Grants Pass School District 7 Bond: what it funds, what it costs, what's at stake

Oregon matches 85 cents on every dollar

Through the Oregon School Capital Improvement Matching (OSCIM) program, the state awarded Grants Pass School District 7 the full $8,168,000 it applied for. For every dollar the local bond raises, Oregon adds about 85 cents on top. That nearly doubles what our community's money can build.

Local bond · $9,662,700

State match · $8,168,000

Local bond $9,662,700 State match $8,168,000 Total $17,830,700

The match only exists if the bond passes. If it fails, the $8.17 million goes away, and the projects below would have to wait. The district has no other way to fund them: it has already put $55 million into facilities over the last 7 years without a single new tax dollar, and its remaining borrowing capacity is nearly used up.

How could my student benefit?

All six elementary schools, both middle schools, Grants Pass High School, and the Gladiola campus get something from this bond, so a student benefits at each step of their path. Find your student's school below. And with construction expected by summer 2028, and sooner where contractor schedules allow, today's elementary and middle schoolers are exactly the students who will be in these buildings when the work is done.

Elementary schools

Allen Dale ElementaryHome of the Panthers$250,000 on campus

Building improvements and refresh work at Allen Dale ($250,000)

Then in middle school

North Middle School: air conditioning throughout A Building, plus the electrical upgrades to power it ($3,275,100)
South Middle School: a new safety corridor, so classrooms can no longer be entered from outside without passing the office ($3,758,400)

Then at Grants Pass High

Air conditioning in the Athletic Building's main and aux gyms ($2,910,600)
New roofs campus-wide; nearly every GPHS roof is 30 years old and due for replacement ($1,555,200)
Rebuilt softball outfield turf and subgrade ($704,700)

Highland ElementaryHome of the Hawks$250,000 on campus

Building improvements and refresh work at Highland ($250,000)

Then in middle school

North Middle School: air conditioning throughout A Building, plus the electrical upgrades to power it ($3,275,100)
South Middle School: a new safety corridor, so classrooms can no longer be entered from outside without passing the office ($3,758,400)

Then at Grants Pass High

Air conditioning in the Athletic Building's main and aux gyms ($2,910,600)
New roofs campus-wide; nearly every GPHS roof is 30 years old and due for replacement ($1,555,200)
Rebuilt softball outfield turf and subgrade ($704,700)

Lincoln ElementaryHome of the Lions$472,500 on campus

Air conditioning in the Lincoln gym ($472,500), used for PE, assemblies, and hot-weather days

Then in middle school

North Middle School: air conditioning throughout A Building, plus the electrical upgrades to power it ($3,275,100)
South Middle School: a new safety corridor, so classrooms can no longer be entered from outside without passing the office ($3,758,400)

Then at Grants Pass High

Air conditioning in the Athletic Building's main and aux gyms ($2,910,600)
New roofs campus-wide; nearly every GPHS roof is 30 years old and due for replacement ($1,555,200)
Rebuilt softball outfield turf and subgrade ($704,700)

Parkside ElementaryHome of the Pioneers$907,200 on campus

Complete roof replacement at Parkside ($907,200)

Then in middle school

North Middle School: air conditioning throughout A Building, plus the electrical upgrades to power it ($3,275,100)
South Middle School: a new safety corridor, so classrooms can no longer be entered from outside without passing the office ($3,758,400)

Then at Grants Pass High

Air conditioning in the Athletic Building's main and aux gyms ($2,910,600)
New roofs campus-wide; nearly every GPHS roof is 30 years old and due for replacement ($1,555,200)
Rebuilt softball outfield turf and subgrade ($704,700)

Redwood ElementaryHome of the Roadrunners$3,045,000 on campus

New internal road and turn lane for safer drop-off and pick-up ($1,720,000), built entirely on property the school already owns, no land purchase needed, and easing public traffic flow on surrounding streets at pickup and drop-off times
New traffic signal at Redwood & Darneille ($852,500)
Air conditioning in the Redwood gym ($472,500)

Then in middle school

North Middle School: air conditioning throughout A Building, plus the electrical upgrades to power it ($3,275,100)
South Middle School: a new safety corridor, so classrooms can no longer be entered from outside without passing the office ($3,758,400)

Then at Grants Pass High

Air conditioning in the Athletic Building's main and aux gyms ($2,910,600)
New roofs campus-wide; nearly every GPHS roof is 30 years old and due for replacement ($1,555,200)
Rebuilt softball outfield turf and subgrade ($704,700)

Riverside ElementaryHome of the Rams$486,000 on campus

Renovated restrooms and upgraded plumbing at Riverside ($486,000). The current restrooms are 70 years old and prone to backups that create real sanitation concerns

Then in middle school

North Middle School: air conditioning throughout A Building, plus the electrical upgrades to power it ($3,275,100)
South Middle School: a new safety corridor, so classrooms can no longer be entered from outside without passing the office ($3,758,400)

Then at Grants Pass High

Air conditioning in the Athletic Building's main and aux gyms ($2,910,600)
New roofs campus-wide; nearly every GPHS roof is 30 years old and due for replacement ($1,555,200)
Rebuilt softball outfield turf and subgrade ($704,700)

Middle schools

North Middle SchoolHome of the Cave Cubs$3,275,100 on campus

Air conditioning throughout A Building, plus the electrical upgrades needed to power it ($3,275,100), one of the largest single projects in the bond

