OPINION: Lake Oswego School District should keep promises for Lake Grove

On May 20, LOSD’s School Board discussed closing Lake Grove, reopening Uplands and redrawing boundaries throughout the district. Why? By eliminating Lake Grove’s walkable school and busing its students to a school a few miles away in slightly better shape, they free up bond money for newer shinier projects that have popped up since the 2017 commitment of a new school for Lake Grove, Lake Oswego’s poorest condition school facility.

Campaign materials asking voters to approve the 2017 School Bond (Phase 1) included a clear timeline for future bonds: LOJ and River Grove would be replaced with the 2021 bond (Phase 2) and Lake Grove and Forest Hills would be replaced with the 2025 bond (Phase 3). These materials told voters in the Lake Grove school community and neighborhood to vote yes and wait patiently to get your desperately needed new school last. Campaign materials repeated the same promise to Lake Grove for the 2021 bond.

Now our school board is trying to avoid fulfilling that commitment to Lake Grove. During the May 20 meeting, I listened to the board and superintendent express deep concern over keeping a prior commitment to voters to not raise taxes in Phase 3. I do feel it is important for them to keep that commitment. However, it would be nice for them to show that same concern to the commitment they repeatedly made to Lake Grove.

Join me in asking LOSD to keep their commitment to Lake Grove AND the taxpayers.

Nancy Coury

Lake Oswego