Siuslaw committee backs new high school, bond set for May

At a Jan. 14 presentation, the Siuslaw School District Facility Advisory Committee recommended construction of a new 174,500 square foot Siuslaw High School campus and the district announced plans to place a bond measure on the May 19 ballot. The proposal calls for a standalone gymnasium and auditorium and would site the campus east of the district bus garage, south of the football stadium and just west of Siuslaw Middle School.

The committee framed the chosen location as a traffic-management improvement, routing student dropoff to Kingwood Street instead of Oak Street to reduce congestion near the existing high school. Committee members said the layout also clusters athletics, transportation and middle school facilities in a single area, an arrangement they contend will streamline daily operations.

District officials characterize the proposal as preliminary. Principal Mike Harklerode emphasized the plan is not final as the district moves toward putting a bond question before voters. That bond, if approved, would fund construction and related site work; the district has not released final cost estimates or a tax-rate projection tied to the measure.

Opponents at the presentation raised immediate concerns about price and alternatives. Some members of the community argued that the committee did not present renovation scenarios as full, standalone alternatives to new construction. Local business owner David Twombly criticized the committee’s comparison between renovation and new construction as misleading, pointing to a recent Creswell High School remodel completed for under $20 million as evidence that targeted renovation can be effective and less costly.

The dispute highlights a familiar political and fiscal dynamic for Lane County voters: weighing long-term facility needs and educational benefits against property tax impacts and short-term budget priorities. For Siuslaw residents, the debate centers on how best to modernize learning spaces, preserve community assets like the stadium and balance neighborhood traffic patterns with safety and convenience for families.

The district will place the bond before voters on May 19, making the coming months a critical period for public information and civic engagement. Residents can expect continued presentations and opportunities to review comparative cost data as the district develops final plans. How the community weighs construction costs, disruption during any build or remodel, and projected benefits for students will determine whether the bond gains majority support in May.