Crook County School District seeks residents to help with long-term facilities plan
PRINEVILLE, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Continued job growth in the community, and a strong reputation in local schools saw enrollment in the Crook County School District rise once again, despite challenges brought by COVID-19.
Maintaining quality schools and facilities require ongoing investment, so the school board is looking for community members to help develop a long-range plan to best serve students and families by serving on the Long-Term Facilities Committee.
The commitment includes a minimum of five meetings, starting at the end of April and running through August. Each meeting is expected to last about two hours, starting with an overview meeting in April and ending in August with a proposed final plan to be reviewed by the Crook County School Board and adopted by September.
"School district facilities are public facilities. High quality facilities support high quality learning, but properly planned, they are also community gathering spaces, cultural spaces and recreational spaces. And, of course, the community pays for them. That's why the board values community input and involvement in creating the right vision for the Crook County of 10, 20 and 30 years from now. The shape of the schools will shape the community,” explained Scott Cooper, board chair.
The 10-year plan will review population projections, identify future school sites, outline needed improvements to existing buildings, determine if new buildings are needed, and consider long-term financial plans to cover future costs. Adopting the plan by September will allow the school district to have some of the construction costs paid for by the state of Oregon.
Community input will help get the equation right by balancing the needs of education and community use, contributing input into site selection, prioritizing options for how bond proceeds could be used, and determine the balance between wants and needs and taxpayer willingness and ability to pay.
“Crook County has a long history of people coming together for kids. It's one of the things that makes this community really great. We hope a number of folks will step up to the plate and serve on the Long-Term Facilities Committee to make sure we include the feedback of local taxpayers,” said Doug Smith, board member and chair of the facilities committee.
The application process is open now through Sunday, April 11th. Community members interested in serving on the Long-Term Facilities Committee can download an application on our website, or call the District Office to make arrangements for a hard copy of the application.
Download the online application here: https://www.crookcountyschools.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2021/04/Long-Term-Facilities-Review-Comm-app.pdf
Or contact:
Heather Hixson, Executive Assistant to the Superintendent & School Board
(541) 447-5664
