "very well." With funding restrictions and tax base limitations, the question is how districts will cope and voters will respond when the quality of education is affected by the condition of classrooms.

Kathy Madison is a member of board of the League of Women Voter of Lane County and chaired the League's Schools Facilities Committee.