Then at Grants Pass High

Air conditioning in the Athletic Building's main and aux gyms ($2,910,600)
New roofs campus-wide; nearly every GPHS roof is 30 years old and due for replacement ($1,555,200)
Rebuilt softball outfield turf and subgrade ($704,700)

South Middle SchoolHome of the Trojans$3,758,400 on campus

A new safety corridor and renovated main entry ($3,758,400), the largest single project in the bond. Today, South's classrooms can be reached from outside without ever passing the front office; this closes that gap, and the office gets a facelift to accommodate the change

Then at Grants Pass High

Air conditioning in the Athletic Building's main and aux gyms ($2,910,600)
New roofs campus-wide; nearly every GPHS roof is 30 years old and due for replacement ($1,555,200)
Rebuilt softball outfield turf and subgrade ($704,700)

High school & Gladiola

Grants Pass High SchoolHome of the Cavemen$5,170,500 on campus

Air conditioning in the Athletic Building's main and aux gyms ($2,910,600), used daily for PE, athletics, and school-wide events
New membrane roofing across campus ($1,555,200). The GPHS campus was built 30 years ago, and every roof is now due for replacement except the core building's, which was replaced last year
Rebuilt softball outfield turf and subgrade ($704,700)

Gladiola CampusAlternative high school$216,000 on campus

New prefab modular restrooms ($216,000). Today, Gladiola has a single stall and two urinals for all male students, and three stalls for all female students

What it really costs your household

The bond rate is $0.10 per $1,000 of assessed value. The key word is assessed: in Oregon, that is usually far less than what your home would sell for. Measure 50 has capped assessed-value growth at 3% per year since 1997, so while homes in Grants Pass sell for a median of roughly $400,000 today, assessed values lag far behind, averaging around $217,400.

Your assessed value	Per year	Per month	And market value?
$217,400 (the Grants Pass average)	$21.74	$1.81	≈ $405,000Zillow's median Grants Pass home value, June 2026
$150,000	$15.00	$1.25	Homes with these assessed values sell for anywhere from roughly $250,000 to $800,000 or more. Because of Measure 50's caps, market price tells you almost nothing about your bill. Only the assessed value on your statement does.
$200,000	$20.00	$1.67
$250,000	$25.00	$2.08
$300,000	$30.00	$2.50

To find your exact number: your assessed value is printed on your annual property tax statement (or look it up on the Josephine County property search). Divide it by 1,000 and multiply by $0.10. By law, every dollar goes to capital projects, never salaries or administration.

Sources: Josephine County Assessor, Statement of Taxes 2024-25 (countywide, assessed value is about 60.5% of real market value); Ownwell (Grants Pass median market value $359,380, median tax bill $2,167); Zillow (median home value $405,435, June 2026).

What it builds, school by school

From the district's Long-Range Planning scope priority budget estimate (August 2026).

School	Project	Estimate
Grants Pass High School	Air conditioning in Athletic Building (main + aux gym)	$2,910,600
	Replace building roofing (membrane)	$1,555,200
	Replace softball outfield turf + subgrade	$704,700
North Middle School	Add air conditioning + electrical at A Building	$3,275,100
South Middle School	Renovate to improve building main entry	$3,758,400
Redwood Elementary	New internal road + turn lane for safer circulation	$1,720,000
	New traffic signal at Redwood & Darneille	$852,500
	Air conditioning at gym	$472,500
Lincoln Elementary	Air conditioning at gym	$472,500
Parkside Elementary	Replace all roofing (asphalt shingle)	$907,200
Riverside Elementary	Renovate restrooms, upgrade existing plumbing	$486,000
Gladiola Campus	Add prefab modular restrooms	$216,000
Allen Dale Elementary	Building improvements / refresh	$250,000
Highland Elementary	Building improvements / refresh	$250,000
Total (bond + state match)		$17,830,700

The district's fiscal track record

$55M invested, no new taxes

Over the last 7 years the district completed $55 million in facility work with no new tax revenue at all. School districts cannot raise property taxes on their own, so that work was paid for out of existing budgets and grants.

Borrowed carefully, near the limit

District debt is capped at a 3% ratio and sits near 2.5% today, close to the max, with the remainder kept as a responsible rainy-day buffer. Existing loans pay off in 2035 and 2050.

Realistic timeline

Projects can launch as soon as contractors are available. The district plans conservatively around a summer 2028 start, because by the time the bond passes, contractor schedules are expected to be largely booked through summer 2027.

Common questions

What is a general obligation bond?

It is how Oregon school districts borrow for construction, repaid through property taxes over a fixed term. The money is legally restricted to capital expenses: buildings, systems, and equipment. It cannot pay wages or day-to-day operating costs.

Isn't this just another tax increase?

It is a levy for a specific, published project list at $0.10 per $1,000 of assessed value, and it is the only way Grants Pass receives the $8.17 million Oregon has already set aside for our schools. Grants Pass residents pay the state taxes that fund the OSCIM program either way; this bond decides whether that money comes back to our community's schools or never reaches them.

Is "assessed value" the same as my home's price?

No. Oregon assessed values are typically well below market value because annual growth is capped by law. The $0.10 rate applies per $1,000 of the assessed value on your property tax statement, so most households pay less than a quick market-value estimate would suggest.

Why now?

The state match is the reason. Oregon's OSCIM program has already reserved $8,168,000 for Grants Pass, but only if a local bond passes. A future bond attempt would need to reapply, with no guarantee the allocation would still be there.

When is the vote?

This fall: the bond is on the November 3, 2026 general election ballot. Ballots are mailed to every registered voter in the district in the weeks before Election Day.