Redmond School District invites community to ribbon-cutting for additions to 2 elementary schools
REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) – Two new additions to the Redmond School District will be available for community viewing this Thursday evening, prior to back-to-school open house events being held at Vern Patrick and Tom McCall elementary schools. The Vern Patrick ribbon cutting ceremony will begin at 5 p.m. and the Tom McCall ribbon-cutting ceremony will begin at 5:45 p.m.
Construction of the new additions was funded by a $27.5 million bond measure that was passed by the Redmond community in 2020, along with $6.3 million bond premium and a $7.6 million Oregon School Capital Improvement Matching grant.
The bond measure and additional revenue funded six new classrooms in each building and upgraded health and safety features across the district. The Tom McCall addition is shared with Elton Gregory Middle School, depending on the needs of the school year.
“We are excited to invite the community out to see their investments in our schools,” said Dr. Charan Cline, RSD superintendent. “These additions add much needed space for our students and are a demonstration of the community’s commitment to the health and wellbeing of our youth.”
More than a dozen local vendors and contractors contributed to the completion of the bond projects, including HMK Company, which manages the bond projects.
“We at HMK appreciate the opportunity to bring these projects into fruition for the Redmond School District. The amazing staff both at the district level and in each of the school buildings were essential to the smooth completion of these projects,” said Chad Franke, HMK project manager.
New health and safety features at Vern Patrick include an upgraded HVAC system, new sidewalks, and a freshly paved parking lot. Both schools were upgraded with new playground areas, fencing, and security systems with cameras and digital entry control.
At the time the 2020 bond was passed by voters, the district estimated that it would not increase the tax rate due to the fact that the District refinanced previously issued bonds and due to the projected growth in taxable assessed values. In November 2024, the District plans to bring another bond measure before the voters which is also estimated to not increase property taxes due to the retirement of existing bonds.
A full summary of the 2020 RSD bond projects can be found at https://hmkco.org/redmondbond/.
