From The Portland Oregonian: Unofficial results indicate that the Banks (Ore.) School District has won approval of a bond proposal to save school facilities from further decline. The tally shows the bond request passed by just 9 votes, 50.31 percent to 49.69 percent. This was the fourth time the district had asked voters to approve a bond. The school board sought a $10.5 million construction bond to make repairs to the district's antiquated facilities.
Earlier...
AUGUST 2011...from The Portland Oregonian: Officials in the Banks (Ore.) School District officials have canceled their plans to pursue a multimillion dollar bond this November. The leaders felt there wasn't enough voter support to pass a bond for upgrades to the district's dilapidated schools. The district's last bond attempt, a $10.5 million proposal in May, failed by a narrow margin. Two previous efforts to secure much larger bonds failed. MAY 2011...from The Portland Oregonian: After two failed attempts to pass a school construction bond, a Banks (Ore.) School District proposal has been defeated a third time. Partial results showed the bond measure trailing by a margin of 51.53 percent of voters opposing the measure to 48.47 percent supporting the measure. The district was pursuing a $10.5 million bond measure after voters shot down attempts in 2008 and again in November to pass bonds of more than $25 million. About $6.6 million of the bond money would have enabled the district to rebuild much of the junior high school; the remaining money was pegged for smaller projects throughout the district. FEBRUARY 2011: From The Portland Oregonian: The Banks (Ore.) School Board has voted to place a $10.5 million measure on the May 17 ballot. The proposal is a scaled-back version of two previous bond measures that failed. A $25.98 million bid in was rejected in November, and a $25.5 million measure failed in 2008. The new request is smaller because it eliminates plans to renovate the district’s high school. Instead, $6.6 million would be used to rebuild much of the junior high school, and the remaining money would be spent on other projects throughout the district. NOVEMBER 2010....From The Portland Oregonian: For the second time, voters have shot down the Banks (Ore.) School District's attempt to finance school improvements with a bond measure. The $25.98 million proposal would have enabled the district to tear down and replace instructional portions of the high school and middle school, remodel district offices and re-purpose them as classrooms and library space for the high school, and carry out maintenance and repairs that have been deferred. After a near-identical bond measure was defeated in 2008, bond supporters hoped to persuade voters with government incentives that would allowed a portion of the bond to be financed interest-free.OCTOBER 2010...From The Portland Oregonian: The Banks (Ore.) district is seeking approval on Nov. 2 of a $25.98 million bond proposal. The money would enable the district to rebuild part of its middle school campus and replace several portions of its high school.
