A dozen school districts and community colleges were pushing for funding through either a levy or bond.
An easy way to remember the difference between the two types of funding measures, , is that 鈥渂onds are for buildings, and levies are for learning.鈥� In other words, bond money has to be used to build, repair or renovate physical structures, while levies are used to pay for staffing and other ongoing operations.
Voters throughout the Willamette Valley, as well as pockets in Central, Southern and Eastern Oregon, voted on these measures on their November ballots. The majority rejected added taxes.
Six school funding ballot measures appear to have failed, and four have passed, according to initial returns. Two are still too close to call.
Where school bonds are passing and failing
The results, updated on the Wednesday morning, were clear for most races.
Among the 12 school funding measures on the ballot, returns show voters were more likely to approve a levy for day-to-day operations than they were to approve bonds to build, renovate or repair school facilities.
罢颈驳补谤诲-罢耻补濒补迟颈苍鈥檚 to 鈥渞etain TTSD teachers and preserve classroom programs鈥� passed easily, with more than 71% of voters in favor.
A similar result came for Falls City schools, where more than 63% of voters approved a meant to support the district鈥檚 music, sports and extracurricular programs and FACES, a program for children in all grades that helps in math and literacy development.
In Central Oregon, the Redmond School District seems to have more narrowly passed its meant to increase safety measures, repair schools and expand vocational training opportunities, with about 52% voting in favor.
And the Columbia Gorge Community College in Wasco and Hood River counties passed with similar results, with roughly 53% in fav
Clackamas Community College鈥檚 $120 million was too close to call, down by less than 500 votes, according to results updated Wednesday morning.
The Oregon City School District also remains close based on the latest reported vote totals. District officials want to update the six elementary schools, which average 62 years old and have never been updated, according to the . As of Wednesday morning, the was losing with just shy of 51% of the votes opposed 鈥� a difference of fewer than 300 votes.
For the six bond measures that didn鈥檛 pass, districts with pressing facility needs 鈥� with Oregon schools averaging more than 40 years old 鈥� will have to 鈥済o back to the drawing board or hope for a legislative lifeline.鈥�
The Oregon Department of Education has limited funding streams for school facilities, including a for districts that pass their own bonds and a separate grant program for schools doing seismic upgrades.
Education advocates, including OSBA, plan to talk with legislators during the 2025 session to find other ways to help schools address their facilities needs, according to OSBA.
笔补谤办谤辞蝉别鈥檚 to 鈥渕aintain teachers and classroom support鈥� appears to have failed, with nearly 53% voting against it.
Chemeketa Community College to help upgrade and enhance career technical education programs, technology, facilities and safety. It failed, with 58% of voters rejecting it.
Also in the mid-Willamette Valley, about 57% of voters rejected the Central School District that was meant, in part, to help address overcrowding.
Voters in Southern Oregon soundly rejected both education measures on their ballots 鈥� with 60% voting against Rogue Community College鈥檚 and nearly 74% rejecting .
And in Eastern Oregon, about 54% of voters rejected the Pine Eagle School District鈥檚 .
To view the results across Oregon, go to .
This story comes from the Northwest News Network, a collaboration between public media organizations in Oregon and Washington.
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