Coy Elementary is the only building Oregon City Schools officials are recommending to replace in the district's master plan to upgrade its schools.

The plan was developed after the Ohio School Facilities Commission reviewed the district's needs in 2002, Superintendent John Hall said.

The facilities commission, which is charged with a $10 billion overhaul of school buildings in the state's 612 districts over the next decade, recommended spending $90 million on capital improvements that would largely mean constructing new buildings, Oregon Treasurer Dennis Butler said. The local share would have been $75 million to $80 million, he said.

"They said we should tear down most of our buildings and start over," Mr. Butler said. "The buildings may be old, but in many cases, they're still serviceable with some updating or minor work."

Mr. Butler said the facilities commission also recommended combining the new schools' gymnasiums and cafeterias as a cost-savings measure, which would mean the district would lose space.

"The Ohio plan was going to be way too expensive and wasn't going to meet the needs of the district," Mr. Hall said. "We're going to do it ourselves and actually save our district money."

The district hired its own architectural firm for just under $27,000, The Collaborative Group, Inc., of Toledo, to survey the buildings and notify the public of the district's needs.

Coy Elementary, 2630 Pickle Rd., is a priority for the district because of its proximity to the Sunoco refinery's tank farm and because it's 78 years old. In 1998, the school was evacuated twice in 10 days because of leaks at the tank farm on Wheeling Street near Brown Road. One day, it was because of fumes from a diesel spill; another day, it was fumes from a leaking butane line.

Under the district's plan, Coy Elementary students would move down the road to land already owned by the district at Pickle and Schmidlin roads in a new building built for 600 students, Mr. Hall said.

There would be significant additions and renovations made to Clay High School, and some additions and renovations made to the three elementary schools: Jerusalem, Wynn, and Starr.

The Collaborative Group and the facilities commission found that although the district's school buildings are all more than 40 years old, the two middle schools - Eisenhower and Fassett - were in the best condition, but needed some renovations.

"We ask the residents to seriously look at this as a priority for the community," Mr. Hall said. "We're at the point where we really need to do something."

To accomplish the plan, the Oregon board of education will be asking voters to support a $45 million bond issue on Nov. 2, Mr. Hall said.

The bond issue would pay for a 10-year program of building improvements estimated to cost $49 million. The board may use some permanent improvement tax revenue to cover the $4 million not generated by the bond issue. It also hopes local economic expansion would allow the district to capture some additional tax revenue.

School officials estimate a 4.4-mill levy over 28 years will be needed to repay the bond issue. The levy would cost a $100,000 homeowner $154 a year.

First Published September 2, 2004, 12:46 p.m.