Chemeketa’s $140 Million Bond Aims to Equip Tomorrow’s Workforce
On June 18th, the Chemeketa Community College Board of Education unanimously approved a new bond measure that will generate $140 million in revenue for capital projects, including a new science center in Woodburn, improvements to health and wellness facilities, and the creation of a trades center for technical education.
“It’s very exciting news because it’s an investment in our community’s future,” says Chemeketa Community College President Jessica Howard.
The measure will replace the 2008 bond expiring in 2026, at the same rate of $0.27 per $1,000 of assessed property value. That’s $76.50 per year for a home valued at $280,000. The bond will be on the ballot for voters to decide in the November election.
The college serves Marion, Polk, and Yamhill counties, as well as a portion of Linn County. Property owners in these areas will be directly affected by the bond. Though the rate isn’t increasing from the 2008 measure, property values have risen substantially.
The median sale price for Salem homes has gone up from $305,000 in 2020 to more than $450,000 this year, according to Redfin estimates. That’s a 67% increase in just four years, which affects the bond’s actual yearly cost for Salem residents.
However, the bond promises a wide range of promising developments for the community. Capital projects include expanding technical education services, reconfiguring the Brooks Center for healthcare and emergency services programs, renovating health and wellness facilities, implementing a disaster resource site, modernizing classrooms, and building a science lab at the Woodburn Center.
Howard is confident the bond will equip the college to continue meeting the needs of the community. “We’ve engaged in about two years of community conversations around our tri-county district and received input about what employers and partners need from us,” Howard said.
Howard sees Chemeketa as a key link in the chain of the local economy. “We are a prime workforce trainer,” she said. The college is hopeful the campus improvements will bolster their ability to empower the next generation of Oregon’s workforce, enabling them to keep up with what Howard described as a rapidly changing technological world and economy.
Chemeketa offers 102 programs from engineering to pre-medicine, welding, agriculture, education, criminal justice, and more. They served over 17,000 students in the 2022-23 school year, including full-time and part-time.
They also offer a variety of other services to the community, including the Center for Business and Industry in the heart of Salem, which aims to equip businesses with the tools they need to thrive in the local economy.
“While the bond is all about capital projects and infrastructure, the whole point of all of that is to create the programming that our community needs,” Howard said. The college is offering presentations about the bond measure throughout the community in July and August.
Voters will decide whether to approve the bond in the November election. Howard hopes taxpayers will give it due consideration. If passed, the actual details of the bond will be ironed out and projects will be underway.