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Eagle Point School District’s proposed $95 million bond measure has gotten mixed reactions. Some people have expressed support, saying school improvements are overdue. Others say the accompanying tax increase would put too much of a burden on homeowners. The bond rate is projected at 89 cents per $1,000 of assessed value, which would add $178 a year on a house with a $200,000 assessed value. If approved in November, the 31-year construction bond would fund projects that include a new elementary school in White City; new districtwide safety and security systems; renovations at Shady Cove School and Eagle Point High School; and improvements in energy conservation and parking. For White City resident Alexandra Estes, who has a son at Table Rock Elementary School, the bond “is a tricky situation.” “The schools definitely need money, and I agree with some of the plans, but not all of them,” she said. “I don’t think we should be paying over half of our property taxes for the schools.” Estes said she thinks planned upgrades to the science department and science programs at Eagle Point High School are important, but that the cost for making those improvements is “very high.” “It’s not really the district’s fault, but I think something needs to change,” she said. “It’s not fair we are paying millions of dollars when it should be state-funded and locally funded, but most money is coming from us.” District Human Resources Director Allen Barber, who has led the bond effort, said he “gets it.” “Paying more taxes is tough, I really agree with that,” he said. “But we want people to remember to look at the bigger picture.” Barber said the district has worked hard to fund smaller projects and general upkeep on a continual basis, but these bigger projects require the kind of funds that only a bond can provide. “We’ve been great stewards of taxpayer dollars with the current bond, and as that one ends, this new one would begin,” he said. “The impact on taxpayers would be minimal at first, allowing for slow adjustments for families.” The current bond will be paid in full in 2021. The proposed bond, if passed, would begin in 2019 or 2020, according to Barber, with some projects beginning “almost immediately.” Eagle Point resident Margy Nickelson said she fully supports the bond, because “education has suffered enough in this county, and any improvements we can make are necessary, and for the better.” Nickelson said the proposed tax increase hasn’t affected her support, as she is in a financial position to afford it and feels the benefits of the bond outweigh the cost. “I understand why people might feel they are being nickeled and dimed and think more taxes are a step in the wrong direction, but the need here is great enough that the sacrifice is worth it,” she said. “I think any way we can help, we need to.” Shady Cove resident Cliff Mead, however, has expressed his opposition to the bond. “I just think there’s got to be a way for the school to figure out how to make cuts somewhere else,” he said. Mead, who said he graduated from Eagle Point High School in 1975 and now has a granddaughter in the school district, feels “taxed to death.” He said he is like many others on a fixed income, and if the bond is passed, he won’t be able to afford his taxes. “I just think they can do a little bit here and make some cuts here, just something other than hitting us with a massive bond and saying, ‘We’re going to do all this and you’re going to pay for it,’” he said. Sarah Young, recently a student teacher at Eagle Rock Elementary School, said that while she no longer lives in the area and doesn’t have children in the district, she thinks the bond is a necessity. “I can’t imagine why people wouldn’t want to pass a bond that will do so much good for their local schools,” she said. “Why wouldn’t you do that if you want your students and children to have the best education?” Oregon’s general election will take place Nov. 6. Until then, Barber is asking residents to take time to study the bond proposal and plans, which are outlined on the district’s website. Barber stressed that people should remember the bond “is about the legacy we are creating and leaving for future students.” “Are kids nearing the end of high school going to see these impacts? No, but that doesn’t mean we should forget about all of the future generations that will come through these schools,” he said. “These changes and improvements will benefit all of them.” Reach Mail Tribune reporting intern Morgan Theophil at [email protected] or 541-776-4485. Follow her on Twitter @morgan_theophil .