The District was notified by the Oregon Department of Education in late May that the $6 million Oregon School Capital Improvement Matching (OSCIM) program was awarded when other Oregon school district bond measures did not pass. Based on a random lottery, Molalla River SD was in the last position and did not anticipate receiving the funds.
The District applied in the fall of 2023 in hopes of receiving these funds in advance of the May 21 election. The goal of the program is to encourage local communities to invest in their district’s public schools. Molalla River randomly drew the last position and was last on the list based on need, when compared with the other district's applying for the funding. In spite of the initial award position, Molalla River School District moved into the award when other communities did not approve their bond measure.
The School Board will decide on how these funds will be used. They must be used at he Molalla River Middle School project, and can not be used at any other school. They could be used for contingency in event they are needed, used to purchase improvements from the expanded school project or used to pre-pay debt service at the conclusion of the project.