New Sisters Elementary School due in 2023 — so how will the current one be used?

Child care facility, community center or an urgent care are among ideas from community members

SISTERS, Ore. (KTVZ) -- When Sisters voters approved a $33.8 million bond measure last May to build a new elementary school, they were also voting to turn the current elementary school into a public space. Just what kind of use -- or uses -- that means is now up for community discussion and input, before decisions are made.

Once elementary students move into the city's new elementary school, planned to open in 2023, the Sisters School District will have to decide what to do with the current elementary school.

The SSD and community members met Nov. 15 in a public meeting hosted by Citizens4Community and available to view.

“At this point, the school board is primarily wanting to hear what everybody else is wanting the building to be," school board member Edie Jones said in the meeting. "We have not made any preconceived ideas. We really want to hear from the public.” 

Jane Paxson, president of Citizens4Community, told NewsChannel 21 on Tuesday there is a way the school district could make everyone in the community happy with its decision. 

"I think they could make everyone happy," Paxson said. "Because it’s such a big facility that I think there are a lot of uses that could come to fruition, and so that does make it even more exciting.” 

Citizens4Community will spend the next two to three months gathering more community feedback before passing that information along to the Sisters School Board.