What are the conditions of Estacada Schools?
Estacada's Schools Are Overcrowded
- The Estacada School District has grown 10% over the past 5 years and is predicted to grow another 25% over the next decade.
- River Mill Elementary currently serves 550 students, and Clackamas River Elementary serves 460. The average elementary size in Oregon is 380.
- The district has brought in 3 portable buildings to address urgent overcrowding and prevent severe class size increases.
Estacada's Schools Are Aging and Have Safety Needs
- Many essential systems in the district are failing, including plumbing, electrical wires, roofs, and windows. These failures have led to fires, flooding, and leaks that have caused student evacuations and learning disruptions.
- The district lacks fire suppression in many buildings, and needs to improve security and ADA accessibility.
Estacada's Schools Lack Temperature Regulation and Air Conditioning
- Temperature regulation at each school is inefficient and inadequate, resulting in cold or hot classrooms, high energy costs, and high labor costs to manually adjust failing systems and boilers.
- Air conditioning is non-existent in Estacada's schools, resulting in high temperatures, school closures, and poor air quality. Open windows and doors to cool classrooms also poses safety and security threats.
The average Estacada School District building is around 60 years old. The district's last school bond was passed 23 years ago, and was used to build Clackamas River Elementary, create more classroom space at both River Mill and Eagle Creek elementaries, significantly update and remodel the almost one-century-old Estacada Middle School, and provide basic repairs at Estacada High School.