The Morrow County Clerk's Office the morning of June 11, 2025, reported voters in the May 20 special election passed the $204.4 million Morrow County School District bond on a vote of 1,245-1,239. (Yasser Marte/East Oregonian, File)

MORROW COUNTY — Morrow County voters have passed a $204.4 million school bond.

County Clerk Bobbi Childers said Wednesday morning, June 11, she certified the results of the May 20 special election. And the final tally was tight: 1,245-1,239.

She said she was prepping for a recount, which occurs in Oregon when the difference in the number of votes is not more than one-fifth of 1% of the total votes. Childers said if the difference had been 4 votes and not 6, there would have been a recount.

The Morrow County School District issued a statement declaring victory in the passage of the bond.

“After an anxious waiting period and a close vote, we are very pleased that voters supported the bond and the projects it will fund,” School Board Chair Richard Cole said in the announcement. “Thank you to all the voters who committed to improving facilities for student success in our community.”

Cole and MCSD Superintendent Matt Combe acknowledged passing the bond was more than a yearlong effort that involved the Community Bond Advisory Committee, school board members, district administrators, members of the district facility and business departments, teachers, school staffs, Wenaha Group and InterMountain Education Service District communications staff, along with community organizations, chambers of commerce and other local entities that hosted bond presentations.

“It has truly been a huge team effort across our district to evaluate facilities, develop projects and inform our community about the need for this bond. We appreciate everyone who worked on it,” Combe said.

The bond will fund these projects:

• Irrigon Jr/Sr High School – replace school to provide modern educational environment for students.
• Riverside Jr/Sr High School – remodel and build addition for more classroom space and gym to support future enrollment.
• Heppner Jr/Sr High School and Heppner Elementary – remodel the junior and senior high school to become a K-12 campus with grade level separation, resulting in operational savings and safer location for elementary students.
• Sam Boardman Elementary — make parking/traffic flow improvements including a dedicated bus loop for safety.
• District-wide — make security and safety improvements including secure main entry, cameras and door access control at all district schools.

The bond will raise $204.4 million, and the district will receive a $6 million matching grant from the Oregon School Capital Improvement Matching Program. The bond will mature in 20 years or less and the bond rate will be an estimated $2.99 per $1,000 of assessed property value, although the actual levy rate may differ, according to the school district.

The Morrow County School District also reported it will provide updates about bond projects at mcsdbond.org and establish a bond oversight committee to oversee the progress of bond projects.